“I was filled with delight day after day…rejoicing in God’s whole world.” Proverbs 8:31

Stop and smell the roses. 

Could we have a more worn-out cliché? Sure, we know the message, the figurative half of this symbol. Slow down; pay attention to details; enjoy the little things. But why don’t we literally stop and literally smell the literal roses? Are we too busy? Yes, we see the roses in bloom, but who has time to spare more than a glance? Are our lives too complicated and crazy to take the time to do anything beyond what has to be done to get through the next hour, the next assignment, the next whatever?

The thing is, we know the value of stopping to smell a rose, soaking in the beauty of a sunrise, or holding the baby fresh from a bath for just a few more delicious minutes. We do ourselves a terrible disservice when we rush through our days and ignore the beauty of the small things and the quiet moments. More than that, Scripture suggests we are unwise when we do so.

In Proverbs, King Solomon personifies wisdom as a woman who, chapter after chapter, tells us how to live wise lives. Furthermore, wisdom tells us she was present when God “set the heavens in place…marked out the horizon…established the clouds…gave the sea its boundary” (vs.27-29). Is her reaction to creation a rush to the next day, to see what God would create next? No. She slowed down. “I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in God’s presence, rejoicing in God’s whole world and delighting in mankind” (8:30-31, emphasis mine). 

We are wise when we deliberately take the time to delight in created things, not for what they can do for us, but because of what they are - part of God’s creation. They are His gifts to us. Intentionally paying attention, slowing down, and delighting will result in a wise perspective on all of life.

We have to, we must, stop and smell the roses.

Be wise this week. I realize your lives are busy, even chaotic, but could you deliberately slow down once this week? When you walk toward your office building or your classroom or to meet a friend for a walk, focus on one thing that God created. Rejoice in it, just because God created it. If you have young children, entertain their silly questions longer than you usually do. Pay attention to what they really want to know, rejoicing in their inquisitiveness. If you’re one of those busier-than-when-I-worked retired folks, set up a chair outside. Sit and listen. Stare at the horizon. Delight in something of God’s creation. You’ll not only be wise in the doing. I am confident you’ll be happier for it, too. Hey, the roses are waiting.