What More Could We Ask For?

Today I posted a picture that lit up my Instagram like no other picture I've ever posted. It wasn't of a baby or a cat or any of the usual things that would get such high levels of love on social media. It was a tree. A really beautiful tree, but a tree nonetheless. It seemed to rock everyone's world, so I thought I would share it with you. I hope it rocks yours as well.

Are you loving it? I took this today on a stroll in Prospect Park right here in Brooklyn. This park is a place of peace and reflection for me squeezed in-between one of the most densely populated areas in the country. It is one of my greatest geographical blessings, and I thank God every time I'm there. 

Prospect Park just never seems to disappoint, no matter the season. This picture is obviously of a crisp autumn day, but check out this beauty I took back in the spring.

I mean, come on!

I remember this day well, actually. Two weeks prior, I had put in my notice at work, and this was the first morning in which I was truly free of a job that had felt fairly suffocating. There was relief, sure, but as I walked around Prospect Park that morning I had no idea what I was going to do, what my next steps were, and I was positively riddled with anxiety and self-doubt. As I approached this blossoming tree and began to take in how truly beautiful it was, a man standing nearby (the one pictured above) caught my attention. He was smiling ear-to-ear as he lifted up his arms, looked at the sky and said to himself and to me, "Praise God. What more could we ask for?" 

Now, a lot of things have been said to me by strangers in New York City. Just today, while I was feeling particularly fierce in my red coat, a man pointed at me and announced to passersby, "The lady in red doesn't impress me! She turns me on, but she does NOT impress me!" And that's a far more tame version of the things usually shouted at me, and all women in New York City, on a daily basis. I tend to roll my eyes and forget most of it by lunch time. 

But I have never forgotten the words spoken to me by the man in Prospect Park that day. It was exactly what I needed to hear in that time of my life. There I stood full of anguish over the uncertainty of my future when in front of me stood a symbol of God's provision. I had everything I needed. The sun rose that morning. I was breathing and my blood was pumping. Everything else in my life -- the caring friendships, the faithful husband, the vibrant city in which I was living -- were gifts. Seriously, what more could I ask for? 

Any time I am in Prospect Park, I am reminded of that same lesson. Then I leave, and I forget it pretty much immediately because life is crazy and I can be pretty dramatic about it sometimes. 

Oh well. Thankfully the park is just a short walk away anytime I need it. 

What gifts in life have you been reminded of lately?