complacency

I like to read and I like to listen to others. I usually pull something out of the ordinary and think about it for a minute or two and move on...but occasionally I will hear or see something that tumbles around a little longer and then it slowly makes its way down to my heart where it nudges me, makes me question, causes me to grow...recently my eyes and ears volleyed back and forth between this conversation:

Dad: How come you are not praying at meal time?

Boy: I give thanks at other times so as not to get complacent.

Dad: *Brow lift, heart weight evident...goes into silent prayer.

Boy: Waits respectfully...then begins to eat.

I thought long and hard about this...for days.

Do I cut time out to pray because it is a convenient habit? Because it is part of the schedule of my day?

Then I began to examine my prayer itself.

There are certain times, especially at meal times, when my thanksgiving could be delivered by my tongue alone because it knows the feel of the words by repetition.

I happen to know this boy spends time with God. He upholds the name of Christ through his convictions, his music, his friends...so my heart is not concerned about this nonconventional thinking.

I do spend time with God...quality time when I can pour from my heart e v e r y t h i n g and lay it to rest at His feet...

but those other moments...those perfectly polished sounds that roll forward out into the ears of others...do they reflect complacency? Am I being nudged by a Father and His Son?

These are the things that are tumbling around today.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

Sacred Sunday

There are days that are made beautiful, not by my love for the cleansing rain or the glimmers of sunshine that soak through my skin, wakening me to the promise of newness...but by the surrounding of God's grace through lovely outreaches of gratitude and expressions of sincerity. I am very observant these days of all the ways He reaches in my heart and stills my spirit so that I might recognize and appreciate all that is born of friendship...both new and old...sweet sentiments through the mail and thoughtful words by phone...all I'm certain, sent on the wings of angels to teach me more about myself through two little words...thank you. These words are humbling to me...I want the warmness in my heart to surface as a smile and say "You are welcome...", but instead it surfaces as rosy cheeks in a blush that makes me feel vulnerable that I have opened up to another and been received most graciously...am I worthy of such appreciation? Surely I am delighted by its presence, but these words alone are such a gift that I stumble over them not nearly as graciously as I would like...why is that? I hear these words throughout my day and think of the trivial things they are applied to and then when I hear or see them through the special effort of deliverance I am halted in my tracks suddenly dumbfounded, but my heart is filled with the sincerest appreciation of my own because of it. I in turn wonder if I am lacking the grace of expression in those gifts I receive from God...when he nudges me with His sweet spirit, do I stand dumbfounded...not knowing how to react? When I am graced by His gifts do I harvest their meaning and share with others the beauty of recognizing what He has layed before me? How might I be more graceful in pointing out the abundance of His love...through friends...kindness...and the swelling of my own heart. Truly, most days are sweetened by His touch...I pray that I might not fumble with His grace and let words so precious sit unspoken upon my tongue....thank you and you are welcome...

Father, I pray with a joyous and grateful heart of all things you deliver unto my path....for the blessings of friendships and the gift of words..."thank you". I pray that I might receive them in the grace in which they were delivered and offer them up to you Lord. Amen

being joyful

Last night I talked with my mother on the telephone and by the time we hung up I had such JOY in my heart. We haven't had a long conversation like that in quite a while and I believe it did us both an immeasurable amount of good. She has had a rough few days with her health and I can always tell when she says she is fine and she really is not. She told me a story about my dad, something he did this past week that made me LAUGH until tears were rolling down my face...and then her voice changed...and she caught the humor...suddenly she wasn't angry anymore and I could sense a huge tension had been released...all from that unique little noise that rises out of our throats...a noise that is universally understood as HAPPINESS. I started thinking about what God says about laughter. A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22) and For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name (Psalm 33:21). I really do believe we are called to be happy, to put forth a positive attitude toward the events in our lives. There are so many perspectives on any given occurance, but the one that leaves our hearts joyful and the load of our burdens lighter is the one we have welcomed God to be a part of. I asked my mom if she felt better after having laughed and she said..."Yes...I really needed that"....and that's when it settled in my heart that laughter truly is something we need more of in our lives...so laugh and be jovial...it is a remedy God gives us access to uniquely and abundantly.

Lord, allow me to see the humor in life. Please don't let me take life too seriously. Remind me to share my happiness with others - my smile may be the only one another person receives today. Amen

Blessed Newness

Soiled hands…touching earth, the soggy remnants of winter…raking, pulling, revealing new life, new promises, new possibilities. My mind is full of all that use to be…like leaves heavy from the rain. My hands keep busy seeking out the new, celebrating life. I breathe in contentment, I steady myself with understanding, I reach out to remove all that has filled the gutters and cracks…the withered, the weak, the discarded…and then He whispers in the breeze and I am filled with appreciation for all that ever could be, for the turn in each hour of this day, and I am humbled once again by all the precious life I am surrounded by. Working in the garden does wonders for my soul. Here are some pictures from today to celebrate new beginnings and of course my loyal sidekick Lacey.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
Psalms 51:10