Good morning, beautiful

I awoke this morning thinking about my wife. She went to bed last night not feeling well. I am hoping she is feeling better this morning. She is still asleep as I write. Trish is the love of my life, the best thing that has ever happened to me outside of Jesus. She is to me a shining example of Christ. Her devotion to him challenges me. She will be embarrassed that I have blogged about her today.

I suppose it was because of my thoughts over her as I sipped on a cup of coffee that the words to an old country music song came to my mind. "She don't know she's beautiful." As with many songs, especially of the country vein, the English isn't correct. But the statement is definitely so. My wife is beautiful in many ways to me.

As my mind continued thinking about this, I began to consider how God thinks of you and I. Throughout the bible, His thoughts toward us are expressed. I love this verse, from the Song of Solomon, chapter two and verse ten: "Arise my darling, my beautiful one..." NIV. As you know, this book is a description of a man and a woman in love, but also of Christ and the church. Yes, we are the beloved of God. He made the sunrise for you today.

No matter what you have done, His love remains. That is reassuring in this world, isn't it? Friends may forsake you. You may have experienced a bitter divorce. You may have been told that you are worthless or ugly. But, you know what? The ONE whose thoughts matter above all else thinks otherwise.

In a few minutes she will arise. I will tell her how beautiful she is. I think God wants me to tell you the same thing today.

Good morning, beautiful!!

Take time to smell the flowers

Zach, my five year old grandson, loves to pick flowers. He will pick from the arrangements my wife has planted in the yard to the little white flowers that grow among the grass. He loves to pick them for his mom and for my wife, his maw maw.

Zachary will pick the flowers and smell them. He will brag on how pretty they are, and then say "Maw maw will love these." His interest in them isn't for himself, but for his intended recipient. Zach realizes God made the beautiful flowers and that his grandmother and mom enjoying them. What he doesn't realize is that even more than the flowers he picks and brings them, they love the fact that he cares enough to want to bless them.

I am afraid that we lose something when we grow up. We lose our excitement with the little things, the simple things. We lose the joy of giving and blessing. We lose the child like anticipation of spreading our love with a flower picked from the garden. We don't take the time to smell or enjoy the flowers.

Watching Zachary today reminded me that I need to take time to smell the flowers. I hope you will do the same.