Year 8-Day 197: Today, I am grateful for the morning darkness.
My favorite time of day is that sweet hour after waking before the dawn. The morning darkness is different from the dead of night. The sounds are different as nature begins to wake to celebrate another day.
Okay, it might have something to do with the first cup of coffee... but coffee is simply part of the ritual. There is something sacred in the moments before a new day dawns. I can't explain it, but it feels like no other hour of the day. Rested and ready for the new day.
Amos is a tiny little book in the Old Testament. This passage is not one I have paused to ponder until today. We have a God who forms the mountains, creates the wind, knows our thoughts and makes the morning darkness. Her is the scripture:
"For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth — the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!" -Amos 4:13
The morning darkness has long been a favorite of mine. It has been a part of my Daily Gratitude journey. In the waking hours before dawn, I can hear his voice more clearly, before the noise of the day interferes. Focusing on the things that concern His heart is easier in the morning darkness. His Word is the only true light. And then, the sun begins to rise.
I love to savor the precious predawn moments... barefoot worship... on holy ground.
Today, I am grateful for the morning darkness.
Year 8-Day 196: Today, I am grateful for butterflies.
I have had butterflies on the mind today. I love to watch them flit around the yard. I always try to find some butterfly friendly plants each spring. They are majestic. They are beautiful and delicate, but resilient, too.
From flower to flower, they glide. They work their wings, adjusting for the most gentle of landings on every flower or stem. They are quiet and gentle. Perhaps that is their appeal today. Quietness and gentleness are desirable traits. I need to pause and watch them more.
I could not find a butterfly scripture, but passage suggests the dove as an image to consider. I think we could substitute "butterfly" for dove.
"Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.How quickly I would escape—far from this wild storm of hatred.-Psalm 55:6-8
The other passage that came to mind:
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." -1 Peter 3:3-4
Butterflies are certainly natural beauties... their adornment is God designed. But in humans, there is the unfading beauty in a gentle and quiet spirit.
Today, I am grateful for butterflies.
Year 8-Day 195: Today, I am grateful for the power of the magnifying glass.
I need readers. My distance vision is actually a little better than 20/20. My close up vision is terribly blurred! What would I do without my reader... and the humble magnifying glass?
When I forget my glasses, I can use my phone camera to magnify items. I take a picture, then I blow it up until it is in focus. It acts as a magnifying glass. Magnification is a necessity and very satisfying.
What does it mean to "Magnify the name of of Jesus." ?
Imagine blowing His name up so that every amazing quality is clearly seen. We can't even fathom his greatness with our normal vision. We need spiritual eyes that see differently.
When we have a clearer vision of His power and glory, our knee jerk response is to bow down and worship. The scriptures seem to indicate that over and over. In heaven, it will be a daily practice that brings joy and pleasure. Scriptures indicate it thrills the heart of God when we bow down and worship Him, in spite of our human limitations. When we kneel at His feet with our whole hearts as our offering, He accepts that gift with pleasure. .
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -Philippians 2:9-11
Imagine every tongue declaring "Jesus is Lord." in unison, in celebration, in adoration and in triumph? I really can't, but the day is getting closer when it will all be clear. Earth vision will have to do for now. I thankful for the scriptures that give us a glimpse into things to come. For today, we do our best to see the purpose, value and gift of this ordinary day.
Today, I am grateful for the power of the magnifying glass.
Year 8-Day 194: Today, I am grateful for quenched thirsts.
One of the benefits of "couch church" (as my great-niece Adelynn calls it) is the ability to catch multiple messages. Today, I heard a message from East Peoria Mennonite Church where Pastor Kim Litwiller shepherds the congregation.
Kim spoke today from Isaiah 55:1-3.
“Is anyone thirsty?Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you.I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. Her messages always leave my heart equally encouraged and challenged. Her eyes on this passage was perfect for my heart today." -Isaiah 55:1-3 (NLT)
I needed the reminder that it is silly to spend money on food that does not give us strength and does us no good. What? Did the prophet, Isaiah, know the future would hold Little Debbies, Twinkies, Soda, Kitchen Cooked Chips and Cheese Curls (Central Illinois, you know what I mean), and Big Macs. So much of what is cheap and easy to eat is not good for us. Unfortunately, it tastes good. We are easily sucked into the guilty pleasure. The more we partake, the more we crave.
Today's lesson reminded us to take a look at our options and how we make our choices. Water, milk and wine all have a purpose and a place. God designed them all. Water is life. Milk is nourishment. Wine is exhilarating for celebration.
Jesus invites ALL of us to come to the table. What is offered we cannot purchase, because Jesus already paid the price. To bring it all together... here is my "Verse of the Day":
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”-Matthew 4:4 NLT
Accidental? I think divine providence is a better explanation.
Our human bodies have some basic human needs, but they have spiritual ones, too. When it feels the world is falling apart... buying more, better, bigger stuff will not satisfy. Our human souls are never satisfied until we find peace with The One who gave us life and breath.
He is the Living Water, the Bread of Life and the Prince of Peace. These things are not found at the "Stuff-mart" (to borrow from Bob and Larry and the Veggie Tales). Why waste our money on such things. What he has is free... and satisfies. (My Earworm is singing "He will never be satisfied" from Hamilton. I guess it fits.)
Jesus softly invites us to come and have our thirsts quenched. All of them.
Today, I am grateful for quenched thirsts.
Year 8-Day 192: Today, I am grateful for year markers.
The years go by so quickly. If you are twenty-something and think time is going by faster and faster... wait a few years and you will enter warp speed.
It is good to celebrate the year markers. It causes us to pause and take in the past, the present and the future. Every day and each mile marker are a worthy some reflection.
These are two of my favorite pictures of us. One is from our wedding day... and the other is more recent. In this season of more mature love, I can't help but celebrate the many ways he makes me laugh as he shows me love every single day.
I was always grateful that in an era of posed wedding pictures, our photographer caught this moment between us. It was one our favorites from the day. Walker is responsible for capturing this image at a family photo shoot. He and my dear neighbor, Susie, helped so I could be included in a few pictures.
I do not really enjoy having my picture taken. I'd rather be behind the lens. I am learning that it is important to hand over the camera on occasion. (Donna Davis Roth... you are always good about making me do this. I truly appreciate it!) Pictures are a form of year markers. which is why I continue to try for family Christmas card pictures.
The scriptures are full of reminders to mark the years... the moments and the milestones. We humans have short memories and those memories get shorter as the years go by. God tells us often to "remember".
Examples from scripture include: remembering God's covenant to not flood the earth with a rainbow, Joshua had them place stones of remembrance as they entered the promised land, Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me." as he served the last supper. That is just a sprinkle of the times we are told to "remember".
The Sabbath is a day God instructed us to remember His goodness, to learn of His greatness, to study His Word and to celebrate His faithfulness. There are 52 Sabbaths in a year. On January 1st, the liturgical calendar begins again.
I can't help but think of the Passover celebration that is celebrated to this day in Jewish homes. A Passover Seder meal is a wonderful way to teach our children of God's rescue of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
"This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel." -Exodus 12:14-15
When wedding anniversaries roll around, it is very common for a couple to celebrate with a special meal or at a special place. Year markers matter. Birthdays are another year marker that is marked with parties and celebrations. We have so many family birthdays is July and August and some anniversaries, too. I need to pause and let the gift of another year resonate in my soul.
Today, I am grateful for year markers.
Year 8-Day 191: Today, I am grateful for the lessons in waiting.
Patience is not always my strong suit. It is a lesson that I continue to receive again and again. I have not even come close to perfecting the exercise of waiting. I like a plan A, a plan B and a C... just in case.
Being patient is not as easy as coming up with optional solutions. His way is the best way, but there are times His plan unfolds very slowly.
"I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait." -C.S. Lewis
There are times that waiting build trust and character. God will not be hurried. His ways and His timing are at times a mystery, but as His plan is revealed, it all comes together.
"but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
In Hebrew, the word Isaiah uses for “wait” is Qavah. It means “to wait, look for, hope, expect.” See... there is purpose in "the wait". We need to be still as we wait, watch, hope and trust His heart.
Today, I am grateful for the lessons in waiting.
Year 8-Day 190: Today, I am grateful for tree swings.
A tree swing is a perfect way to celebrate a summer day.
I grew up with different tree swings over the years. Ours were often made with old tractor tires, but we had some wooden ones, too.
When I was very young, we had three tall cottonwood trees. They were perfect for swings, after Dad figured out how to get the rope up on typically high branches. We played on our tree swings for hours, watching the wildlife, pets and bugs around us.
We self-entertained, as there were days Mama Ina Mae told us to get out of the house until she called us for lunch or dinner. We thrived in the sunshine playing made up games for three.
The tree swings were always a place to take a break. They were a place for quiet rest and restoration. With the world climate today, we often long peaceful quiet lives.
"Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." - 1 Timothy 2:2
On a tree swing we can pause and take in the day. We can relax and focus on the moments and not worry about the months. Don't underestimate their value.
Today, I am grateful for tree swings.
Year 8-Day 197: Today, I am grateful for the morning darkness.
