This blog is designed to create community for believers and provide support for seekers. I encourage all readers to share their faith in an effort to lift and encourage one another.
Happy Wednesday, my friends! Here’s a little devotion to help you get over the hump.
As I walked the nature trails, I wandered off the beaten path. Large toadstools nestled under a grove of blue spruce trees attracted my attention.
Pushing aside branches, I walked fifteen feet, entering a small clearing. The ground, carpeted with years of accumulated needles, felt soft beneath my feet. A chorus of crickets broke the silence. In the distance a woodpecker drilled, searching for insects. Inside my clearing, all was shadow, quiet and still; it became a sanctuary that soothed my soul. A smattering of bright red sumac leaves provided stained-glass windows. I sat on the carpet of spruce needles, gazing at the beauty all around me, and I felt the presence of God. Strains of “This Is Holy Ground” ran through my head.
Looking through an opening between the horizontal branches, I observed the golden radiance of the late afternoon sun. Outside my sanctuary, the seed heads of the natural prairie grasses glowed transparently in the sun’s light, creating a stunning contrast to the shadowy grove. I had to capture the breath-taking scene on film. When I put the camera to my eye, I focused on the branches in the foreground. They seemed large and dark, like horizontal prison bars, and the golden glow of the grasses in the background was barely noticeable. I refocused the camera. Then the tall, dried grass, shot through with light, became the focus of my picture; the branches in the foreground almost disappeared.
As I took my picture, I thought: how often do I focus on the branches in front of me that impede my spiritual way, and thus fail to see God’s light just beyond? How often do I become discouraged over minor problems instead of focusing my thoughts on the brilliance of God’s majesty or the comforting glow of his love? It’s all a matter of focus.
Remembering the lesson of the camera’s focus enables me to thank God in all situations and focus on His spiritual light shining beyond my earthly troubles.
Father let my eyes see beyond the earthly; let me steadfastly watch your spiritual light. May I always focus on the wonders you have created, on the wonder of you. Hebrews 12:2-3 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
I’m back! Last week was rough, but I am feeling better and getting energy back. Nasty food poisoning had an ugly hold on me.
Happy Tuesday! Have a wonderful day!
Here’s some food for thought for today.
“Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.”
Happy Wednesday. Here’s a devotion to enjoy today.
Ordinary Beauty
Today, heeding the words of Robert Frost, I took “the road less travelled.” As I walked the familiar gravel path, I noticed a trail to my left, and it beckoned. Venturing off the six-foot-wide, highly travelled walkway, I stepped through the trees onto the sandy dirt trail. Just wide enough for one, it wandered through sections of the woods where I’d never before ventured.
I savored the sights: bright green leaves, backlit by the bright sunlight, downed trees with their intricate roots pointing in all directions, and a steep drop to the creek meandering a dozen or more feet below. Typical sights in this area, yet specific ones I had never seen. I reveled in God’s creation and the beauty He created.
By venturing onto a new pathway, I was rewarded with unexpected beauty. Yet, I see similar beauty whenever I walk the wider, more familiar paths. I realized that I had allowed myself to become immune to the beauty around me, just because seeing it often had made it become ordinary.
It seems this is true of my life, too. Sometimes I allow myself to become immune to the ordinary beauty around me. Do I even stop to notice the roses, let alone inhale their perfume? Do I appreciate the deep green of summer’s grass? Or hear the whisper of the wind rustling in the trees? How often do I pause to appreciate a child’s laughter or notice the color in a friend’s eyes?
Creator God, help me to slow down, appreciate, and thank you for the beauty all around me every day. The birds’ cheerful song, the vibrant flowers’ colors, the love in my husband’s eyes. Don’t allow them to become mundane in my life but give me eyes to see Your amazing gifts surrounding me every day.
Happy Tuesday! Don’t you just love Norman Vincent Peale’s positive attitude?
“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.”
Growing Our Faith Together 