Creative Communication

Today is a gorgeous sunny day, with a gentle breeze blowing.  The kind of day that called me to escape from the confines of the office for a mid day walk.

As I was walking and praying, the Lord filled my senses with the awesome creativity of nature.  He let me know that there is a purpose for each of His creations, big and small,  and that He communicates with us through nature.  He asked me to focus on what I am absorbing  through my senses.

Wow, that got me thinking!

The very first thing I saw was a butterfly.  A perfect reminder of the beauty that is waiting to develop within us.  This beauty blossoms when we trust in the Lord and rest in the cocoon of faith, allowing growth, change and holiness to develop.

I watched as a male bird protected the mother and their nest;  the thought that came to mind was that the mother was protecting the eggs, while the father was protecting both the mother and the eggs.  I then spotted a family of  ducks…which then led me to ponder the blessing of God sending His only Son to us, in human form, through a traditional family unit.  What a wonder and blessing we have in family.

Then there are the trees.  I absolutely LOVE trees.  Each one talks to me in a different way.  Some trees sway gently, with leaves that shimmer, while others are listening in perfect stillness.   Some are firmly planted, with the wisdom and knowledge that come from age and maturity.  Some are stately, protecting the young and the weak under their umbrella of leaves.  Some are reaching out, growing in substance, while others are instinctively reaching up toward the light.   The thought that stands out in my mind is that each one is exactly what it is meant to be.  And each glorifies God.

As the wind picked up a little, I realized that there is always a wind of change in the air.  Life is always changing.  Sometimes the change feels gentle and pleasant, and sometimes it feels overwhelming.  Either way, we must learn to adapt to it…fighting against it only prolongs growth.  This is especially enlightening for me.

The sound of birds singing reminded me that we all have a different song to sing, resulting in a perfect harmony to present to our Father.  We are not meant to sound the same…we are simply to be what God created us to be.

I noticed the variety of wildflowers; some more glamorous than others.  As my eyes took in the whole picture in front of me, I realized that there is beauty in each one, however there is awesome  splendor when viewed as a whole.  Kind of how each one of us is a unique and beautiful creation,  and when we are joined as the body of Christ our beauty is magnified.

Most of all, today I felt the warmth and energy of the sun penetrating my whole being…which reminded me once more of the all consuming light and love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Lord, thank you for creating such splendor for us to enjoy each day. 

We ask that you open our senses so that we may  know you more intimately, and we ask that you overflow our hearts with your perfect love. 

For it is only through your love and mercy that we are able to love the hearts that need you the most.

Thank you Lord for loving us. 

 

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood by what has been made, so that men are without excuse  Romans 1:20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Simply Trust God

Peace of Spirit

Why is it sometimes  so hard to let go and simply trust God?

My husband and I recently returned from our much anticipated and needed vacation…which consisted of visiting our son and his wife in Colorado, and then visiting with our other son, and his wife, in California.

Before I share about the joyful, perfectly wonderful time we enjoyed with our family, I need to confess something.

As anyone who is a parent would understand, the most important focus in our lives  has been our sons, and building our relationship as a family.   We wanted to provide them with a strong foundation of love and stability.  Through the years we made lots of personal changes as the Lord led us to  learn and grow…a lot of times through trial and error.  As we watched our sons grow into strong,  responsible and loving men, we also felt ourselves blossoming and growing into better versions of ourselves.  In our eyes, God worked a miracle in our lives…blessing our family with a close,  trusting relationship.

As our sons married, our family was expanded and our two daughters-in-law added a new dimension to our family dynamics.  By the way, they feel more like daughters than daughters-in-law.  It seemed that all of our prayers had been answered, and felt very blessed that we all were close and were able to enjoy each other’s company.  Life was good.

Then they decided to move across country.  From the East coast to Colorado and California.  

Although I would like to say that I was extremely happy that they were following their dreams and moving away from the traffic and craziness of the DC area, I have to admit, I can’t say that at all.  And the fact that both couples researched and found wonderful laid back communities that offered the beauty of the mountains and/or the ocean, and conducive to a peaceful life where most travel is by bicycle didn’t phase me at all.

Why would they leave us?

Not only move, but move as far away as possible from us.  Didn’t they know that everything we did was for them and our family?  Didn’t they know how much we struggled to make changes within ourselves so we could be good parents to them and give them what we never had?  Didn’t they realize what they were leaving behind…parents that are always there for them and the awesome times we enjoyed together?

Although my mind was happy for them, my heart could not let go.  I was holding back with clenched hands, and could not let go and offer my children to God’s safekeeping and His plan for their lives.  I wanted to selfishly hold on to them…and keep things the way I wanted them to be.

I wanted my family to be the peaceful haven that we worked so hard to attain, and I just did not allow myself to give it up.  In actuality, I was substituting  the love and need of  my version of  family relationship for my love of God.  My family had become my idol.

Thank you Lord for opening my eyes.

You have been flawlessly working your plan through all of us.  Because of the way your Holy Spirit guided us, we raised two wonderful sons that chose wonderful, loving wives.  Each of them have talents and gifts that you will develop and use for your perfect plan, and because of your divine intervention, our sons are strong and grounded enough to be able to follow the call that you set in their hearts.

So was this the most awesome and perfect vacation ever?  A thousand times YES!  The time we spent together will be treasured and remembered in our hearts…the time together was the most important facet.  Now add to that…bicycling, hiking, soaking in natural spring hot tubs, brewery tours, wineries, touring the Hearst Castle, attending Mass as a family at a beautiful Catholic Church and also a Mission,  meeting up with and visiting extended family in California, the mountains, the ocean, and also meeting some of our sons’ friends and coworkers and realizing the wonderful communities that they are now a part of.   Also the fact that both couples showed us their love by sharing their homes with us,  planning our time together, and the wonderful meals and special touches just for us.

Yes, I still miss them.  But I have finally opened my clenched fists to receive the grace to let them go and trust God with their lives and also ours.

Thank you Lord for this lightening of spirit that you have blessed me with.  Please keep us all in your light and open our eyes, ears, and hearts  to your voice and guidance.  Help us to quiet our lives and souls so we can hear your whispers, and give us the strength and courage to take up our daily crosses and follow you.  Wherever that may be.

 

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?…  Luke 9:23-25