Sometimes it is a pleasure to look at something in the small details. I like to take sunrise and sunset pictures which show the majesty and overpowering beauty of creation, but sometimes it is good to pull in the focus of my vision and look closely at the details. What beauty and majesty there is in these fine details of God's creation.
Think about how this might be a metaphor for life. Consider today the big picture of your life and the presence of the divine in it, but also pull your reflections and focus in and let yourself celebrate in seeing God's presence in the beauty of the little details.
0 Comments
Did you ever have one of those days when you wake up and everything just seems to be in a fog for you? I begin some days feeling like I am in a fog where nothing seems very sharp or clearly defined. But maybe that's not so bad. There is a softness to the fog and haze. Perhaps there are times when we don't need to experience the harshness of life in all its fine detail. Maybe it is okay to step softly into a new day and to leave some things unseen, or unclear, or un-thought-of for a while. Maybe it is okay to puzzle over what is happening and to peer into the nebulous clouds of what lies before us. Perhaps, out of the mist, will emerge new visions and reality will take substance with new vigor in our lives. What do you think? Can you live with a little fog once in a while? This sunset view was only to be seen for a few moments yesterday and then it was gone. Each moment of the day passes so quickly. Do we make the most of each moment? I know I often find myself allowing time to pass, or even anxious for it to pass, in anticipation for some future moment. I waste the power and beauty of the moment at hand. There is a popular phrase which invites us to "live in the moment." This can be a good reminder for us. We never want to forget our past, or cease to plan for the future, but let us also never squander the present. May you live in the beauty and power of each moment. Beautiful Wild Roses! These caught my eye as I was driving. Okay, I know I am supposed to keep my eyes on the road, but I do tend to scan the ditches - watching for deer of course - and this beauty caught my eye. There they were - growing wild in the weeds a short distance off the road - poking out from a wooded area. I just had to stop and take a picture. Their beauty and situation makes me think. I had just come from cutting, trimming, planting, and watering the lawn and plants around my house. I was struggling to make everything look so wonderful and pretty. Yet here was this beauty, springing from the wild where no one had domesticated, tended, or tried to shape it. I wonder - do we sometimes try so hard to "grow the gardens" of our personal lives by managing every little detail of them that we fail to see the wild beauty around us. Perhaps, sometimes, we need to just let go, let our gaze veer off the road we are traveling, and see the beauty of God's creation. And then - ah, well, who knows what will happen . . . What a beautiful morning. These summer days are filled with light! While each moment of the day is wonderful and is to be cherished, I find that these earliest moments of the day are for me the most to be relished. They are so quiet, peaceful, and filled with promise. Add to that the glorious views that are presented by the dawning light, add a cup of coffee to the mix, and then sit back and enjoy the day! Wonderful! The summer solstice marks the day of the most daylight during the year. It is a time of transition reminding us that things are now changing as the amount of daylight per day slowly decreases. It is a reminder to us that life is constantly changing. We can never simply stay in one place, for the world changes around us and we are not the same. But we can intentionally move with the days. Charles Dickens once said, "Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts." While the world may change, we can consistently have a heart and touch that shares the goodness of who we are. I came across this in my reading today and I thought you might like these words from Paulo Coelho who (in his latest book - Manuscript from Accra) writes about love - and uses a rose for illustration: We love because we need to love. Otherwise love loses all meaning and the sun ceases to shine. A rose dreams of enjoying the company of bees, but none appears. The sun asks, “Aren’t you tired of waiting?” “Yes,” answers the rose, “but if I close my petals, I will wither and die.” And yet, even when Love does not appear, we remain open to its presence. Sometimes, when loneliness seems about to crush everything, the only way to resist is to keep on loving. Thistles make me think about myself. According to our family genealogists I have a wee bit of Scottish blood in me, and the Scottish Thistle is an emblem of representation for that land. It is something which certainly has beauty, but also is rather prickly. The same can be said of myself. I have some good qualities, but I also can be a bit prickly at times. I can not really change my nature, but perhaps I can do a better job of sharing the good and not causing as much irritation with the thorns. We had a powerful storm here last night. After the wind and rain (well, actually it was still raining and the wind was still blowing) this rainbow appeared. Rainbows are full of promise. In a physical way they remind us of the refreshing and renewing moisture which falls from the heavens with the promise of growth to come. In a spiritual way they remind us of the grace and peace we experience in our relationship with the Divine and the growth which comes from living in that relationship. May you be renewed and refreshed today - physically and spiritually! Beautiful ripples in the reflected dawn light prompt me to consider how the actions we take in our lives may have ripple effects on others. Even small things that we do, like smile at a passing friend or shared a brief comment on social media can have profound effects on those around us. The ripple effects of our lives, for good or bad, impact others. May your ripples today, and in the days to come, cause reflections of beauty in the lives of those around you. As I was walking this morning, I felt the dew dampen my feet and then saw it revealed in its glory by the dawn's light. I was reminded of how small, yet important, it is. Only those few droplets of water on each individual plant give a drink of refreshment and renewal that carries them through their rainless days. Do we ever consider how important a few words of love and encouragement every day can be to those family and friends who share our lives? Some times, perhaps, it just happens like the "falling dew" but other times, perhaps, we need to make the conscious effort to nourish those around us. May you know, today, that you are loved. |
AuthorJoel Kreger is a writer who grew up in Minnesota, spent many years of his life in Iowa and Wisconsin, and now lives in Minnesota. His life experience includes careers of serving 17 years as a Lutheran parish pastor, working 18 years as a public school teacher, and now writing as a novelist and blogger. Archives
April 2019
Categories |