Friday, May 2, 2014

"Open my eyes, that I might see...."

Spring this year has been a bit strange. We have experienced cold days and warmish days. We've had frosts and even April snow showers. Tornadoes have been spotted all over the Midwest. There have been quite a few injuries, a great deal of property damage and even several deaths related to the severe weather. We've had an unusually dismal Spring. We are all wondering....will it ever warm up???
However, right in the midst of this really bleak Springtime, there is, growing right next door to us, the most gorgeous blooming pink dogwood that I have even seen.
Our next door neighbor is rarely home. His house needs painting and the gutters are falling off of the eaves. His electric yard lamp has been useless for years, with the wires hanging limply from the light less pole. He mows his yard only occasionally, but since the green consists mainly of weeds, it doesn't grow very thick and long. Yet, in spite of this, the dogwood tree, in his front yard, is stunning.
Our neighbors, on the other side, have a beautiful house. They repaint every three or four years. Their lawn is manicured to perfection, and the trees are trimmed to perfect spheres. And, every Autumn, their wrought iron fence glistens with a new coat of black paint.
These neighbors also have a pink dogwood. And, this year, it looks pretty sad. There are a few spindly pink branches, but it looks pretty thin and scrawny.
Thinking about these two very different trees, I decided that we just don't know where and when God is going to bless us. In a perfect world, the beautiful house would have the beautiful tree. But in our real world, the run-down shabby house was awarded, this Spring,  with a gorgeous bloomer.

Stop and consider the wondrous works of God.

Kind and gracious Lord. Your handiwork is awesome. You surprise us with beauty everywhere we look. Remind us to look in unexpected places for your grace and glory. Your steadfast love endures forever.

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