It seems many are preparing for the eclipse which will take place in a few weeks, and there's a meteor shower happening this weekend, as well. Such a gift, to be able to plan ways to enjoy such displays with our children, whether waking them up in the middle of the night with popcorn and hot chocolate to watch the meteor shower or driving a ways to watch a once-in-a-lifetime display of some other sort.
Beauty is such an important part of our understanding of who God is! In my mind are so many memories of times in which I was astonished by a sense of His indefinable beauty. Those thoughts have quieted and comforted me with awe. A glorious sunrise on a cold beach in Florida during a getaway with friends in college and how the spectacular, quiet moments of light spilled into the darkness. A glowing full moon suspended in the cloudless sky one evening minutes before a lunar eclipse. Snow crystals shimmering in the early morning as I opened my eyes from sleep to observe the first snowfall of the winter in our new Colorado home. A triple rainbow majestically filling the rain-cleansed sky at the tail of a storm, which seemed to flow completely from the east horizon to the west horizon. Five deer bucks idling in our front yard in the late afternoon sun, making a feast on our summer grass, as I, unnoticed, sipped a cup of tea on our porch.
These thoughts led me to recognize other opportunities for joy that I experience every day but often neglect to see as a part of God's personality and imagination invading the moments of my life.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
As I continued to relive memories of God's creative personality, I realized many had to do with food! Sitting on a cafe patio one cool summer's night and indulging in spicy chicken and beef fajitas with cheese and guacamole; hot chocolate fudge cake with whipped cream at a family birthday event; hot tea with fresh, warm scones, clotted cream, and jam at a friend's home; apple pie fresh from the oven, baked after picking the apples from an orchard. Much of my pleasure in life comes from the experiences I receive through my senses, which God gave me and which God delights in satisfying.
Even now these and many other pictures arrest me with a beauty that transcends my normal world. Each picture speaks of an Artist who paints with a palette of color, taking care to design his creations with movement and life. Yet, often I don't think of these things as gifts from the One who made them. I just take them for granted as a part of my material world.
But in reality, God made such moments to bring tangible pleasure to my life. Each day is filled with sense-invigorating pleasures: eating at least three meals a day, imbibing countless warm cups of coffee and tea, falling into my comfy bed after kissing my children good night, listening to music every day on my iPod and swaying and pulsating to the rhythm of the songs, enjoying the intimate embrace of my husband. All of these.
It is my hope that my newest book, shown below, will inspire you, encourage you and help you to see all of those thousands of meals and tea times as an opportunity to leave memories of your love that you prepare through tastes and beauty.
I was created to enjoy so that my life would not be dull and lifeless as cardboard.
And so were you!
Have a wonderful weekend--and if you can, make a fun plan to enjoy this upcoming meteor shower!
