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Every morning, I have a time reading my Bible, or a spiritual book while sipping my tea and trying to wake up my sleepy self. Next, sometime while still morning, I have the habit of taking a walk to try to get in some of my 10,000 steps. Lately, I have tried to focus on praying for myself, my family, my friends, the world issues that are going crazy.
A couple of days ago, as I rounded the corner, I noticed that everything was sort of dying all around me—dry leaves, squished by the walkers and the rain have made for a dirty mess here and there. It actually symbolized to me the state of the world lately—the dark times, Covid, political argument and division. The trees in our area are barren as all the beauitiul leaves have fallen to the ground.
But there in the middle of everything was a bright pink rose blooming its heart out. I was thinking that this dark time is when this little rose was made to bloom, to remind that the creator is still at work, giving beauty in the midst of ugliness, light in the midst of darkness. It was such a picture (as you can see in my photo.) I thought this was a picture of what we might be created to be—the ones who bring beauty of His life and love to a dark world of confusion, hate and division. We might bring light to darkness through wisdom, patience, trust in such a way that others will look beyond the present circumstances to Him. Let us become light in a dark time.
But I also shared with you today a quote I have been pondering from Ernest Hemingway. I hope you will enjoy it, as it seemed to touch a deep place in my own heart. If you ever feel different than those around you, a misfit of sorts in this world, I have felt the same. And I loved this:
Ernest Hemingway: The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically their virtues make them vulnerable: they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.
Our idealism does make us vulnerable. May God give us grace to not be destroyed in the flow of darkness right now but help us to be light givers.
And then, I did speak of hunger today—spiritual hunger. The place deep inside where we long for more, want the holy, transcendent, infinite God for our God—not some ordinary, measurable doctrine about works. I was watching a particular episode in the Crown called Moon Dust and it hit this chord in me. Of course we all know the quote that C.S. Lewis said that hits on this very subject:
If we find in ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.
And finally we see it in the psalmist, that same hunger for more. This hunger will actually lead us to God himself.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42: 1a
So, you will have to listen to the podcast to see all of my thoughts. I hope you will be encouraged by my rose and by the podcast. God be with each of you precious ones this week.
God sends his love to you.
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