Take a look at this tiny little Black-Eyed Susan! It has grown up through the driest, sandy soil at the foot of the bench I sit on, near the end of our morning walk through the woods. This sweet little flower is probably no larger than a quarter of an inch in diameter. I can not fathom how it survives, day after day, week after week. Except for the fact that God wanted it there for me to see everyday during the week as a blessing and a teachable moment.
So my little flower in the dust is two-fold for me. First, it is like a little prize at the end of our walks. Walking through the woods, on tough terrain, at just before the sun rises...6- 6:30 am, with the bugs, the heat or the cold, the spider webs and the awareness that something could slither across the path at any time is not really my idea of a great time! I do it because it is good for me... the exercise, because my daughter has to do it and I want to support her, because God has blessed me with the ability to do it and I want to honor him, and it gives me great opportunities for prayer/time to acknowledge Him. To be honest with you though, it is not my thing. I would rather be painting or writing or drawing! And God knows that! So, hot and tired, and with swollen knees, we make it back to what we call the Pavilion, a pole shed type of structure that houses a small tractor and two wooden benches. And what do my little eyes spy!? My little flower blessing. It has been there to greet me for over a month now! My first thought was, "thank you, Lord for this little tiny piece of beauty and strength. If she can survive and thrive, so can I." Now, while I am making my way downhill, with the gullies, the roots, the rocks, the sand, the red clay, all the terrain that make the journey hard, I think about that little prize waiting for me! It also is a reminder that every minute of every day God, my Father, has me and my needs on his mind!
Then there is the second part of this. My little Susan is so tiny. It would be so easy to overlook. God has been teaching me a great deal about the small things in life. It is easy to see 10 or 12 geese flying in formation, doing their honking as they line the sky. But it is not so easy to see the little nest with 3 little blue eggs speckled with brown dots tucked deep in the big Azalea bush. It is easy to feel and appreciate the wind when it is blowing and bending the trees but how often do we just sit and take in a subtle gentle breeze? In the fall and spring I love to have the windows open. And when the windows are open, I often hear the whistle of the trains that pass through about 5 miles away. The sound is faint but it always brings a smile to my face. All the above mentioned experiences God uses to remind me to listen and look for him in the small, quiet,and gentle things in this life.
"The Lord said, "Go out (Elijah) and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." 1 Kings 19:11-12
Our Lord loves, protects, directs, ministers, talks, encourages, and rejoices with us in big ways at times. We have all seen and heard of those times. Yet, he also does all those things in a still, small, gentle voice and way at times. How often are you looking for an answer to prayer in a gentle small voice. How often are you hearing his encouragement in a small little flower? How often are you feeling him refresh you in a gentle breeze? It is my thought that He does his work in us more in the small gentle voice than in a big booming voice. So how much love, direction, encouragement, joy are you missing out on!?
I encourage you today to pray that he will start revealing a tiny little flower in your life so that you can experience all the wonder he has for you!
And, as always, my friend I thank God for you and pray that this post...one of His Kingdom assignments for me will touch one of you today...blessings to you!
Trina
