September 17
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to
me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:15-17
I stared at the blank page. I could fill it with so many petitions to God that there would not be enough room! Like a balloon filled to capacity, I thought my heart would burst with aching. There had been too many losses, especially of loved ones in too short a time - so much grief, and then there were the everyday pitfalls of life we all face, that still had to been tackled. On top of that, having to cope with the pain of another surgery; it all just seemed too much! At the same time, needs of elderly family members were becoming greater and both my husband and I were being pulled in too many directions. I honestly did not know how much more I could take! Then I glanced across the room. The smiling faces of my sweet grandchildren stared back at me from the framed photo. All five, together on a garden swing, their eyes filled with wonder, their faces flushed from an afternoon of fun - playing ball, climbing the gym set and chasing each other. The apples of my eyes, the delight of my heart, these little ones who are an unexpected joy that God has blessed my life with! I am suddenly whisked back to what is most important to me, to life. Their warm, genuine hugs; little colorful notes written in recently learned, simple script and scrawled on any kind of paper found; all the vibrant art work that decorates my home; their phone calls and just hearing my name “Grammie,” fills me with emotion that runs into a deep place I never even knew was there. And I am in awe of how they have the ability to uplift me from any low place I may be. They are a gift in life, that I could never have imagined!
Everyone has a story; everyone has a challenge, and life is filled with these it seems. But the blessings God has placed in our lives are right at hand. We do not have to travel somewhere to find them. We do not have
to “study” to find them. We do not have to seek them in unfamiliar places! They are within our reach. All we have to do is look around us. Right in front of us are gifts God has given us with our names on each one!
Right in front of us are loved ones, friends or neighbors, a sunrise, a starlit sky, a butterfly or bird, a tree in bloom, or a beloved pet. In gratitude, we can reach out in prayer, knowing full well even if we feel no one else
is with us, He is. He shows us in countless ways that He calls us by name. His whispered words of endearment direct us to His Word, through which we cultivate a heart full of thanksgiving rather than yearning, and our joy-filled spirit is made possible once again.
I hear you, dear Heavenly Father!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to
me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:15-17
I stared at the blank page. I could fill it with so many petitions to God that there would not be enough room! Like a balloon filled to capacity, I thought my heart would burst with aching. There had been too many losses, especially of loved ones in too short a time - so much grief, and then there were the everyday pitfalls of life we all face, that still had to been tackled. On top of that, having to cope with the pain of another surgery; it all just seemed too much! At the same time, needs of elderly family members were becoming greater and both my husband and I were being pulled in too many directions. I honestly did not know how much more I could take! Then I glanced across the room. The smiling faces of my sweet grandchildren stared back at me from the framed photo. All five, together on a garden swing, their eyes filled with wonder, their faces flushed from an afternoon of fun - playing ball, climbing the gym set and chasing each other. The apples of my eyes, the delight of my heart, these little ones who are an unexpected joy that God has blessed my life with! I am suddenly whisked back to what is most important to me, to life. Their warm, genuine hugs; little colorful notes written in recently learned, simple script and scrawled on any kind of paper found; all the vibrant art work that decorates my home; their phone calls and just hearing my name “Grammie,” fills me with emotion that runs into a deep place I never even knew was there. And I am in awe of how they have the ability to uplift me from any low place I may be. They are a gift in life, that I could never have imagined!
Everyone has a story; everyone has a challenge, and life is filled with these it seems. But the blessings God has placed in our lives are right at hand. We do not have to travel somewhere to find them. We do not have
to “study” to find them. We do not have to seek them in unfamiliar places! They are within our reach. All we have to do is look around us. Right in front of us are gifts God has given us with our names on each one!
Right in front of us are loved ones, friends or neighbors, a sunrise, a starlit sky, a butterfly or bird, a tree in bloom, or a beloved pet. In gratitude, we can reach out in prayer, knowing full well even if we feel no one else
is with us, He is. He shows us in countless ways that He calls us by name. His whispered words of endearment direct us to His Word, through which we cultivate a heart full of thanksgiving rather than yearning, and our joy-filled spirit is made possible once again.
I hear you, dear Heavenly Father!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson