Sounds are everywhere. Today the most obvious sounds I am hearing are from machines. Outside as I walk, I hear a riding lawn mower and a weed eater. Two vehicles pass by. The delivery van has a different sound from the truck pulling a trailer. A motorcycle roars off for a ride. My peaceful little cul-de-sac isn’t always quiet.

As I walk, I am also listening to my phone. This time it is one of those ads that promise amazing results if you will buy their product. They always tell you about their problem, their research, their findings, their battles, etc. I do listen sometimes in case they truly do have a solution for a problem someone I love is having.

Even with all of these sounds I can still hear the birds singing. As I close my phone and listen to the birds, I can hear several different calls. Each bird has its own unique sound, just as each one of us does. No two people sound exactly the same. We have our own feelings or opinions as to which voice is more or less pleasing to our ears. Our feelings for an individual also influence how we perceive each voice.

Parents can recognize the cry of their child even in the midst of many children. We know the sound of our loved one’s voices even when they are in another room or on the phone. In our mind we can gain comfort from the voices of those who are far away or who are no longer with us.

Try this sometimes: sit still and listen to the sounds around you. You will be amazed at all the things you hear! Better yet, take time to listen to the people around you. You will be amazed at what you hear!! And best of all, set aside time to listen, really listen, to God. You will be amazed at what you hear!!!

“Oh, that my people would listen to me!” Psalm 81:13a (NLT)

“God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 (NLT)

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! The skies are blue—not a cloud in the sky—as my mother would say. The trees and the bushes are green with the fresh color you only see in the spring.

This bush was fully in bloom with little white flowers.

The bigger spirals are made up of very small white flowers that look like a star.

The stars are very small and would hardly be noticed by themselves, but together with all of the others they attract attention from passers-by.

Each one of us in our own way is a star. God created each of us in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:27 NKJV). We show forth in our lives those qualities given to us, some days better than others. But sometimes He wants us to join with other people to bring out a beauty that we may not be able to accomplish by ourselves. Working with others can also attract the attention of those who are seeking community and fellowship (to get them out of their loneliness).

When you look at the first picture above, do your eyes see the little yellow flower at the bottom left? Can you see it in this closeup picture? Does it take away from the beauty of the white flowers? Some would say yes, some no. Even though the yellow flower is pretty, it is not the star of the show like the white flowers are.

Some people would like to be the star, even when they are in a group setting. This can be a distraction in some cases. In a choir or group, one voice can change whether we perceive the singing as good or bad. One person who is dressed differently from the rest, or who acts out during a performance, can affect the perception even if the sound is pleasing.

There are times when we can and should be the star by using the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. Then the right kind of attention will come to us. At other times we will shine best as part of a group working together for a common goal. Whichever the situation, our goal or desire should always be to bring glory to God.

P.S. I later realized that the single star flower did not come from the same bush. The single bloom on the bush has four petals instead of five. That could represent the cross instead of a star. But that is a story for another day!

This morning I noticed the shadows on the road where I walk.  Today the temperature is in the 60’s and the wind is blowing steady and strong. Most of the time shadows remain stationary, but because these particular shadows are made by trees, the shadows are moving as the wind blows the trees. The position of the sun or the time of day also changes where the shadows are.

The “winds” of life are constantly changing. Sometimes they bring shadows into our lives, seeming to keep us there for days, weeks, months, or even years. We may feel as though we are walking through “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4 NKJV). But as someone has said, there cannot be a shadow if there is no light.

In the natural world we can easily move from the shadows into the sunlight in just a few steps. In daily life sometimes situations can change just as easily, but not always. We may have to search to find the light we need to get us out of the shadows. Psalm 27:1 (NKJV) says “the Lord is my light” and Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) says “Your word is . . . a light unto my path”. Just as the shadows move with the light of the sun, the “shadow times” of our lives can brighten with the help of God and His Word.

Another thought about the shadows and the temperature is this. Today the shadows were cool and the sun brought a welcome warmth. However, when the temperature is warmer, we seek the coolness that the shade provides. In the same way, our outlook or perspective, our “temperature” at a given time, can affect the way we react and respond to life’s shadows.

Just as wind and light affect the shadows in the natural world, the wind of the Holy Spirit and the light of God’s love can bring us out of the shadows and help us live daily in the light.

FROGS AND FLOWERS

This morning I went for a ride on my bicycle. After this I walked for a little while. As usual there are things on the road where I walk. This time of year (April), there are usually some flower petals and occasionally a complete flower from the poplar trees. They are colorful! The flowers are small compared to the massive size and height of the poplar tree.   

As I walked on, I saw something else on the road—a dead frog! It was positioned as though it was ready to jump, but it wasn’t going anywhere on its own. A red ant came and crawled on the frog and it did not react at all. 

I saw the flower and the frog—both of them were dead. Even though the flower looked pretty, it would soon be dead, since it was detached from the tree. My reaction to them was very different. I delighted in the beauty of the flower but felt disgusted by the dead frog. Both are creations of God. The Bible says that God knows when the sparrow falls, so He knew about this little frog. (Matthew 10:29-31 NIV)

Anyway, we are so prone to react to things and people because of the way they look. (I Sam. 16:7b NLT) We judge a person or an entire race or culture by their looks. But just as God created the flower and the frog, every person is a creation of God, created in His image.

To take this picture, I picked up the flower and took it to where the frog was. I did not want to touch the frog! Again, we sometimes look at people as “untouchables”, but everyone needs the power of human touch, whether a simple pat or a bear hug!

So . . . think about your own reactions to the world around you. Maybe you can learn to see people with the eyes of Jesus; and, who knows, maybe you can give someone a hug today!

JOTTINGS FROM J

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get to the other side!

We’ve all heard this question and answer many times. There are many variations on this question and answer. A google search says about 48 million!

This little creature is obviously not a chicken, but it was trying to cross the road, probably to get to the other side. I did not watch it long enough to see if it made it.

From the day of our conception, we are all on a journey called life. Getting to our final destination can be short or long, but we all will reach the other side at some point. We don’t know “when” or even “where” the end of our journey in this life will come, or “what” the circumstances will be.

“Why” is probably the biggest question asked in life. Sometimes we get the response we want to these queries. Sometimes we don’t like the answer. Sometimes there is just silence.

From my perspective, there is only one answer to any of the WWWWWH questions we ask.

The answer is always JESUS!