Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of wonder and peace. Today we are going to the lake and stopping at Assisted Living on the way to visit our friend Susan. I want to pray for her also, as she is going to have a biopsy this afternoon to see if she has cancer. Afterwards we are going to Ann’s to celebrate Joe’s birthday and may have some hot games of scrabble too. When we get home we are having Paul and a friend for supper and delivering a carload of things ordered to him online.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
As Christmas approaches, we are busy buying and wrapping gifts, some that may not even last through the holiday or may never be used. I’m sure we have all gotten gifts that were the wrong size, not our taste, maybe even damaged and we lay them aside as rather useless. But we have a Gift Giver that outshines all others, for Jesus not only gave us life when we were born but offers us eternal life when we receive His gift of salvation.

But maybe we should ask ourselves if we appreciate all the many wonderful gifts we receive each day from the Lord but don’t’ really notice but pass them by without much thought. That is like only living life on the surface and missing out on His treasures for us!  We have so many Psalms that are full of words of praise for the gifts given us and sometimes the response is dancing, singing, playing an instrument, and even shouting and clapping. (Psalm 47:1)

But I am being challenged by Esther De Waal who wrote Lost in Wonder, and she exhorts us to be attentive and look around us with eyes wide open with astonishment by God’s gifts. We are to look beyond the surface and experience all of life as a gift, much like children. They seem to get excited over what they see in nature, something as simple as a flower or a leaf. We too, need to look beyond and see with the eyes of our hearts, and see the beauty of God’s handiwork and all the wonders He displays for us to take in. It is more than looking and is rather seeing beyond.

I will close with the words from Michael Mayne who wrote, “I guess that, in the end, the giving of proper attention to what lies all about us and within us, and to whoever or whatever is before our eyes, is much more than the beginning of wonder. For it’s also a pretty good definition of love. And therefore, it is also the surest, swiftest way to God, who is both our journey and our journey’s end.”

Challenge for today: Sit quietly really take in what you are seeing and express gratitude to the Lord for His amazing gifts.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy