Heart-Longings

Hi Everyone!! What a beautiful day it is starting out to be here in Massachusetts today.  Only 60 degrees this morning, but with radiant, beautiful sunshine! I love the cool, pretty mornings here this time of year.  

As always, the green and colorful landscaped loveliness outside my windows has my heart smiling and words of gratitude whispering through my lips. I’m just not sure that I will ever get used to the vivid greens, 
the bright and sunny yellows, the pristine whites, the vibrant oranges, pinks, reds and blues that surround me here. 

                                                          I must pause once again, and breathe a thank you to Ann, who so lovingly gave many hours, days, and years, pouring out her emotions in creating this beautiful and serene oasis.  

 And deeply felt gratitude to my Creator for imagining and bringing to be, all this amazing and wonderful, colorful joy, and placing me right smack dab in the middle of it!!  Thank you God – you’re the best!

In thinking about how happy my heart feels in all this earthly and earthy beauty, and how much I am treasuring it these days, one of my old, favorite verses comes to mind:

Matthew 6:21 - for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So this verse is exactly perfect for how I am feeling this morning; I am treasuring all this beauty around me and my heart is swelling in the midst of it.  Yes, my heart is definitely here, in this place, in this home and property.  I love it and want to remain a part of it forever!  It soothes me like nothing else.  Well, almost nothing else.  (sorry God – Your presence soothes me like NOTHING ELSE) But, actually - when I think about it, it is Your presence, God, in all this surrounding beauty that gives me peace, that soothes my nerves, my stress, my pain. 

It is knowing that the One who created me with such lovingkindness

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

Jeremiah 31:3

Is the same One who created all this visually pleasing and soul soothing natural beauty all around me.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.

Genesis 1:11

That truly calms my fears and soothes my soul. 

I see your smiles in the flowers’ uplifted faces; I hear your voice in the breeze whispering through the trees and in the gay call of the birds flying by; I see Your paintbrush-filled hand flourishing across the canvas of Your world, giving colorful joy to the flowers, the trees, the birds – yes, even the snakes, the squirrels, the bumble bees! And I see Your fierce love in the deer’s startled protection of her wee fawn; Your gentleness in the wild mother turkey leading her 5 toddling chicks across the road to the safety of the bushes.

Yes, God, I do see You and I hear You, everywhere! I treasure this knowledge – in knowing You are here – everywhere – with me! I treasure Your presence, Lord.  I treasure these morning moments with You.  I treasure Your beauty.  I treasure Your goodness, Your love. 

And in thinking…yes, I treasure this – You – above anything else; I treasure the knowledge of You and our relationship more than having things, possessions.  Yes, I am ready to say, more than lots of nice clothes and gorgeous shoes.  More than having a really nice car.  More than being popular or famous. More than being pretty.

Yes, Lord, I am ready to say that I treasure You more than anything.  You are what makes my world go round.  You are my treasure.  And yes, my heart is there with You. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So, my (our) thought for the day is this:

Whatever we choose to “see” and to make important in our lives, or whatever we “treasure” at any given moment in our lives – in our days – is where the longing of our heart is going to be. 

Do we want the longing of our heart to be on good, positive, lovely things which have lasting importance and meaning?

Or will we fall for more worldly, temporary longings that instantly make us feel good, but in time, will fade to insignificance?

Let’s dwell on that thought for today and see which heart-longing do we (you) fall into?

Tomorrow, let’s pick up where we are leaving off today and delve into this (and our hearts) a little further.

Blessings, love and purposeful heart-longings to each of you,

Mindy