if a kiss were a flower...

in the Problem of Pain, which i’ll be honest, i have not gotten through completely...or halfly...or quarterly...moving on, C.S. Lewis writes: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

i can and will attest to that.  suffering is the pits, pain is the doom and sorrow is the pits of doom.  i am painting a very peppy picture for all you folks out there. don’t worry, there’s a point in your future if you just hold fast.  

as i was rambling, there is certainly nothing else in this life that has made it undeniable to me that i am a human being, completely dependent upon God for EVERYTHING, more than suffering has.  not only that, it helps us to know Jesus better.  because we share with Him in our sufferings a little piece of what He went through for us on Calvary; and just as in our relationships with our fellow sojourners, going through something profoundly difficult with Jesus draws us deeper into relationship with Him and deeper into the Heart that bled for Love of us.  “Here deep calls to deep in the roar of your torrents” (Psalm 42:8).  

so i totally am picking up what my boy clive staples is laying down.  that’s because we are kindred spirits.  and we know that lampposts are not made, they grow.  

something about proof and pudding and it being in there

but, while driving down west today and drinking in the golden end-of-august sunshine and loving how it danced upon the trees and made quiet shadows shimmy on the sidewalks;  and later taking my west walk and realizing the loveliness of when the sun is above and behind you so completely, that you just feel like you are walking in the light, i had an epiphany of sorts. 

shadows enchant me

i decided God has another megaphone.  well, for me at least, it is a megaphone.  or perhaps nothing so intrusive as a megaphone.  i think, instead, that it is a resounding echo.  an echo of the ages that reverberates from the beginning of time to its’ consummation.  the song of creation that goes on singing through every age whether the eyes and hearts of the human race pay it any heed or not. the beauty sings on, glorifying her Creator as she was made to do.  

and God placed it as the back drop of our existence.  allowing us to marvel, or to ignore, the glory, Love and care that He puts into the sunrisings and settings.  the rainbows, the branches of a weeping willow, and the perfume of a cinnamon scented rose.  He knows every blade of grass, every thorn of a rose and every breath of life we draw from the magic of the symbiotic relationships we share with our little friends.  and that's one of the greatnesses of kiddos. they have not yet gotten used to the glory about them, and so they discover it with the wonder and joy that we should never lose.

the noodle sharing the joy of a new rock with her auntie

sometimes, we are forced to pay attention.  like in hurricanes, and tornados and earthquakes.  those are the times He uses creation as a megaphone.  but only because we are too silly and self-centered to listen to His whispers in the wind, and drink in His sweetness in the rose beckoning us to breathe it in, and feel His tenderness in barefoot ramblings on the verdant pastures of our lives. 

mom and dad saturated in the beauty

this looks so edible

china and bubs shadow walking

red is the rose 

we had to be in the beauty

what else can you do but thumbs it up?

all Goodness and Beauty and Sweetness come from Him and return to Him.  so to hold onto a bouquet of peonies is to have a little handful of love from Jesus (by the way, if a kiss were a flower, it would be a white peony.  just sayin). to hear the wind in the trees is an invitation to delight in the beauty of the Creator.  and to watch and listen to a thunderstorm is to be reminded of the sublime and awesome power of our God.  the same God who created butterflies and volcanoes and dinosaurs. and if it doesn’t get us saying: “When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place--What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:5-6), i don’t know what the heck will.  

the point is,  He Loves us and makes this world beautiful to remind us that He Loves us.  Loves us enough to give us waterfalls and apple trees? yes. that much.  

one of my several attempts to become one with the sea

bubba is with it

so is china

thus concludes another episode of tuesday night mind blams.  i wasn’t even planning to blog tonight.  story of my life.  little did she know...

happy mid-weeking.  you made it! it’s wednesday.  rock it roll it out of control it.  peace of Heaven be yours.  

please ignore wires and cars but do not ignore bird soaring across the heavens

i leave you with a quote from my best book friend:

"'We are rich,' said Anne staunchly...'Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen.  We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds'"