Sometimes when you are allowed to witness a sweet moment, it is just that - a sweet moment. It brings a smile to your face and then you go on about your day. But when you witness almost the same sweet moment just a few short minutes apart from one another, then you might begin to think that someone (like your Heavenly Father) is trying to tell you something! Such a thing happened to me today and I am so glad it did. I think I got the message, too, Father. Thank you for the gentle reminder.
I was in the Dollar Tree store on my lunch break today. I love to go to the Dollar Tree and just look around to see what they might have. I noticed a young girl somewhere between three and four stop and look at the artificial flowers. She smiled, leaned forward and just buried her in face in them - inhaling deeply. She took in a long, deep breath,"Mmmm" and then exhaled with an "Ahhhhh" and another big smile. Then she turned and went quickly down the aisle with her grandmother.
As I watched her I wondered if she knew the flowers were artificial ones and was just pretending - or if she actually thought they were real. At any rate, the child was quite happy and I was glad I had a chance to see that.
I continued looking around. Not even five minutes had gone by and I was able to witness a very similar moment.
This time the child was a little boy. He was a cutie pie - a little younger than the girl had been. He was probably only about 2 or so - a short and stout little blonde-haired boy who was just chattering away to his mother. As they rounded the corner of the aisle, he too saw the flowers.
"Oooh Mama, see the pretty flowers. They are so pretty!" He leaned toward the ones closest to him and took a deep breath too.
His Mom said, "Uh huh - they are pretty."
"And they smell good too, Mama." He took another deep breath. "Ah, they smell so good."
Across the aisle there was also some greenery - artificial plants with some pretty big leaves. This little sweetheart noticed them too and went straight toward them. "Oh look, Mama there's grass too." And then yes folks, he smelled the grass too. Breathing deeply he asked his mother if she wanted to smell the "grass." She sweetly declared that she was OK. He took another sniff of the "grass" and then those sweet little legs followed mother down and around the aisle.
Yes, you might think it is silly - but I do think God was sending me a message today. I won't say the obvious, because it is such a cliche' BUT then again cliche's are based in truth. I do think we are supposed to take the time to respect and enjoy God's beautiful creation -- including smelling the flowers.
Children are so very precious. They are pleased with the simplest things - like flowers and grass. It is no wonder that Jesus said, "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3) They enjoy the clouds and the sky during the daytime and they love to look up at the stars at night. Children respect and love God's creation. They
"oooh" and "aaah" over what they see. Birds, flowers, trees - turtles, frogs, rocks -- the stars or a full moon, the mountains, the ocean -- all of these delight and fascinate a young child.
So many times as adults we forget to stop and enjoy the beauty of the world around us. We don't notice how bright and blue the sky is on a sunny day. We don't pay attention to all the shades of green that God made in the grass and trees. We don't watch the butterflies flit from flower to flower - or watch the birds bathe in the bird bath in your back yard.
We don't look up at the stars at night, realize there really are too many to be counted and then remember God's promise to Abraham so long ago. We miss the chance to thank God for that promise. We don't get to think about the fact that we are the recipients of that promise. Do you ever wonder how Abraham must have felt as he looked up the sky and heard God speak tell him - "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." That sky - that sky that Abraham admired is the very same sky we gaze into.
How awesome is that?
Even artificial flowers are beautiful because they are imitating the real thing -- the things that God made. Have you ever thanked God for colors and our ability to see them? You know when it gets right down to it, God did not have to give us such a beautiful world. He could have created everything in grays and blacks. Think how dull and dreary everything would be if it was all the same color. Think how different it would be if we all looked alike -- like so many paper doll cutouts.
There is beauty in diversity and there is so much diversity in God's beautiful world! Thank you -- thank you so much Heavenly Father. Have you ever really thought about how much love God put into creating the world in all its beauty. He wanted us to a have a beautiful world so we could imagine how wonderful heaven would be.
So the next time you are outside - look all around you. Look up at the sky. Look at all the colors in the world. Listen to the birds sing -- or the wind blow. Watch your children or grandchildren run and play and breathe the air God made. Thank God for the beauty of the world. And remember. Remember that there is an all powerful Creator who loves you so much -- He made -- well He made everything! And it was - IS good. It is very good!!
And the next time you are given the opportunity to watch a child be amazed at something beautiful and wonderful -- be amazed with him. Validate his emotions. Teach him that there is a God that made all these things and that God loves him beyond measure!
OK - I am going to say it -- take time to stop and smell the flowers. Smell them, whether they are real or not. That doesn't matter -- the real ones are God made. The artificial ones are patterned after what God made.
Remember God loves you!
What a beautiful world He made for you to live in!
Christ above all things,
Robin
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