No picture could do justice to just how wonderful God has made the real thing. I look straight ahead and see so many different shades of green and purple crawling up the side of the hill that borders the yard. Yesterday a colleague and I took notice to how wonderful and beautiful red buds are. I can't help but notice, not just the red buds adding to the color, but the bright greens and whites sprouting up on the branches of trees all around me. So amazing to me that all of this can exist in one small setting. God is the only way this can exist and I am blessed to enjoy His creative gift. And to think that this is just the TINIEST taste of everything that exists in creation. It makes me curious to see what else He has made far beyond what my young eyes have seen. I have to smile at the thought of it all... and enjoy watching little signs of life all around me from the greens and the purples, the birds singing and the squirrels that distract and entertain me.
And my mind wonders to how all of this, all of this grand beauty around me, how does it all pertain to me? How awesome is it that God gives this gift and we share in it? How often do I take it all for granted and pay no attention to His beauty surrounding me? How often do I do this, not just with the natural beauty of this earth, but with the beauty of the people around me as well? At one point this week I had read a line in one of my devotionals: "You are precious to God." How many people around me know this? Have I ever told any body how precious they truly were, encouraging them to believe it? Most of us have access to the truths of being precious to God... but what about those who do not have that access or who do but don't explore it? Do they know that God sees them as precious? Maybe we have tried to tell them and they just haven't listened; what then? Here is a question I have been challenged by: what would it look like to SHOW them? Walk out what Jesus walked out... when people didn't LISTEN to Him, God SHOWED them how much He loved them and how precious they truly were. Jesus hung on a cross, endured that pain as a human even though He was God, and He did it for each and every person.
An example of walking it out is given. An example of how important it is to walk something out is given. Recently I wrote "Valued Behaviors". Also, I've heard a phrase "Do as I say, not as I do". But should it not be "Do as I say AND as I do"? What would it look like to do what Jesus says AND what He has done? Lately I have been working on "memorizing" the GTM values and the behaviors that define them. A colleague recently thought out loud, asking why it was so important to have them memorized... somewhat seemingly frustrated with having "homework". I was thinking along the same lines at first, asking the same question. Let's face it, we all could use a little work everywhere in our lives. I ask why, then turn around and get frustrated when others aren't doing something listed under our company values. Do as I say and as I do? Not so much for me there. Why should I expect others to live it out when I had been choosing not to? Isn't that called being a hypocrite? But God has blessed me with a boss who, even if she may not have all the behaviors memorized (I have faith she does but let's just say she doesn't), she is a boss who is willing to walk out what she wants her employees to walk out. And we are willing to follow (most of us) simply because she is willing to do what she asks us to do.
God has blessed all of us with an example in Christ Jesus, who did what most of us are not willing to do. Do as I say and as I do. He wants his followers to follow... and they will because He was willing to do what He has asked us to do. He loved with word and action. He wants us to live with word and action. God sees ALL of us as precious regardless of where we are in life. He wants us to see others as precious as well. He tells us just how precious we are to Him and He has shown it to us as well. It is written all over Scripture:
"... you are precious to me. You are honored and I love you." ~*Isaiah 43:4*~
"For we are God's masterpiece..." ~*Ephesians 2:10*~
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." ~*John 3:16*~
God has crowned us with crowns of beauty and glory for His purpose:
"...he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." ~*Isaiah 61:3*~
"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." ~*James 1:12*~
We are all precious to God. I am still sitting here in awe of the creation that surrounds me. I see God's beauty lad out in front of me. My ears hear the songs of Him who made this all. My heart smiles. My mind can't help but wonder how precious I am to God... that if He made all of this awesomeness and beauty and He loves it and takes care of it, how much more does He love me and how precious does He consider me? The beauty of the flowers that sparkle red in the sunshine with morning dew and the beautiful greens and purples of the buds and leaves on the trees... the blanket of green grass with small patches of yellow... all precious and beautiful to our Creator. And He loves me more than that and created me to be more beautiful than the beauty that surrounds me? My heart and being is in awe and speechless.
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25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."
~*Matthew 6:25-34*~
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