Enjoying Someone Else's Beauty

My husband looked out our back window and saw our neighbor's Plumeria Tree in full bloom. "Her flowers are really beautiful," he noted. I knew in my heart they were.It's hard to miss it, even from 100 feet away. The pink flowers light up the dull green backyard like a nightlight.

I've been enjoying them for several days, but when he mentioned it, I felt a twinge of jealousy. I had been thinking of planting a Plumeria in our front yard several weeks ago, but the earth is too hard because the tree that was there still has a stump and roots. But after seeing hers, my desire to have one increased. Why should she have the pretty flowers and not me?

It's just a scrawny tree now, but it
will be more beautiful each year.

Then my mind went back to a sermon that I heard years ago. I don't remember most sermons, but this really stuck with me. Our pastor said that we don't have to possess things to enjoy them. It is such a simple truth, but something that I struggle with, especially in the area of horticulture.

At the time, I was living in Pennsylvania and the trees were vastly different than what I grew up with in Florida. The fall colors were spectacular, and I wanted one tree of every autumn shade in my yard. The orange ones were my favorite, and I deeply wished for an oak or maple to make my heart happy. It was all very impractical since we had a standard size lot that already had a good size tree on it.

But after hearing the sermon, my focus changed. I didn't have to own trees in a varitety of vibrant colors to enjoy them. All I needed to do was to drive around town in October!

That nugget of wisdom has stayed with me for all these years, and once again, I'm putting it into practice. My neighbors tree is stunning. She's done a good job caring for it.

And here's the really funny part. She can't see it too well from her house. It's in a corner of the yard that's blocked by a room addition and it's probably visible from just a certain spot in that room. But for me, I see it anytime I'm in my kitchen or dining room. And funnier still in the fact that where I wanted to put a Plumeria in my yard, it wouldn't be visible at all from inside our house.

So I guess my pastor was right. You don't have to possess to enjoy the beauty around you.

Praising At All Times

As I write this I am heading home from a visit to see my daughter over 1,000 miles away. I won’t see her again for several months at best. The distance between us seems too much and my heart is heavy. I am thankful and have much to praise God for. My loving husband and mother are waiting for me, not to mention my adorable fuzzy “child,” but there is a heaviness that awaits me too. Everyday stresses, daytime loneliness and the realization that 25 years has slipped by way too quickly wait for me as well.

Psalm 34:1 tells us to praise the Lord at all times. But what does that actually mean?

Praise is something thing we say, sing or just think in our heart just because He is God, He is good and He loves us. Even when things don’t feel that way. It’s not something to do only when our hearts are happy and troubles are far. 

So as we go through our lives, during happy times and sad, praising Gods needs to be top on our list, regardless of how we feel, what our circumstances may be, even sitting in a lonely airport terminal.

Diving Deeper into Philippians 4:13

Today in church we took a closer look at Philippians 4:13. It’s a famous verse that in the New Living Translation simply says, “ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” This scripture often conjures up images of people climbing steep and treacherous mountains. We can often associate it with difficult tasks, such as studying for a challenging test or working for a demanding boss. And it certainly does mean all that. I’ve heard Bible teachers say that if it’s something that God has called us to do, this verse is applicable. 

But today in church we took it a step further. One of the translations, the Common English Bible says, “I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.” That gives this verse even deeper meaning. 

Whatever weaker going through today, especially those difficult situations, He can give us the strength to endure it. What a blessing that is no matter what life throws at us each day, God is there and we have the strength, through Him, to make it through. Thanks be to God!