HelloTSJ Friends and Family!
THE GIFT OF BEAUTY
Have you ever thought that being able to perceive beauty is in itself a gift?
I think both beauty and our ability to perceive it are from God.
The other day when the doorbell rang and John answered it, he returned with a delivery of a birthday bouquet!
A bouquet of beautiful flowers!
So I thought it great fun to send you some flowers today via my bouquet. I hope you enjoy them! And maybe they will lift your spirits if you need a lift. (Most of us do!)
And I hope you can expand the picture and see how the uniqueness of each flower contributes to the beauty of this bouquet, which Mr. Muse, Solomon says is like our peeps at TSJ. Solomon and I thought It would be a shame for only a few of us here to enjoy this bouquet! Solomon says they are kind of like vitamins for the soul and we should share them with our peeps.
I am realizing lately that the ability to perceive beauty around us has the power to lift us out of some of our shadows. Beauty is a divine gift. So being able to perceive it as such is also a gift. Not everyone can do that.
These flowers are a birthday gift from Amy, who is as beautiful a stepdaughter as the gift of flowers. Both she and the flowers are God’s expression of love in this world. I admit to some bias but I have a lot of support in that bias.
Speaking of bias and perceptions, I do want to acknowledge our perceptions influence how we respond to things. Perceptions are kind of our inner vision – how we “see” things. They are very personalized and based on our lived experiences. They are also influenced by our developmental ages or stages as well as beliefs we have inherited or assimilated from our culture, homes and religion.
When you think of a perceptive person what does that mean? It usually means they see things about us or the world that others might not, doesn’t it?
THE GIFT OF PERSPECTIVE
Shortly after the flowers arrived I received another gift . . . changers in perspective. In this case about messes.
Our perceptions (vision based on inner experience and life lessons) can change as we age and mature. This happens when we are able to step outside of our beliefs for a time and see things from different perspectives! We tend to get a larger view similar to stopping at panoramic overlooks on a journey. And perspectives also change through life experiences and learning from people different from us.
As you regular readers know, we spend some time with our toddler grandson, Hendrix (two years old) . He is teaching us many things. Shortly after the flowers arrived his daddy and we (“Gammy and Grampy”) were enjoying a conversation when I suddenly noticed Hendrix was missing.
I went into our bedroom and did not see him at first. Why? Because he was squatted down on the floor at the far end of the bed. But I heard a rustle of papers. I followed the sound. And this is what I saw….
Oh boy! This is a little corner of the room where John stores his things and is pretty good about keeping it orderly. (But every so often I do urge him to sort it out.)
Well, this is my second birthday gift of the day! It made my heart leap with tenderness.
Our precious and absolutely adorable “little guy’ systematically took things off the side table and the little stand.
And for those of you who know my penchant for tidiness will be surprised to hear this; I perceived it as beautiful!
After all, he was exploring and loving it. Not quite like the beauty of flowers, but beautiful in a whole different way. . . .
As a older adult I now know this is exactly what kids come into the world to do. Yes, they are here to explore, play, be curious and make things messy so we can indeed learn along with them. We learn to change our perspectives on many things as we shepherd and shelter them through the years.
When I texted my sister and shared the picture a few minutes later she said, “I bet it is already cleaned up!” Spoken as someone who knows me well. But it wasn’t cleaned up yet! Although it did not take long for John to do so. And it looks even better now, another symbol of life’s journey. Messes can be cleaned up and bring new possibilities in the process.
THE GIFT OF FAITH and FREEDOM
Another birthday gift came from a different source. It too was a beautiful gift. A gift of grace.
It was a spiritual jump start for my 76th year ahead!
This came from a random reading in a devotional book that rests in our bathroom. The fact that I “happened” to open to its message sure felt divinely guided. It set the tone I needed to enter this the year ahead as well as for the gifts of the day ahead of me…..before the flowers and the Hendrix mess (which by the way also was followed by his complete joy in eating pasta that day – another beautiful mess).
In Jesus Lives, Seeing HIs Love in Your Life by Sarah Young, I was greeted on the morning of my birthday with the following message which she writes based on scripture as though God is talking straight to you, the reader.
“I approach you with tenderness, because you are precious to me and I know how fragile you are. I draw you with gentle cords, with bands of love. These Love-cords keep you connected to Me; they also help you discern the way you should go. My bands of Love are unbreakable, [but] they do not curtail your freedom.” (pg. 264)
The verse she took this from is Hosea 11:4 (NKJV): “I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck, I stooped and fed them”
That, dear TSJ friends, was the beginning of my birthday.
What a gift of Love from our Chief Shepherd. It landed deep into my heart. The words, gentle cords that stretched far and wide to invite us to stay connected with God and still be free to be the person he has designed us to be!
As God’s children (sheep) we too make messes that carry great potential for beauty in them if we remember we are truly loved and are open to learning. We can remove the yoke ( a symbol of slavery) and receive the gifts that God “stoops down” to bring us: joy and nourishment.
I read a quote the other day that has been percolating in my heart. I want to pass it on to you as I wind down this blog letter:
“A rising tide lifts all boats.” ( John Weiss)
May we together as our TSJ community, band together to create a rising tide of love. compassion and kindness that will lift all spirits around us!
So let’s go play in the pastures and perceive the beauty that surrounds us and the graces that lift us.
Margie and Solomon
