One evening after services I walked through the front doors and was greeted by a softly falling rain.  I noticed the sun shining on half of the parking lot and rain on the other.  I commented about it, but no one took notice of the hay in the meadow which was glistening in the sun.  A beautiful sight to end a day of worship.  I thought to myself as I beheld the beauty God placed there for all to see and how it reminded me of laughter through tears.

“Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.”      Zechariah 10:1

I tend to notice the simple things of life, such as leaves playing in the breeze, swirling around and around, and then settling gently onto the ground.  I often notice hawks sitting atop telephone poles or high up in the tree tops; there is an occasional eagle perched not far from the hawks and many ducks.  Sometimes I wonder if God places these scenes before us and shakes His head at our little notice of the beauty.  Sunrises, sunsets, stars, moonlit nights, full moons, a harvest moon, leaves blowing gently in the wind, leaves falling while heralding the oncoming winter.  All have an unspeakable beauty.

How many people do we rush by in our daily routine, always in a hurry to get somewhere else, and then hurry to another place.  We falsely believe if we don’t fill our daily calendar with multiple activities, we are lazy.

“But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?  bid her therefore that she help me.  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needful:  and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be take away from her.”   Luke 10:40-42

One of many things I have missed was a routine of having coffee on the front porch with my husband before the day started.  We talked of many things.  Children, God, the beauty of nature, hopes and dreams.  We took time to enjoy God’s beauty.  And many times in the evening when the weather was cooler, we would have coffee in the evening or a glass of tea and talk about everything which happened during the day.  Sometimes when the silver moon was full we would sit on the front porch and enjoy the moonlight.

“When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of Him?  and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?  For Thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. ”     Psalms 8:3-

I want the most important things to come first,  God, the Lord’s church, close Christian friends, family, teaching, writing, giving, helping.  These are the days of my life, and they have not happened by accident.  I have cleared my calendar for all.  It is true I have to work, and I enjoy my work, but at the end of the day I want true meaning in my life and not spend the last day of my life wondering where all the time went.  I don’t want a stack of things in my life, which in the end were never important anyway, which is why I cleared my calendar and started afresh with eternal values and work which will have a lasting value until the end of time helping others to find the Truth in God’s Word.

“Begin early to instruct your children on the true values of life:  love for all mankind, kindness, integrity, trustworthiness, truthfulness and devotion to God.”      ~ Dobson

Eileen Light