Like the Butterfly

Life is gearing up with the start of summer.  The cicadas are humming and flying.  Students are out of the classroom.  Many are making plans to visit family and friends after a very long pause.  It feels good to gather and celebrate life's milestones together.  Hunkering down is nearly done.

In the Mitford series, Cynthia would often say to Father Tim, who was struggling with the work/life balance as a new retiree, "Go and Be like the Butterfly."  

Life is short.  This message is shared in the Serenity prayer: "Enjoy one moment at a time" and the Lord's prayer" "Give us this day our daily bread."  Learning to live in the here and now requires a different mindset.  We can give ourselves permission to slow down, to sit, to gaze, to be.  We can change gears and pursue different goals that align with our values.  Performance, productivity, and possessions are lauded in the workplace, but they are not the key indicators of life.

Love is the primary force, not power.  We cherish those we love.  We will travel miles to see their smiles, as Michael Card sings.  What will you be doing this summer, as the lockdowns lift?

The Sunrise of Your Smile. Michael Card.  https://youtu.be/pCnmnTeB1lE

Gardens by the Creator

Gardens can inspire and awaken the senses.  They attract birds, insects, and wildlife.  Often they provide peace, respite, and healing for the frazzled soul.  As you recall, Jesus spent his final hours praying in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, before he was betrayed.

Genesis opens in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve roamed in perfect harmony with one another and their Creator.  "And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed." Gen 2:8   

Today romantic types seek out beautiful gardens in which to walk and talk.  Creative types take photographs, draw and paint, or hold concerts in gardens.  Reflective types read, journal, and meditate in gardens.  Hospitals provide gardens to promote healing for their patients.  

Did you know the French painter Monet spent the last 20 years of his life gardening and painting those water lily gardens in Giverny, France?  Such a lovely legacy that is still enjoyed by many today.

Will you you slow down to be dazzled by the designs, colors, scents, and shapes of tulips in Keukenhof, Holland?  

Gardens lift the spirit; worship and praise overflow in our hearts.  We glimpse the Kingdom of God made visible here on earth as we walk or sit in such places.  This summer why not stroll through a garden or even plant your own?