Pomegranate blossoms on the sidewalk.

Everyone will stand in awe and declare God’s deeds; they will recognize His works. Psalm 64:9

Yesterday Gary talked about the Psychology Today article again, the one about awe and happiness. Wonder produces joy. As in Everette marveling over all the pomegranate blossoms littering the sidewalks of Tucson. Everette love pomegranates because they are so juicy. This is what it means to come unto Him as a child.

The key to happiness is to have a smaller self.

And my early morning meditation verse yesterday was the one about the deer longing for the water brooks. And the question Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? and why are you so disquieted within me?

And Gary had an answer: Discipleship begins with the understanding of our identity as the beloved child of God. Unearned, unmerited, but because He is love, and we are His handiwork.

True spirituality is seeking what the heart longs for. Nothing else but Him will fill that hole.

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30

And Gary described this yoke as a sort of training yoke, the sort of thing an Indiana farm boy would know about. And the little ox is strapped to the big ox, and He leads, and we follow.

And Gary offered a different sort of map of where we are going, the two of us, how we are going through each day. The continual conversation with Him is not so much about my future and my work and my breakfast cereal and my parking lot place, but rather it is about those moments of meeting with others. How Jesus walks through the crowd noticing, pausing, looking up, stopping.

Stopping with tenderness in his eyes. What would you have me to do?

Dear LORD today may that be my map, Your children, the oh so many images of God I will meet today.

May I recognize Your works. And be filled with awe.

And declare Your deeds. 

And by the way, thank You for the four new red roses by the front door.