Join the Conversation

“God spoke today in flowers,
and I, who was waiting on words,
almost missed the conversation.”
~ Ingrid Goff-Maidoff ~

I spend a lot of time waiting on words.
Hours have been spent staring at a blank screen—
hoping letters will drift down and come together in words,
praying the words will join up into concise sentences,
trusting the sentences will band together into sensible paragraphs.

If I stay close enough to the Author of Life,
I figure I stand a chance at catching a few meaningful words.

On my “About Dinah” page I wrote: “Writing has always been my pathway to finding the truth in both my heart and God’s heart. Words swirl in and out of my life in many ways. I like to read them, write them, sing them and put them into crossword puzzles.”

That’s as true now as it was in 2010. (16 years ago?!) 

But lately, I’ve been awakened to another way of capturing truth, beauty and goodness. It seems the Author is also a Gardener.

Charles Spurgeon said that the created world is God’s “outward temple” and that nature is “the second Bible.”

David wrote psalms about stars and skies, the sun and moon, oceans and trees.

Jesus taught that there is much to learn when we are attentive to nature. He suggested that a meditative look at a wild flower could help us become less anxious. (Matthew 6:28-29)

“All nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres.” *

Here I’ve been, waiting on words,
and in the meantime,
I’ve been missing out on the language of
lilies, oak trees and the Milky Way.

May this be the summer of listening for the music
and joining the conversation.

* “This Is My Father’s World,” Maltbie D. Babcock, 1901

Good To Me

When God called forth light, He looked all around and said,

“Good.”

When He separated the waters and put up the sky, He nodded and said,

“Hmmm….good.”

When the Lord brought up land from the seas, and caused plants to grow, He said,

“Oh…that’s good.”

When the Creator designed the stars, sun and moon, He smiled and said,

“Ah….also good.”

When He fashioned birds for the air and fish for the sea, He surveyed it all and said,

“My goodness, that’s good.”

When Jehovah formed creatures according to their kinds, He was pleased and said,

“Again, these are good.”

But when the Father made man and woman, He was especially delighted and said,

“Now…oh yes… This.  This is very good.”

good

This week, I have been aware of God’s goodness following me everywhere.

Even when I’ve felt

completely inadequate, totally insignificant, and wholly undeserving,

His goodness hounds my steps.

As a child created in His image, I have the capacity to recognize goodness.

God is good.

This week, this is my story.  This is my song.

“Good To Me” by Audrey Assad

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”         Psalm 23:6