Tuesday 24 May 2011

DON'T WORRY; BE HAPPY

It has been an exceptionally long, cold, wet winter in the Western Cape this year, but today the sky is a faded blue and Spring is, at last, in the air. A light breeze gently ruffles the delicate wild flowers at the roadside and further afield. The majestic arum lily with her smooth green foliage, her velvety cream skirt and strong, yellow, grainy pistil remains the queen of the veld. With dignity and poise the lifts her calyx in worship to her Maker.

A bright red finch whooshes up and away, startled by the humming of the car's engine, whilst, of all creatures, a mole, who is supposed to be blind, is nonchalantly craning its neck from left to right before attempting to cross the N27 on his own steam. And I think to myself: "If the Lord is not merciful to you today..."

We stop and visit the wild flower and orchid shows at Mamre and Darling. We stare in awe at the beautiful colors of the flowers on exhibition: white, cream, yellow, orange, pink, magenta, blue, purple, and red. There is a large variety with which, as a child, I was well acquainted. It is exciting to recognize them and even remember some of the names: Daisies, Chincerinchees, Kalkoentjies, Pypies, Fruitangs, Surings. We stroll throught the flea market, and buy two pairs of brightly colored socks for my youngest who will be leaving for the USA in three weeks' time. She also is trying to cross a road, fight her pain, begin again on the other side of the world and a mother's heart calls out to God for her daughter (and at some level also for the mole).

And I can hear my Creator say:

     "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
      your Father who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask Him."  Matt. 7:11

      "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your
       heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ...Consider the lilies of
       the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon
       in all his glory was not arayed like one of these...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
       for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." 
       Matt. 6:26-29. 34

Thank you, Lord, that you are already in the future - that we need to trust and to know that You know, care and will take care of tomorrow because You are merciful and Your loving kindness endures for evermore.

2008

(Scriptures taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

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