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Kudzu’s Covering
Kudzu, especially in areas of North America, is an extremely invasive vine that climbs over everything and anything in its path. It grows so quickly that it overwhelms and suffocates any plants, flowers or trees it covers. It kills them by blocking out most of the sunlight from above. Whatever is left beneath the asphyxiating layers of kudzu dies a slow and gradual death.
Was there ever a small patch of flowers, a few native plants, or even a garden that once existed before the kudzu took over? Whatever healthy vegetation had once existed is now either dead or in the slow process of decay. Without the life-giving power of sunlight, what’s underneath will never become what it was designed to be.
Can our God-designed identity and purpose become so overgrown with ‘kudzu’ (the pains, heartaches and disappointments) that we forget who we truly are? Are we like sheep who have wandered away and need rescuing?
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one he has lost? And when he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away. Matthew 18: 12-13
#youarenotalone
#HeisourRescuer
#callontheGoodShepherd
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Interpreting Echoes
Why do we choose to get up early to view a sunrise at the beach? There is a magnificent, mysterious tug in our hearts as we stand, small in stature, awaiting the birth of a new day. The immensity of the ocean beneath an overflowing sky is the awe-inspiring canvas for dawn’s rays to shout out their message. There is an inner hunger to be embraced by an unseen presence greater than ourselves.
God’s majesty is a saga written in the stars Space resounds with Creation Story Morning shouting out its message Nightfall whispering heavenly mysteries All spoken without a sound Without a word, without a voice being heard Yet all the world can hear its echo Its message transmitted everywhere Resonances and reverberations Calling out to a deep inner space Unanswered questions piquing curiosity Evoking an insatiable appetite for answers Jesus is the precise image Of the invisible God In existence before anything All creation birthed through Living Word Revealing the imperceptible Defining the unseeable Opening the veil Illuminating the intangible
Word made flesh Offering reborn awakening Messiah opening eyes and ears To see, hear and know our heart’s true longing.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
from Psalm 19 -
Consider The Flowers
To consider means to study, contemplate, mull over, or think through. This is not meant to be a quick process. It’s so easy to simply walk by something and forget about it a few minutes later. We need to stop, take our time, and really ‘zoom in’ to appreciate all the details of a flower’s magnificent design.
In our busy world this practice seems counterintuitive because we always so busy. What do we focus on? Sometimes we just need to consciously choose to STOP and then decide to look, listen and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder in our everyday life.
Why worry about your clothing? Consider the flowers of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6: 28 – 33
“I’ve kept my feet on the ground,
I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.”
(from Psalm 131 The Message Translation) -
Cultivating
Cultivating Awe and Wonder is a blog that seeks to share thoughts, pictures and videos promoting and encouraging our hearts to have a child-like wonder! Cultivating is essentially doing things to foster and encourage growth. We can cultivate our appreciation for music or the arts, we can cultivate vegetables, flowers and trees.
What did we do to be able to harvest these blueberries? We planted a blueberry bush, put the recommended type of soil around it, and fertilized it. We provided additional watering and did our best to protect the blueberries from bugs, birds, and squirrels. In other words we were cultivators.
So, where is the awe and wonder? I marvel at the beauty and luscious flavor of these wonderfully tasty treats. They have a unique texture and produce a sweet tangy wallop as I pop one in my mouth. But where does the astonishment and marvel come from?
We were able to harvest the blueberries because of so many things beyond our control. We only played a very small part in the process.
This makes me think of the Garden of Eden. God created the heavens and the earth. Then the sky, water and ground appeared. The stars in the sky, the sun and moon, the seed-bearing plants and animals were all there before humans were placed in The Garden. Our part was to cultivate and take care of the gift we had been given.
I stand amazed at the Inventor of the blueberry! I am filled with wonder and appreciation of soil and roots and the gradual growth of a plant that ends up producing this unique fruit. I don’t control the sunlight, rain, plant growth, bees or pollination or anything else in this process.
As cultivators, all we need to do is essentially get out of the way and let the blueberry become what it was designed to be! We didn’t invent the blueberry! But we do get to enjoy the fruit.
What are some examples of ‘looking with awe and wonder’ ?
Normal Everyday View How might I see these same things with child-like wonder and awe?
Like this: Enhanced colors, vibrancy, and mystery! Take the time to be quiet and listen; inhale deeply, have an attitude of thanksgiving, and stop in your tracks to listen!
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11: 28 – 30 (The Message Translation)
