14 April 2021 – Often, I miss God’s creations because I am way too busy getting where I am going. Every morning I wake up to a new day, the sky and the grass, birds singing, clouds or sun, and that wonderful smell of morning. I see it all so often that I forget to look at it. It’s only when I stop to look or when someone points them out that I notice them. During my time in Florida these last few days, I have been focused on stopping to look at God’s creations all around me. I haven’t taken as many pictures or written as many words as I thought I would, but I have experienced so much more.

Today as I lay by Gilchrist Blue Springs – one of the many springs in Florida – enjoying the beautiful day and the soft sand, I have seen many fish and even an alligator. I hear birds and the breeze in the trees. The grass and the wildflowers are even different than I am used to. The sand is also almost black. The forest is a mixture of pine trees, oak trees with Spanish moss and palm trees. The water in the springs is 72 degrees year-round and feels great on this 85 degree Florida day. I love this day of all God’s good things.

Fish – When I was in eighth grade, I was fishing after dark with some friends on a pier in Wilmington, NC. One of the boys got so excited when they got a bite. He reeled it in, and when it came out of the water, it was squirming but not like a fish. It startled all of us, and when he dropped it onto the pier, and it started wriggling away, it plain scared me. I have not been fishing since.

Horses – When I was in 4th and 7th grade, I went to Girl Scout summer camp that centered around horseback riding lessons and adventures. These weeks were some of the best. I have always associated horses and horseback riding with joy. I still enjoy riding when I am in Colorado.

Pansies and Petunias – My grandmother Helen always had a beautiful garden full of fruits, vegetables and flowers. She always had pansies and petunias. She said pansies did well but could be temperamental and liked to be planed in the garden on the north side of the house where they didn’t get late day sun. The petunias, she said, could be planted anywhere, and they would thrive. She told me petunias always told her when winter was really here because they could survive anything, even snow and cold up to a point. Those flowers always make me think of her when I see them.

Falling leaves – When we moved back to Virginia from Oklahoma, we were not prepared for the number of leaves we would have to rake each fall. There were few trees in central Oklahoma. Dave hated raking leaves, not that anyone really does, but he really hated it. Lucky for me my in-laws would be at my house every Saturday morning out there raking leaves before we were even dressed. It was a good way to get us out there. Every fall, as I rake the leaves, I still think of them and the fun we all had on those Saturday mornings.

Roses – When living in Virginia, my dad grew beautiful roses. He had many bushes and many colors, but he had two special ones. A huge pink rose bush by the porch produced more roses than any bush I have ever seen. Pink roses were my sister’s favorite, so this was her bush. He also had a yellow rose bush. It was small and only gave us a handful of roses each season, but it was my favorite. I loved that sunshiny yellow rose that didn’t smell too flowery but lasted a long time. I still love yellow roses. When we bought our house in Virginia, I decided to grow my own roses. They did really well for one season, but that was it except for one bush. A pink rose bush that I had planted for my sister’s college graduation party. It’s still alive and blooms each year.

Corn and Sunflowers – I remember many summers driving across Kansas on the way to visit my grandparents, and the only thing we could see was sunflowers and corn in every direction. That’s one memory but not the best one. When my brother was about nine years old, he planted corn and sunflower seeds in the backyard garden. We didn’t think the seeds would grow because they came free in a package of Corn Nuts. Our backyard was open and centrally located across from the elementary school. The seeds not only grew, but they grew really high. The only bad thing was that my brother’s name was Jimmy and kids are mean. They started teasing him by singing “Jimmy Crack Corn.” Fortunately, he lived through it, and today it’s a smiley memory.

Chickens – When I was two years old, my grandparents, Jim and Rita, lived on a farm in Idaho or Oregon. I obviously don’t remember, but I’ve been told the story many times. They had a St. Bernard, who I loved, and we would adventure around the yard. Well, I opened the chicken coop letting the dog in and the chickens out. Now chickens always make me think of those grandparents, especially the grandfather who died when I was four before I got to know him but not before he loved me.

Pain – All kinds of pain have been part of my life, from teenage broken hearts to the physical pain of a baby who didn’t want to be born and a doctor who didn’t believe in pain medication during childbirth. I’ve felt grief over the loss of people due to death and grief over the loss of people due to moves or anger. I have felt the pain of anger and of stubbing my little toe. The pain of rejection and the pain of apathy. Some of this pain has been worse than others, but I am thankful God gave me the ability to feel pain because it makes the feeling of love and joy so much better.

Rain – To me, rain is the essence of God. If I am in a bad mood and it rains, I am immediately uplifted. If I am depressed, a little walk in the rain can change everything. If I feel distraught, anxious or overwhelmed, I can dance in the rain, and all my troubles are washed away. I can’t make the actual connection back to a specific thing that made me love rain, but I can name many times when rain changed everything. Rain is a good thing.

Where will I see God tomorrow? How will I react?