Get Your House in Order: Bye Bye Forty-Two

"A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you,

 so you must love one another."

John 13"34

Birthday Eve Lunch with Shelley and thanks for the
beautiful mums wrapped in burlap, my favorite! 2015

Give people flowers while they are living.

I have always loved that saying. I am pretty sure that my Mom's mother passed that down to her and she to me. I may not be saying exactly the way she did, but the meaning is the same. 

Treasure life. Treasure those around you in this very day, it is all we are promised. Give them flowers while you can, time is of the essence, not to be take for granted.  I personally love to give people flowers. They represent life. Beauty and grace. I dream of having a wildflower garden to cut from and share bouquets with others for any occasion or no occasion. The meaning of this quote is obviously not just about physical flowers but about giving of ourselves, our time, taking a minute to make that phone call, write that card or make a visit, just to show you care. I ask my children all the time, is it because you can't or you won't? When they are choosing between their wants/needs (mainly wants) or someone else's need. There's a difference. You can make time for anything or anyone, but will you? Talk is cheap but actions do speak louder than words. I learned that lesson a long time ago when I thought I didn't have time to read the bible. Really? Can't or won't? Life changing!

What are my actions saying to the Lord? How am I treating His people? Because  how I act toward others is how I act toward Him. My actions matter. 2 Timothy 1:9  "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."  There is a huge shift going on with me. I have laid down my relentless fight to please the free world, but I ask Him daily, who is it today, Lord? Sometimes, it happens before I ask and I know. Other times, I am laser focused on "woe is me and my issues" and then question will comes up. Dagger in the heart. I am so sorry Lord, "who is it today, Lord." Show me who needs to hear from you through me. In my own strength, I cannot and sometimes will not do it on my own. I am at a much different place now than even five years back. It is not to fill a void in my restless heart anymore or to avoid the messiness of my own life and struggles. I do it because I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5). 

 I guess lately, I am have been more in tune with just how fragile life can be. No, not from a crisis, but from living. Blooming, like the flowers. Yet, I am just not familiar with this new garden I am currently growing in, from the ground up! I am noticing that being misunderstood is not so much about me but about understanding more what it means to be set apart. Isn't that what I prayed for? To be set apart? I will turn forty-three tomorrow and for forty-two years or a good part of it, I could chalk up to blending in....the word says "but like the Holy One who called you, be Holy yourselves also in your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16. 

So, on this eve on my forty-third birthday, I want to thank my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ for more time to give and receive flowers on this earth and more time to love, honor and worship Him. To treasure those around me that I know and those that I don't that will come into my life in the coming year. I pray that I am more set apart and blend in less. That you increase, Lord and I decrease. That your light shine so brightly on the darkness that it has to flee. That you fill my heart to overflow with love for those who need it the most. That more than anything in this world, I seek you first(Matthew 6:33) in every decision, choice and opportunity.  Thank you for an amazing forty-two years so far, that you stuck with me, when I went my own way, you never left me (Deuteronomy 31:6). 

Glory to you, my King. I adore you!

Day#313 Give more flowers

Blessings,
Suzanne