22 Apr, 2011
Open the Curtains
For two years now my husband has worked nights, and thus sleeps during the day. To help him sleep we darkened the room with blackout curtains. For the last 6 months he has been back to normal schedule, even so every night I draw our curtains closed for the night and open them only after I have woken and am ready to face the day. Last week I woke up at sunrise to this Obnoxious bright light!! I believe many of you call this the sun. eek. Thoroughly upset I grumbled about why didn't I close the curtains last night. Day after day I woke to the same bright sun, getting more and more upset. Night after night never remembering to actually CLOSE my curtains before i crawled into bed. ONE WEEK 7 morning sunrises later, I woke up differently.
I woke up feeling like God was saying "look at my Sunrise differently". So I paused looked out my bright window, and I saw birds, and a sea of tall Redwood trees, Bay trees, Maple trees, and Fir trees. Yes these are all outside our window and every morning this week I chose to be upset, angry and not enjoying the beauty that God created all around us.
Luke 19:40
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Psalm 150:6
"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD."
What does today's Scripture story teach us about praising God?
As Jesus entered the city, the palm branches waved and the people praised Jesus the King. Oh what a beautiful moment, how I wish I could have seen it.
In the Luke scripture Jesus is talking to the pharisees, the pharisees just told Jesus to rebuke the disciples for shouting praises to God. Jesus response was saying that basically if I do, and they are quiet, even the rocks will sing Jesus' praises. What? Last I checked rock, trees, & flowers where all pretty silent. Yet how amazing would it be to hear the rocks cry out.
Psalms says, that "everything that has breath praise the Lord" WOW, as I start to think about easter I am in awe of the thought of everyone in my hippy non bible believing town praising God. chills thinking about it. God says when the time comes everything will praise the Lord!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
Where in nature/life do you need to pull the curtains back on? Where do you need to stop getting annoyed and angry at the blinding light and change your attitude to seeing what is amazing in front of you? God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, God calls us to consider it joy in trials, God calls us to turn the other cheek, God calls us to love Him first and let Him lead our lives. When we stop and do what God calls us to, we embrace the beauty that is around us.
Take 20 minutes this week to sit in nature.
Turn your phone off.
Sit be still.
Think about that first question I asked; Where in nature/life do you need to pull the curtains back on? Ask God to show you where he wants you to see the light of His creation. Does God want you to see the sunrise of a broken friendship, or a friend you ignored? Or does God desire you slow down and enjoy what he has created.
How can you praise God in the midst of his creation?
How can we connect God's Story Scripture, and our story to others?
Everyone loves being in nature weather they admit it or not. There is something that captivates you, many say that how can you not see the need for a creator when you look at nature. Share with your friends about your time just sitting enjoying nature. Share about how people take for granted the simple things, speak about how strange or cool it was to spend time in nature when you would have rather been doing anything else. Share what is your most Favorite thing in nature? Ask Where in nature do you want to spend more time in? Ask them to tell you more about it. Invite your friends on a hike or adventure, and be in the midst of God's creation, and be open to where God takes your conversation.
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