Good Morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is another beautiful day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! When I stepped outside this morning, only Venus was visible, and puffy clouds were scudding across the sky with the wind pushing them.
I now have an amaryllis blooming! It is the first one since October, so both blooms are kinda out of season, but I'm happy about it! And yesterday, I received a beautiful pink rose and carnation bouquet from my boys and grandson, in a rose teapot. Life is good!
I walked out to the first covered shelter yesterday to see the baby gators, but none were in sight, so I stuck around looking under and at the sides, until the biggest one came out from under the bridge. So they were there - just hidden. On the way to the entrance bridge, I stopped to look at a black, shiny gator on the bank across the water. He was just enjoying the sun.
The mama screech owl was peering out of her box, with her tiny eyes taking in everything. Maybe one day I will see the baby owl. God is good!
From the devotional book Quiet Moments with God:
"My times are in your hand."
Psalm 31:15 NRSV
How we handle delays tells us a lot about ourselves. How do you handle a traffic jam when you left the house already late for work? What do you do when your flight is delayed because of mechanical difficulty or bad weather? How do you respond when the register in your checkout lane runs out of tape just as you get to the head of the line? Can you take a deep breath and enjoy a five minute break at the railroad crossing when the guard rail goes down to allow a train to pass?
Things rarely go as smoothly as we would like, and we don't usually schedule ourselves any extra time just in case something goes wrong.
The ability to accept disappointments, delays and setbacks with a pleasant, generous spirit is a gift of graciousness that comes from one who has received grace from others in pressured circumstances. Life is a series of choices, and no matter what situation we are in. we always have the freedom to choose how we are going to respond.
Refuse to get out of sorts the next time your schedule gets interrupted or turned upside down. Pray for strength to remain calm, cheerful, relaxed, and refreshed in the midst of the crisis. And always remember; God's plans for you are not thwarted by delays!
Never become irritable while waiting. If you are patient, you'll find that you can wait much faster.
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I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
