Dancing Raindrops

The roar of the old Rover thundering down the highway mixed strangely and yet somehow comfortingly with Norah Jones playing on my husband's IPOD. Our sweet girl in the backseat blissfully unaware of all around her slept undisturbed by the noise. So, I pulled my own blanket a little tighter to my chest and settled more comfortably into my seat. Peering towards my husband behind the wheel, I noticed just beyond him the dance of the raindrops on the window, two drops in particular frantically jitterbugging around each other, momentarily joining together and then bursting apart once again. On and on they went circling one another, confidently striking out on their own or even being forced apart by the relentless wind but every few seconds inexplicably finding their way back to each other again. Amused and in awe, I watched mesmerized wondering how long they could sustain their dance, but at once the action slowed as the two drops melted into one another and swirled gently around. Thinking the show was over I contemplated looking away, yet the drops suddenly separated into not just two but five, with three being considerably smaller. A family. The five danced together swirling around one another just as the two had done, venturing away from one another but always finding their way back.

Just a few silly little raindrops — and yet my heart was pierced with beauty, sadness, joy, and hope. How can that be? How could something so seemingly insignificant touch me so deeply? Each day, each moment is filled with the possibility for these sorts of connections. A solitary leaf clinging stubbornly to an otherwise naked tree, the early morning discovery of a world covered in hitherto unmarred blankets of snow, happening upon a rainbow in the midst of a dreary day – all these call upon something deeper within us, something worthy of awe and reverence and, at least, our attention. What is it that we’re supposed to glean from all of this? It’s different… and the same… for all of us, and it’s all a part of our journey.

Willow Grace Wednesday

Put this collage on Facebook the other day and thought I'd add it here. It's been a while since I did a Willow Grace Wednesday. I really need to get back to writing more for my blog. That will hopefully happen soon.

Anyway, here's my little Autumn Princess.

Vanity

Yesterday I was listening to a group of women discussing a recent episode of Oprah on which several women had received makeovers. Personally, I love makeover shows. It’s like watching Cinderella getting dolled up for the ball so that her outside finally matches the beauty within. However, that’s not where my head went while I was listening to the conversation.

I found myself examining my own outfit and feeling as if I had fallen so far short of the mark. Though I was wearing a relatively new pretty dress, it wasn’t quite new enough. I try very hard to get lots of wear out of my clothes and add t-shirts under or cardigans over my summer dresses, which is what I had done yesterday. Cute but not exactly the height of fall fashion. I actually hurried away from the women, anxious to get my unfashionable self back to my desk. My mind started running through all of the clothes in my closet, and suddenly none of it was good enough. How could I have missed how important fashion is? How could I have fallen so short of what a woman really should be?

And then…. Wait!

That’s when I remembered just how, in the greater picture of life, fashion really is low on the list of things that really are important. Where is my heart? Am I following after Christ? Am I loving and serving my family well? Do I try to help others in need? Am I living out the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) to the best of my ability?

I used to have Colossians 3:12-14 taped to the shelf in my closet, and tomorrow I plan to have it up there again. The most important thing we can clothe ourselves with is love. The rest is certainly has its purposes and really can be fun and help us to feel better about ourselves; but I really do need to keep it all in the right perspective.

Colossians 3:12-14
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.