Open Our Eyes

I’m that mom. The sentimental one that saved a piece of her children’s hair when they got their first haircut. Who kept baby teeth and their first spoon. Every precious love note saved in a special box, and in my heart. All their school work, art work, accomplishments and report cards. Drawings scribbled on papers and dreams written on hearts.

I never really thought about why I saved those things. Maybe they are a continual reminder of the precious little ones they once were, and how blessed I felt to receive the unconditional love they gave me. Forever a gift from God from the moment they were born.

And now I have cards expressing love. A hand carved wooden spatula. Pages colored by tiny hands. A sticky note that says I love you. A jar filled with little folded notes that I can read every day~notes that make me feel so loved. Artwork made to look old, because they know grandma loves antiques. And a rock. All on display. All from my grandchildren.

Why do I keep all these things? I know now. It’s love. It’s continual reminders of how blessed I am to receive that unconditional love. It’s the knowledge that I get to look at my adult children and see how amazing God has been to me all these years. And to look at my grandchildren and know how very much God loves me. These little pieces of their hearts aren’t just reminders of their love, they are tokens of God my Father’s love.

You might not have children. You might not have grandchildren. But God sends gifts to HIS children every single day, if we will just open our eyes to see them.

When we focus on how blessed we are, even in the hardest of circumstances, we see our God so much more clearly. We see the love He has for us. We know that we can call upon Him. Jesus. No ordinary name. And we can know beyond any doubt how very much He loves us.

If I sat and focused on all my blessings then tried to write them all down, there would be books upon books. Today when I glanced at that rock, when I opened that jar and read another note, my heart was flooded with books about my children and grandchildren. And in the middle of some very hard circumstances God blessed my heart with overwhelming joy.

And He will do the same for you.

SCRIPTURE READING: James 1:17, John 14:27, Ephesians 3:17-20, 5:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Habakkuk 3:17-18, Colossians 3:15, Psalm 34:1, 92:1-2, 107:1, Hebrews 13:15, Jeremiah 31:4, Zephaniah 3:17

For further reflection: *The cards and notes are reminders of God’s precious word. Hebrews 10:16, Psalm 119:105. The hand carved spatula reminds me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the God who formed me from my mother’s womb. Psalms 139:13-14. The art work and colored pages remind me of the beauty God created all around me. Beauty I often take for granted. Psalms 8:3-4, 19:1. And the rock. The rock reminds me that He is my Rock and He always will be. When life feels good and when life feels hard. He is my Rock. Psalm 18:2 & 31, 31:3, 62:6-7, 94:22, Deuteronomy 32:4, Isaiah 26:4, 2 Samuel 22:2-3, Matthew 7:24, 1 Corinthians 10:4

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