Sunny Days, part 2

I'm sitting outside, underneath some shade, on a beautiful day. It's 80 degrees with clear, blue skies, a light breeze, and all the plants around me a luscious shade of green. It's one of those days you feel were made for worship. Most of the world might worship the creation on such a day, but it is far more magnificent to ponder the creator on such a day. Of course, He is no less the creator of the dark, dreary days of winter, and they have purpose in showing Him forth, too. For one thing, without those days, days like today would be taken for granted. It makes one wonder what this world would be like without the effects of sin ...

The wind is right now gently rustling the leaves on the maple tree here, and it has the same sort of sound that a wave on a beach has - that white noise that somehow is soothing. The faint sounds of dozens of birds in the distance. There's a plane going by now, and though it is a man-made intrusion on the natural beauty, it is off in the distance to the point where it, too, adds only a small rumble to the audial masterpiece that surrounds me.

There's a song with a line I like to ponder occasionally - that God "could have made the world black and white, and we'd have never known" the joy we were missing of color. Why did God grant us the enjoyment of color or sound or smells or even touch? Somehow all these things let us know Him better. His depth is so far above our own that the infinite colors we have, the tones of sound we can distinguish, the combination of smells that can be enjoyed only scratch at the surface of how enjoyable He is. God has truly showered His blessings upon this world, although we deserve nothing from Him but wrath. People who scoff at His existence or even directly oppose Him are still given the benefits common to us all. This is some of what it means to love your enemy ...

Unfortunately, all too often, I do not even love my friends like this. I get annoyed too quickly, exasperated too soon, discouraged too often, and angry when my agenda is not being served. I certainly don't look for ways to bless them at all times - and if they took it for granted or even opposed me, I would feel justified in letting them know it. But that's not the way of Christ. I wish I could love in such a way that I was quick to bless in spite of cursing. Maybe I'm better in this area than I was, but I feel like someone scaling the Sears Towers and using everything I have to reach the second floor ...

How can I be a man after God's own heart - a man who blesses even his enemies with the gift of seeing color, hearing sounds and so forth? What does it look like for me to deny myself in the moments where all I am conscious of is my violated rights? or, worse yet, wants?

Lord, give me your wisdom to know what to do, your strength to do what you call me to do, and your peace not to judge it by the earthly outcome ...