Today was one of those days when I felt God's presence literally all day long. I could sense Him in everything I did. It was as if he was whispering to me little reminders of His love constantly throughout today. That feeling, that sense of peace and oneness with Christ, is something that I have not experienced in quite a long time. Nothing particularly different or special happened today; He was just there, and I knew He was there. And yes, I know He is always with me, but today, I could just feel His touch and His presence in everything. That "feeling" impacted everything I did all day long. It affected the way I spoke to others, looked at them, touched them. It affected my mood. I was more productive at work that usual. Today was a really good day.
The thing is, I know that my Lord is always with me. I know that, as I am His child and He is my Father, He promises never to leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8- "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.") In my heart and in my mind, with every fiber of my being I know that God will always be with me. I know this is true even when I do not feel Him. So, I should act like this is true even when I do not feel Him. I should act the way I did today every day; regardless of how I feel. The way I feel does not change what I know to be true. I should act like Christ's presence is all around me even when I feel isolated, defeated, hurt, or angry. My faith in the knowledge and promise of God's everlasting presence should change me inside and out. It should change me so drastically that it pours out in all that I say and do. It should change the way I act, the way I work, and the way that I speak. But it should always change these things; not just when I feel good, but each and every day of my life. His presence should do so alive in me that it spills out onto everything and everyone around me.
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord's renown,
for an everlasting sign
that will endure forever."
After reading this, I was slightly curious as to what, exactly, a myrtle is. In case you wondered the same thing:
–noun
1.
any plant of the genus Myrtus, esp. M. communis, a shrub of southern Europe having evergreen leaves, fragrant white flowers and aromatic berries: anciently held sacred to Venus and used as an emblem of love.
2.
any of certain unrelated plants, as the periwinkle, Vinca minor, and California laurel, Umbellularia californica.
I think it is interesting that the passage of scripture reads, "Instead of briers the myrtle will grow," and according to Webster, the myrtle was used as an emblem of love. How perfect!
picture from here
Apparently there is also a plant called "crepe myrtle," and this is it.
I got the first picture used in this post from Cuba Gallery. All of the pictures are amazing, and well worth the hours that you will probably spend clicking through them! Just to give you a little taste of what to expect, below are a few more of their photos:
I would like to dedicate this next image to my sister, who just finished cosmetology school, and has landed her first job. Please do not use scissors like this on my hair!
I would like to dedicate the next photo to my mother. You would just have to know her...
Now that I am on a roll, here is one for Andrew:
This one is for me Dad. There is a story behind the reason I picked this photo. Whether or not he remembers the story is a different matter entirely.
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