Morning Glories and the Beauty of God

I’ve always been an early riser, and with that comes some wonderful benefits...

• I get the first cup of coffee.
• I get to see the sunrise over the pasture.
• I get to pray without distractions.
• I get to be still enough to listen for God’s voice.

Yesterday, as usual, I woke up early and walked outside to feed the doggies and to take a deep breath of fresh (muggy) air.  Along the fence row, I saw the beautiful morning glories bursting from the vine along the chain link.  For some unknown reason, this species of flower only blooms in the pre-dawn hours and then dies shortly after sunrise. 

Look closely at a morning glory vine, and you’ll see that different blooms open up each day and then die.  If you’re not up early enough to see the new blooms, you’re out of luck for the rest of the day.  

One such morning, the Lord showed my spirit how closely the hurting people in our lives mimic those delicate, unique flowers. How many times have I missed an opportunity to see the beauty of a person because I refused to take the time to meet them in their time of need? How often have I ignored them or turned away because all that I saw at first glance was the invasive, messy ‘vine’ they show to the world? Too many times, I’m ashamed to say.

 

Sometimes, the only way to reach a person with the love of Christ is to meet them at the EXACT moment they are ready to ‘open up’ and share their deep pain with us.

Seizing that moment may mean getting up early (or staying up late) to find them. It may mean going to really messy places to find them. It may mean giving up your own comfort to be a safe place for them. It may mean spending consistent time with the Lord so you can recognize where to look to find them. And finally, it may mean being there every single day, even when things are not so easy for them, in order to gain their trust. 

The effort may be time-consuming, but I promise the reward is worth it. And if you and I--those called by the Lord as His own--can't be the salt and light in the world, who will? 

"He will give eternal life to those who patiently do the will of God, seeking for the unseen glory and honor and eternal life that He offers." Romans 2:7  

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