“Joys come from simple and natural things; mists over meadows, sunlight on leaves, the path of the moon over water.”
–Sigurd F. Olson
Years ago, Sara made a Father’s Day gift for her dad–a big platter of fudge. It was a simple gift, but what fun to measure, stir, test it for doneness. And then of course, telling her dad that it was for him. We were supposed to keep it a secret so he wouldn’t know until it was done but since he was sitting in the family room and we were only a few feet away in the kitchen, he may have gotten suspicious when he smelled something rich and chocolatey or heard wooden spoons scraping against a cast iron skillet. If Matt had searched the world over, he could not have found a better gift because with the cocoa, sugar, and milk, Sara mixed in love for her dad.
Simple things bring me joy. Looking up into the sky as daylight fades into twilight and seeing a swallow darting here and there after insects, watching a bumblebee busy inside a hollyhock blossom, sitting down to a meal with my family, reading the words in the Bible that speak of faith and love; these things are plain and simple but can’t be bought with any amount of money.
In Minnesota one day with my brother and sister-in-law, I looked out of the window as a rainstorm was ending. The sun was breaking through the clouds. A fragile, misty rainbow arched across the lake; no, not one rainbow, but two. Two shimmering arches. Simple yet wondrous reminders of the promise God made Noah centuries ago and an assurance that God was still mindful of us.
Sometimes, my mind is boggled by information–too much of it, by warrings and fightings and scientific explanations and who thinks what and how ancient truths have been disproved. I’m tired of it all. I just want the simple, lovely miracles that bring me peace and joy.
“The key to happiness belongs to everyone on earth
Who recognizes simple things as treasures of great worth.”
–Author Unknown
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