Our resurrection lilies (Some call these "naked ladies" or "surprise lilies.) are quite sparce in production this year for some reason. This caused me to remember this devotional thought inspired last summer by the orange cat with a tail!
Tailer Ignores Beauty
The fragrance of
the resurrection lilies permeated the back yard. The light pink flowers
gorgeously decked out the summer evening. As I gathered the freshly dried
clothes from the clothesline, I admired the lovely blossoms from a distance.
Then I noticed Tailer weaving in and out of the stately lilies. He paused and
glanced up briefly at one of the perfectly curled petals on one of the
resurrection lilies. Within seconds, he was on his way hardly noticing the
beauty of the summer-blooming lilies.
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| Tailer caught in the act of indifference to the beautiful resurrection lilies.(Photo taken in 2014) |
Just like Tailer, I thought to myself. The energetic cat's life consists of three primary activities. He
loves to be moving. If he is not moving, he is eating vigorously or sleeping soundly. My sister
says, “Tailer loves his people.” But even in that, he is in motion, either
rubbing the legs of his people or wanting to be stroked. We love him to pieces, but let's face it - it’s all about
him.
Then I thought,
Many humans are like Tailer. How
many people briefly pause to look at something exquisite in nature, hardly
noticing its beauty, and never once giving a second thought to God, the creator
of it all? Many of us are not far removed from Tailer’s indifference to
breath-taking beauty in nature. Several times a day we see much loveliness and
uniqueness around us in nature, yet take very little notice, and definitely give God no thought or credit.
Often we experience some small blessing and
instead of breathing a prayer of thankfulness, we move right on to complain
about something else. What ingratitude and self-centeredness! How much more
uplifting to recognize and acknowledge God’s hand of blessing outstretched to us, instead of snatching the blessing, as an ungrateful child would grab a present with no thought of even mumbling a "thank-you." If we
purposefully express gratitude, our focus will shift from what we don’t have to how our
lives have been enriched.
I’d love to have Tailer’s endless energy, but I hope
to avoid having his indifference to beauty. Instead I would like to concentrate
on the gifts of the day, appreciating and recognizing that every good gift and
perfect gift comes from above as James 1:17 states.
Lord, give me eyes to see Your daily gifts to me. Then may I have a heart that readily expresses thankfulness to You.
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| Resurrection Lilies from another flower bed on my parents' farm in 2014. |
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