Wildflower Writes

I was wrapping up my daily "run" (more walking than...) and the breeze blowing through the shade trees lining the street was delicious. Now, if I had just stood outside and felt the wind blowing on my face, it would be pleasant, but not the highlight of my morning. It took the effort... the exertion... the sweat dripping from my brow... to truly appreciate the breeze caressing my face. I think life is like that sometimes. Food is never more tasty than when you've gone without food. A kind word is never more appreciated than when you feel beaten up. Not everything in our lives is good, but good can be found in everything.

Have I already said I hate shopping? I hate crowds, noise, waiting in line... When shopping for gifts, I'm never confident that I'm choosing something that would be useful or appreciated. I get lost in large stores and can't remember where the departments are. I don't like driving, traffic, parking, or dodging cars in the lot. So on a day spent going from bank to store to store to store to store... With a know-it-all teenager and rambunctious child in tow... Where did I find joy? In my devotions this morning, I read Paul's letter to the Philippians. At the time he writes it, he is in prison. Talk about chaos! He writes: "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ( Philippians 1:4 )." Now, I wasn't exactly praying for my family  members as I shopped, but I tried to imagine their wants and needs, and how they would react when opening the gifts I purchased. Maybe it wasn't prison per se, but it was not my favorite place to be. ...