By Melody Vanosdol
Today, while my students were in art, I went for a walk around town. It was an amazing spring morning. The temperature was perfect, coupled with a spring breeze. Children were gathered in front of the courthouse to have to have their field trip picture taken. The flowers all around the courthouse were in bloom. (I particularly love the irises in the north east corner of the courthouse lawn.) The children were playing outside on the playground at the daycare. Their squeals of delight and laughter could be reveled in from a block away. A lady was enjoying her day gardening. We spoke briefly, as friendly folks do. Very few drivers were out and about. It felt like I was walking around inside a Norman Rockwell painting. And for the briefest moment, I had a yearning for that yesteryear, Norman Rockwellish town.
Then God nudged me. (I love it when He does that.) Paintings are moments. And this one was mine.
We often waste time wishing we had something other than what has been given to us: a different time, a different place, a different body, different choices . . .
Those Norman Rockwellish towns were dealing with WW2. Over 400,000 would not come home.
Later, those Norman Rockwellish town children were playing duck and cover under their desks at school.
This world has been broken since the Garden of Eden. It is what it is. It has big scary moments and moments of beauty and peace. But we have to look for the beauty and peace. They don’t scream out for our attention like troubles do.
Look for something beautiful today. Then thank Your Maker for it. Focus on the beautiful. Hold onto it as long as you can. When you lose it, God will give you more. Let Him.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
The more you focus on these things, the less room for negative thinking will be left in your heart and mind.
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30).
