Flowers Speak

Ephesians 5:22-23 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

A couple of nights ago my husband and I had a little disagreement (ok...a little "spat"). Truly it was a silly thing that if not quickly harnessed would grow into something bigger and we would find ourselves in sin. So, as the Word says in Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin."  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Ok..so an apology is spoken and we go to sleep and a new day is now on the horizon.

My husband usually gets home before me. So when I arrived at home (as he is diligently working outside in the yard trying to bring every leaf known to man under control), we greet each other with a kiss, and I proceed to go inside the kitchen.

As I walk in, on the kitchen counter is a bouquet of red roses; not just laying on the counter wrapped in paper, but cut & trimmed, placed in a vase, watered and waiting for me to see the care, the love and actions he took to assure me that I am loved by him. Well he did not have to get flowers, we had settled the "issue" the night before. But, he chose to show his love with an action.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18. We are taught how to love because of God. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

I'm reminded, brought back to the cross. The Father who has lavished us with love, took action, took steps to ensure that his creation could come back to him; to be reestablished into fellowship with the Father. The fallen man, the disobedient man, the one that rebelled again the Holy One; God took action. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16

So I become transparent to you today (I'm not perfect) just to make a point. Love is an action. It demonstrates what's in the heart. The words would have been enough, but the flowers revealed the heart of my husband in a deeper way.

By the way, the flowers on the kitchen counter, that's not the end. As I walked into my bedroom, lo and behold another vase, clear,sparkling with fresh water holding yet even more beautiful roses.

Yes, it definitely brought a smile to my face.

 So later on I asked my husband, "why have flowers in two different locations"? His replied to me, "So no matter what room you entered, you could think of me and know that I love you". Awe...... I love that man!

Look around, no matter where you walk, what road you may be on, if you look carefully, you will see glimpses; actions that the Lord has taken to tell YOU that He loves YOU!

Go out, go out of your way and let someone know that you care for them. Speak words of encouragement. Do something unexpected. I know there will be a lot of smiles and many hearts lifted!

By the way, November 27th is our 29 year Anniversary! God is Good!


God bless you!~Liz
www.lizrod.com

Let the River Flow

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

If you are walking down the street and at a glance you happen to see a dollar bill on the floor, do you stop and pick it up?  Yes.  You may not know if it's a one dollar bill; you don't know if it will turn up to be a fifty dollar bill.  But what you do know is that you recognized it; you are sure it has worth; and depending where the bill is, you will bend, stoop, stretch; you will pull it out of water, pick it up from the mud, dig into a garbage bin if that bill has caught your eyes attention; you will do just about anything to reach for that symbol that has value.

I was asking the Lord to show me something this morning.  This is what he gently said.  People will go through all kinds of motion to get there hands on what is temporary; those things that bring earthly satisfaction; that which will fade away.  Money is just one example. We chase after positions; that status that has to be recognized by others, we want to make a name for ourselves, all these things point to "me"....that which satisfies me!

How far will we go to set time apart to be with the One who loves us?  You know, read the Word, stay in prayer for more than five minutes, go to church and not just on Sundays.  I know the Lord is always trying to get my attention; he is always making opportunity for me to learn and glean, to slowly see his hand in everything in my life.  He desires to instruct me, but I am at times not so pliable. I'm  not willing to bend, stoop, stretch; to reach out and grab what he has for me.  I dip my feet quickly in the water but won't jump in; if I would just stay there a few more moments I would see that the river is flowing; flowing with life and it's at my reach.  I won't dig too much for fear I'll get dirty or is it I that will be found in filth and the muck of life? Allow the Word of God to search my heart; allow it to see that I have garbage neatly piled up, disguised so that no one recognizes it?  But the stench tells on me.

How long has it been since the River flowed through our very being?  I believe that at times those that have trusted in the Lord, who call Him their Savior, have become so "familiar" with the Lord that we forgotten a deeper value, a stronger richness that still awaits for us.  The Lord is not like us....but he invites us to be like Him.  The River is there, in us; but sometimes it's just frozen; it has come to a standstill. Life has caused it to solidify.  We need to rediscover, to

allow the River to flow and not be content with a frozen body of water; thaw it out!  Sitting by his feet, hearing from the Father, allowing the FIRE to be reignited, will allow that river to begin to flow again. Have you ever looked at a river at the beginning of Spring; when the snow and ice are melting away and the river begins to sparkle as the sun's rays are reflecting off the water caps; the river begins to flow and it carries life.  Wow, I get it, but now I have to get in! That which is temporal does not satisfy, only that which is eternal. Let the River flow!

God bless you!!Liz

www.lizrod.com