They are simply filthy.  Baby size five - I seriously consider dumping them into the trash and going to the store to replace them!  Instead of course I send them out with the older cousin to hose them down which only makes a minor improvement.  But Mommy washes and dries them and I see them like new running again on those sweet little feet. No one would ever guess they had looked like this!  What I didn’t see looking at these mud destroyed baby shoes was the great fun he was having with his little buddies at the park.  Summer rains had turned all dirt into muddy spots which little boys never think to avoid.  In the end there was a baby turning all boy happy as happy can be and modern cleaning products restored the shoes.

I can’t help but reflect upon how many other “messy sights” have I seen this week and only interpreted them on the negative side- never considering even the remote possibility that there might be a positive happy story behind the mess.  I came up with these:

A husband in a coma on the couch- the basement bathroom we’ve been working on for a couple years nearing completion (the grouting did him in!)

The front rock path to the porch full of weeds- turns out grandson needs money and I had a job to offer to earn it!

A kitchen stacked high with dirty dishes and sticky counters- a couple of wonderful dinners around a real table where friends and family actually carried on conversation.

A bank charge due to a forgotten automatic withdrawal plan- A vacation weekend with my husband away from all normal reality - we just enjoyed each other as if there were no one else in life.

An office so deep in stuff I can hardly maneuver through it- quality time with grandchildren this summer making memories that become the pearls of my life.

People working hard carrying grills, tables, chairs etc…- enjoying the summer breeze and great food under the shade trees after church. Sitting with people I usually just hug and say hi too-catching up with the daily experiences of good friends.

You may share my list or have your own or have a lot more to add!  Just in reviewing this short one I will forever remember I have a wonderful life when I look at this photo of the baby’s shoes!

Freedom

Too busy living life to write about it these days!  Every moment whether funny, serious, sad, frustrating, irritating, or simply so precious we actually pause and embrace it only comes that one time and then is forever just a memory.  In my lifetime I have missed a great deal that was happening right in front of me because I was caught up in a project, a problem, pursuing a passion, checked out in exhaustion and a million other reasons I could state.  On the other hand I have a life without regrets because of so many things I didn’t miss!  My father always said life moved faster the older you get.  Though I have experienced that to definitely feel true I wonder if it isn’t so because the older we get the better we are about sorting out what is important in the moment- better at taking the time to listen, watch, enjoy, and meditate on what really matters to us.

On this Fourth of July I am proud to be an American in spite of the fact that I am unhappy with much of what I see happening that causes me to be sad and be concerned about what my grandchildren may face in their lifetime.  Gratitude for freedom beats strong in my heart today for I understand it is something many in the world do not have.  Just like every gift in life we can use it in ways that increase our quality of life and state of contentment.  Unfortunately it can also be used as an instrument of destruction.  Freedom of speech is at the top of my concern right now.   It allows words that uplift and words that demean; words that show love and words that spew hate; words that cause us to stand strong and secure and words that demean us to the point of losing all hope.  There are volumes of books that have been written on this subject but I would like to share this thought today:

Every word I hear has the potential to affect my life but I have learned that all words are not healthy for me and I have the right to reject them.  I also have the right to embrace the words that will move me forward with invigorating joy!  Today as you read this I encourage you to attach yourself to people whose words cause you to want to get up in the morning and seek all that is good and detach yourself from those who weigh you down and make your life miserable.  America is a place I love, but my freedom comes from another source altogether:

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed!”  John 8:36

As we thank God for freedom and blessing our country it is my prayer that you know every time an American lets you down there is freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The day is coming that the only freedom that will be known will be His.  Seems reasonable to me that today might be a great day to consider that and be prepared……….