God’s Love Messages
How many times does God send us a ‘love note’ and we don’t find it? Just before my Ed and I were married, he wrote me every day. I treasured those love letters because he wrote from his heart. The letters were filled with his dreams and visions for our life together. I knew he loved me, from his letters, but after we were married and life happened with four children in four years, seven moves, I sometimes forgot that there was this ‘for life commitment’ between us. I forgot how deep Ed’s love is and continues to be.
Now after 58 years, going on 59, we are in the ‘evening hours’ of our life. And our love continues to deepen. We discussed our life two days ago, and decided that we are filled with contentment. And that is all we need.
Once when I followed Mom to her flower garden and she expressed her joy in the shape and color of the flower, I wondered why. It looked to me like a bit of color perched on a green stem. As I grew, I began to see flowers as more than color on a stem, I saw the varieties of design in different flowers. I knew that God created the earth, and everything on it, but until I tried to draw a rose did I see the intricacy of design in each flower. Even a tiny wild flower lifts its head in all its glory and gives praise to its Creator.
God’s Love Messages might escape us, if we aren’t aware of His Love. The fall after moving to northwest Arkansas, I drove by a grove of brilliant color. Hues of every shade made a brilliant display of fall color. I almost slammed on the brakes, and realized the danger of that. I gasped, ” God, how can you do that? This is beautiful!” God loves color and design, the Master Designer.
One day I went to church, my mind on the work I needed to accomplish. Noting the Bradford Pear tree in full bloom, I thought, how beautiful and continued. With my foot on the first step, I was arrested by the sound of a cardinal perched in the tree of white blooms. I heard the bird say, “You’re so pretty! You’re so pretty!” I smiled and responded, “Thank you, God!”
A friend of mine posted pictures of flowers from her garden. I replied about the great Artist our God is. Her reply to me, “I know, and I say to Him, that’s ever more beautiful than the last rose!”
So many times I feel that extraordinary tug at my heart when I see beauty, just when I need it most. It happens without warning, and now I wait for it for I know it is from God. When I attempt to get on the busy New Hope Road and the traffic is clear, I thank God. When I get a hug from a child, I remember how Jesus beckoned the children to come to him. When two young men offered to clean our gutters, I knew Who sent them? When I hear a song – that praises God, it becomes a ‘love message’ from Him.
Clothed in rainbows, of living color Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder – Blessing and honor, strength and Glory and power be To You the Only Wise King.
God speaks to us through His Word, and also through his blessings or love messages through our lives. As a teen, Mom called me to the back stoop of our house, to watch the sunset. It wasn’t just the sunset, but before many stars came out, the Evening Star appears. When Mom was a little girl, she ‘found’ that star one evening and its brilliance brought her joy. She chose that star as her confidante. The other evening I happened to look into the west sky, and was astonished to see Mom’s star. God knew I needed to be reminded just at that moment of His love, His majesty and how much He loves not only me, but all His children.
My Dad put up a Martin bird two story- house in the south yard after he retired. He enjoyed watching the birds returning home. After he died, Mom wrote:
I built a house for them
Ad watched them every evening
Winging home for night
And from my lounging chair
Set on green, green grass amid
Parading colors marching by
I watched their darting ways
Until my eyes were closed.
Now I wing and wheel the air
Above the house where I once lived.
My soul, torn from my pain-wracked flesh.
Is loosed and I am free.
With all the martins I can swoop
Above the garden I designed. (ADS)
God beckons us to Him with love notes of flowers, rainbows, smiles – reminders of His love – for each of us just when we need it most. How does He know when? He created each of us, and He created my inmost being; He knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13
A hug goes both ways and has intrigued me. When two people hug, they are both recipients of that hug. When we receive a ‘hug’ from God through His messages, it goes both ways. Do we send God a message of deep love? Are we struck silent in awe? Do we praise Him? Give thanks to Him? Read His Word?
Comments? eacombs@eacombs@cox.net