Sunny and 75!

It's sunny and 75! The last few days have just been gorgeous. The humidity has been low, sunshine, light breezes -- perfect deck weather. We start with coffee under the canopy and end our day at dusk. Meals happen out here. Mom naps out here. As you can tell, writing happens out here. The indoors have come outdoors, and who wants to be inside?! A few moments ago, I thought to myself, "I wouldn't trade this for anything." A few months ago, I wanted to. 

A few months ago, I was looking for a miracle. Now, I'm not saying God has ruled that out or I'm not still looking, but I wanted it the way I envisioned it: flashes of lightning, instantaneous healing, in the blink of an eye transformation; the type of miracle that leaves you gasping for breath; the type of miracle where the hair on the back of your neck stands up with each retelling. That's what I wanted, and I believe my exact words were, "I would trade every perfect sunny and 75 ever if You would just ____." It may sound childish or manipulative, but I was in great pain, and I do mean in great pain. I was consumed by that pain. Many moments of the day, I could only see and feel pain -- in everything. The happiness of others made me hurt. Cheery colors made me hurt. Thinking about hope sometimes made me hurt. Sunshine and the fragrance of nature made me hurt. "Get rid of it! Get rid of it all!" my heart screamed in pain; "I just want what will make the pain stop." 

But God screamed back. Yes, sometimes I make Him scream 'cause I tend not to listen the first seven or eight times. He screamed lots of things and, apparently, is still screaming. Today He screamed, "Whatever made you think days like today were ever yours to trade?" Days like today, these perfect sunny and 75s, are blessings. I don't deserve them any more than I deserve a miracle served up nice and hot, complete with "here-I-did-it-your-way" sauce. These days are here to demonstrate God's loving nature and show the world-- a cursed world --that our sovereign God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. These days are the evidence of His nature and by His grace, we benefit from them; but they are not mine to refuse in return for something I'd like better. What an arrogant thought!

We have to be more than appreciative of the blessings God gives; we have to be careful. Yes, God loves us. Yes, God gives perfect gifts. Yes, God's goodness leads people to repentance. But blessings are the demonstration of who He is, first of all. Like saying grace: before we dig in, our hearts and minds should be drawn to God as sustainer and provider, not to the buffet sitting before us. And before we stake our claim to all those sunny and 75s, let's open our eyes to the color and beauty, sniff the fragrant air, hear the birdsong, relish the perfect dichotomy of warm sunshine and cool breezes, and realize this is a picture of God's nature. Let's remember all of this is God telling the world who He is: good, even to a cursed world.