I took a little time off from work yesterday in an attempt to catch up on some personal things. The grass growing season is in full swing. Having been cut just four days before, it was already time for the next trim. The first round of edging was needed, along with some general clean-up. As I was racing through the yard, I stopped to see how beautiful this little Bleeding Heart’s (Dicentra) pendulous flower sprays were.
Like all good things, these early spring blossoms will come and go. Time keeps moving, and the next things to bloom are just forming their buds. It is good to be alive in springtime, and what a gift it is to have eyes that can see, noses that can smell the fragrance, ears that can hear the birds. We are so blessed.
I am in the last days of my 34 week retreat based upon the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. After cleaning up around the house and garden, I just sat for awhile in my back yard. It’s a time for reflection. As I was flipping through the pages of my journal that I’ve been keeping since I began the retreat, there were so many great thoughts, quotes, prayers that could/should be shared. This one comes from a book entitled Spiritual Direction, written by Henri Nouwen,
Remember, you belong to God from eternity to eternity. You were loved by God before you were born, and you will be loved by God long after you die.
Your human lifetime, long or short, is only a part of your total life in God. The length of time doesn’t matter. Life is just an opportunity for you during a few years to say to God, “I love you too.” (pg. 49)
