UNRECOGNIZED BEAUTY

Proverbs  15:4  "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."

After I left work today, I had to go to the store.  There are some trees along the way, and I was thinking how beautiful they were.  Not that they were special really, but I use to oil paint and came to appreciate the beauty of snarled looking trees and unusual shaped ones.  As I was thinking about these trees, the Lord spoke to me and clearly said "I wish my children could be looked upon as people look upon and care for trees".  Yes, I immediately began to listen to Him as He told me what He meant.

The Lord told me that as I was doing, so many trees caught the eye and admiration of people.  And the trees could be odd shaped, drooping limbs, broken limbs, all kinds and shapes.  There were trees that had been hit by lightning only to have people go to great expense to save them.  The Lord reminded me of how people will gather together and stand again the cutting down of old trees or beautiful trees in certain areas.  Remember, He said, how after Ike, how upset the people were at all the trees that were lost on the island.  How they used the wood from the trees to carve beautiful things to remember the trees by.  We treasure trees, want to protect them.  And yet, abortion rates grow every year.  Babies, beautiful creations of the Lord, aborted, not wanted, mistakes.  There are no mistakes when babies have been conceived.  They are children of the Lord, He has plans for each one.  And then the Lord told me that these babies, these babies are what the enemy uses most to persecute and hold His grown children captive to sin.  They just cannot seem to get over what they did, and the enemy uses this to keep them chained down, defeated.  Away from Him, their forgiving Father.

Then He told me that so many of His children were neglected because they were not beautiful, not special.  Children were made fun of if they were not pretty to look at, if they were not perfect, they were teased, some so much they wanted to die, and some did.  He reminded me of years ago how He had to work with me to get me over the illness I had inside when I was confronted with someone that had a disease.  It is humbling for me to tell you these things.  But the Lord tells me I am not that person any longer, that He worked hard with me to overcome what I would go through.  When I would be confronted with someone that has a disease, disfigurement, or even elderly people in a nursing home, I would physically get ill.  It was so upsetting to me.  I came to realize it was because I could not do anything to help them and it would just make me ill.  I worked in a department as the main clerk for the manager at one time.  There was a man there with MS, yes, he was teased a lot.  He drolled, sometimes spit when he spoke, but he was a very nice man.  But it still made me a little ill, as there was nothing I could do.  Well, the Lord wanted to show me there was something I could do, but He had to get me over how I handled this.  The men that worked with this man kept telling him that his vacation had been cancelled. I was the one that kept the calendar on the men's vacations, and everyday he would come to my office for almost three weeks before his vacation to make sure it was not cancelled.  At the end of the three weeks, I could look him straight in the face, smile with love in my heart and assure him that no one had cancelled his vacation.  The Father is so faithful to make sure He can walk you through whatever problem you have, to glorify His Name.  I spent so many years feeling so ashamed of how sick I would get, so horrified at my feelings, the enemy using it to keep me from the joy of knowing these beautiful and wonderful people.  The Father healed me by using my friend at work to stay in front of me until I could see the beauty inside him.  Precious man.

The Lord showed me how people will shore up a fragile tree so it can get a good start by supporting it on all sides to hold it upright; how they will painstakenly water, prune, and gentle protect their trees to see that they have a good start.  He told me, how many of my children get the same treatment.  Little children are so often neglected, pushed aside for lack of time, lack of interest by their parents, teachers, friends, church groups.  Yes, even church groups can be insensitive to some children, to some grownups also.  When some are shy, they are not treated the same way as, well, someone that is outgoing and makes themself noticed.  These are the ones that need our attention more.  They need the love, the nuturing love that the Lord puts in us to give them.

I don't believe I can look at trees anymore without seeing all the children of the Lord that are neglected, abused, unloved, in need of one hand, one smile, one greeting of love.  My Lord, I thank You for Your words to me today.  I am humbled, once again, at Your using me to spread Your word, to share what You have given me today.  Let me always offer that smile, that hand of friendship, that love so freely given me to share with all God's children.

You are my Lord, my Beloved Lord, who I love more than my life.  I commit myself to being used by You, my God, in anyway you please, let me be always worthy (my God, how I want to be worthy of You, how I desire to be pleasing to You).  Nothing is more important to me that pleasing You Lord. Let me always be sensitive to Your heart, Your wondrous works and creations, be it a tree, the sky, cloud formations, and most especially, all Your children.  Your precious children.  Keep in me a right spirit, my Lord, an open mind, a loving heart, dedicated to You, to Your plan for me to serve You.

I love You, Lord.  This 14th day of May, 2011, my heart is overflowing with love for You, desire to be in Your presence always, wanting more and more of You, less and less of me.