As already mentionned before I am still absolutely fascinated by the beauty God even put in the smallest details. Today I had a few minutes while my little girl was napping and I used them to walk around with my camera in hand. I think I took over 300 pictures (a happy external drive that had a feast today ;-)! Pictures of flowers, insects, mushrooms, cobwebs and even a spider (which I usually loathe).
As I went through my pictures something really struck me. I had photographed a raindrop on a blade of grass and as I enlarged it to make sure my picture was sharp enough, this raindrop suddenly 'became alive'! I mean there was a whole world in there! Well its world was the lawn - many, many blades of grass,but still... Pretty amazing!!!
God really does care about the details... even about millions of raindrops that go by unnoticed! And how much more about us and the little details of our lives! He notices and He sure cares!
I just wished I'd care more about also sharing my details with God. I can go by without talking to Him for quite a long time without even noticing that I don't... Which brings me back to the one thing my life hangs on - GRACE!
By GRACE I have been saved and GRACE is what sustains me. I sure don't deserve any of God's goodness, simply because I fail Him again and again. I am sooooo thankful, that my Christian life does not depend on me and my performance, but on Him who lives inside of me, His forgiveness and Him sticking to His promises.
I am soooo thankful for it all. Even though my life sometimes feels to me like a little raindrop - it comes and passes away, unnoticed, unsignificant - I know that in God's equation it's different: there is a whole world inside that raindrop and this world is called JESUS! This is very encouraging to me!
Birgit :-)
Almost a month ago Hajo and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. Since the traditional gift this year was fruit and flowers, Hajo and I decided to plant a fruit tree in grandma's garden (since we don't own our own garden and grandma was kind enough to allow us our planting spree). We chose a cherry and a plum tree and planted them today. Against all odds I must say, since there are many rumors that fruit trees don't bear fruit up there where grandma lives. We're taking our chance nevertheless and really hope to harvest one day!
And should our trees really never bear fruit, it definately was worth the planting! A family affair with grandma watching, Hajo shoveling soil, Naomi having fun playing in and with the soil and me getting a kick out of watching the scene and taking pictures!
Picking fruit right there in your garden and enjoying the healthy snack right there where you stand has something paradise-like about it! I so very much enjoy it at my in-laws place where there are lots of fruit trees (with plums and grapes ripe right now). I wonder if this is how we will feed ourselves once in Heaven (but I guess no more hunger there, right?)
Blessings,
Birgit
Today we said goodbye to our three little babies who are in Heaven now. Well we had already said goodbye before, as we had to let each one go at its set time. But this time was a special moment we set aside, to make it a more 'formal' goodbye and to have something to look back on and remember dearly, without our memory being attached to the circumstance where we were confronted with the harsh news and our utter shock.
We planted a tree. It is a very special tree as it is one of the first trees to bloom in spring around here. We chose this tree because it blooms closest to what should have been the birthday of our little angels: the 22nd of February. And the blossoms are to be white with a tender note of pink. The tree itself has dark reddish leaves in the summer, and is simply gorgeous! To put it into less words: we planted a prunus cerasifera (cherry plum)!
We formed three little hearts with white stones which we put at the bottom of the tree, three white roses and three little candles. Then we sat down next to it, read Scripture and poems and prayed together. It was a moment we'll definately always remember. Even though it was very sad, there was something hopeful and peaceful about it all. We are soooo thankful to Jesus how we feel carried through and held in it all.
This is what I call God's miracles. I don't need to see people raised from the dead or for God to jumble up the laws He has set in physics (even though He definately is able to do that any time if He wishes too!). For me it is enough to feel His tender arm holding me right there in the storm and be at peace when I feel like my world is falling apart. When I see Him mending broken marriages, when a father calls his child after 14 years of silence, when there is reconciliation between two people who hurt each other deeply and they are able to forgive each other - wow these are miracles I am so thankful to witness and which make me stand in awe before this loving God I can call my friend! I mean the maker of the universe longs to have fellowship with ME? How amazing is that?!!!
A very grateful,
Birgit
and I am so thankful for it!!! I'm starting this blog as a little remembrance, something to read through and be reminded of how good God is and has been in our life. As something to be encouraged by when the big waves hit and one cannot see the beautiful rainbow behind the clouds anymore. Maybe also as a little reminder to myself to focus on the good in my life and not the sad and difficult. When there are hardships to go through, I want to always remind myself of the fact that I am held and carried through by the Creator of all things and the Lover of my soul.
I was reminded of it a few minutes ago, while I sat here rocking my 16-month old toddler baby girl. I think she had a stomach ache and wept bitterly. But as I held her and gently rocked her, she calmed down completely and was so peaceful. She knew she was safe and that Mommy would do anything in her power to take the pain away. And I so very much simply enjoyed holding her, feeling her breath and warmth close to me. It was one of those moments in time, where you'd like to freeze everything, because you never want to forget the feeling... And this is only me, mere mortal being with such limited and unpure feelings... I wonder what God must feel like when we allow Him to comfort us, when we bring Him our hardships and sorrows to soothe the pain. How delighted He must be to hold and rock us, for Him who loves us so completely, so purely and without measure!
Another thing reminding me of God's goodness today was simply walking through the premises and taking pictures of flowers in bloom, of insects and ripening fruit. What beauty we are surrounded by! And there is so much more beauty in the detail than we even notice most of the time. I guess that's why I enjoy macro photography. It gives a glimpse of that hidden beauty.
It was a good day and I will rejoice in it!
Blessings,
Birgit
