with his children. The more we appreciate the wonders of his world,
the better we know him. The better we know him, the more we love
him. And the more we love him, the more we find our lives on the
course for which he designed them.
What does he want to share with us? Open your eyes and ears and
heart. The evidence of his love in the creation is all around. Don’t
miss a single opportunity for praising him as your Creator, or thank-
ing him for what he’s done.
It’s “little” things like the look of wonder on a baby’s face as she takes
her first wobbly steps toward her parents, and the sound of her chuckle
as she realizes that she has actually done what she set out to do. She
may see only her earthly mother and father. But her heavenly Father is
there too, cheering her on. Can you see him there? He wants you to.
It’s the colors in a garden—the oranges and blues and cream-
colored blooms pushing their way into the world for the first time
like the fulfillment of a promise. But he treasures more than the gar-
den itself. He treasures the gardener, too, the one who dreamed up
its beauty and set the seeds in the ground and watered and waited
for the blooms. Can you see the garden and appreciate the gardener?
God wants you to.
And he wants to share with you his greatest possible joy, a friend-
ship with you. He wants to talk with you, to listen to you, to hear
your prayers, to dry your tears, and to mend your heart. Can you
allow yourself to believe that? He wants you to.
Oh, Father, I worship you! Thank you for opening my eyes to your
miracles, large and small. Thank you for walking beside me, shar-
ing the beauty of your world. Thank you for the gift of prayer and
the friendship you are holding out to me today. Amen.30 CLAIRECLONINGER