Dirty Diapers or Daisies, It's Our Choice

The official count on my walk today: two dirty diapers, a half-eaten Whopper, three spat-out globs of gum, ten cigarette butts, one dead bird, a broken beer bottle, a broken wine bottle, seven little packages deposited by neighborhood pooches, and one trail of foot prints left by one of my neighbors who took an unfortunate step in one of those packages.

I don’t live in an inner city area blighted by poverty and neglect. The yards I pass on my hike brim over with bougainvillea, oak trees, native flowers and manicured grass. I am sure the woman who plants four different types of lilies in her flower beds isn’t throwing her fast-food leftovers on the path next to her home. It’s hard for me to picture the young family laughing in their driveway smashing empty bottles of booze on the sidewalk. Joy-riding kids, inconsiderate dog walkers have turned my walking trail into a mine field. It wasn’t our fault, but my neighbors and I have to deal with the ugly mess.

So instead of experiencing the flash of green of a flock of wild parakeets in flight, I’m focused on avoiding a wad of bubble gum. I hate missing Mrs. West’s rose garden, but if I’m not vigilant, I could endure the fate of my stinky-soled neighbor. Instead of enjoying the beauty of God’s creation around me, I’m busy worrying about the pitfalls on the path.

I’m like that with a lot of things in my life. I could be enjoying the nearness of God, the wonder of His delight in me, a holy love that knows no limits. But I spend my days listening to the world’s view of me, and my own doubts about what the God of the universe could possibly think of a wreck like me. I try so hard to dodge the doggy doo-doo, I overlook the daisies. Just like on my walk.

Angela Thomas encourages us to accept the Father’s invitation to dance, to feel beautiful in His arms and lean into the trust in His goodness that He longs for us to have. Will we continue to pay attention to the junk thrown in our paths by the world? Or will we hold our heads up and believe God’s words for us and about us? There are some treasures to enjoy on this walk. Let’s not miss a single one.