We need to open our eyes WIDE to see God's blessings - His wonders - His gifts. Sometimes God's blessings are sooo evident, but at other times they are small gifts wrapped within an ugly package that we would not have chosen. We have to embrace what God has given! Be willing to accept and unwrap the package to see the beautiful gifts within!
Don't live life squinty-eyed, not trusting....but enjoy and be thankful for what God has given. Live life with eyes WIDE open to see God!!
On my recent trip to Massachusetts, God opened my eyes to soooo many sweet gifts. His blessings....wrapped within the not-so-pretty package called I-cell Disease. I am so very thankful for the way He has opened my eyes to see His grace, His goodness, His wonders.....
..in my son and his wife... the way they love, laugh, maturely handle the difficult, and sweetly enjoy the simplest pleasures of life each day!
...Vin and Jodi, Skyes parents...
the love, sacrifice, care, compassion and commitment they offer my family day in and day out!
...a knock on the door, a woman who physically looks like me, whose name is Joyce, whose arms and heart were filled with love and compassion and practical gifts for my son and his family. God allowing me to see with eyes wide open the way He answers the prayers of my heart......
...the endless revolving door of caregivers who help to meet the needs... and do so, not with duty, but with abounding love and tenderness!
How could words ever begin to convey what God has taught me already thru these two precious lives?
..that life is to be treasured...every sweet expression, every breath a gift
...that a smile could be the biggest blessing of my day
...that so much in life can be communicated without any words at all!
Who would ever guess that some of the greatest joys in life could be found in watching one sleep?
Who would ever guess that some of the greatest joys in life could be found in watching one sleep?
...or to have them look in your eyes
...caress your face
...and giggle!
Live Simply!!!!
Treasure life!!!
Embrace each day with eyes wide open to see Gods wonderful gifts!!
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted in order. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered!...Psalm 40:5
Joyce,
ReplyDeleteI love, love, LOVE this post! You captured what living with "eyes wide open" really means...with both words and pictures!! His blessings and gifts are all around us...and I hate to think of the ones I've missed, being distracted or mis-focused! THANK YOU for your encouragement and reminder to see that ALL is grace!!!
..and THANK YOU for living the reality..the ups and downs as we live life with eyes wide open...and for sharing yours with me on a daily basis. It is an absolute JOY to share life with you Paula...you encourage me beyond words! I love you like the day is long.....
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ReplyDeleteOops - sorry. Let's try this again....
ReplyDeleteYou know, when I brought those things over I actually kinda felt like I was taking the easy way out since I didn't actually cook & prepare & deliver a meal - and yet you were so blessed by it all. I find THAT encouraging in and of itself - as well as that God used me (of all people! - & a stranger to you a the time), to answer a prayer of your heart - and if you hadn't told me, I would have had no idea. I wonder how often that happens?! I wonder how often God uses us in ways that we can't see/ really have no idea He is using us. I only know because you told me - and you have no idea how encouraged I was by that. Perhaps there's some truth in "What goes around comes around." :) Within "all of this" I find encouragement to press on - to trust & obey Him - even when we don't see results/reason to - or don't feel like what we do is "enough". It seems God so often works in ways we cannot see - but when He does give us glimpses of His handiwork, what treasures (precious gifts!) they are.
Joyce..the more I get to know you, the more I see how very much alike we are!! God has given us similar gifts..we love on people in the same kind of ways.... we think so much alike..and we have the same name!! Do you know what our name means??...Joyce...joyful one! And my middle name is Ann..which means full of grace! Joyful one, full of grace...oh boy, that is sometimes hard to live up to!
DeleteTHANK YOU..for connecting with me thru FBook and blogs...I am truly enjoying getting to know you..and I think Skye was right..we should be the best of friends! Maybe next time I come for a visit you and Jodi and I should have lunch together!! Better yet...I should make lunch so you can come and enjoy Skye and Amber and Charlie too!! :)
Next time you're here I'll plan to bring over lunch....instead of groceries! :)
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful middle name. Mine is Marie...and I learned that it means "rebellious". ...it fits me pretty - well - better than I care to admit. :/ LOL.
I see you've found my blog :) ... If you'd like to get to know me a little better in a short amount of time and learn more about my/your name go here: http://yadayadah.blogspot.com/2010/02/rest-of-my-story-end-begins-now.html
I laughed out loud when I read your middle name!!! My friend Paula..who commented above..ALWAYS calls me Joyce Marie!! Her middle name is Marie, so she calls everyone else by that middle name too!! Haha!! When I looked it up for her...the references I used said Marie means..either "bitter sea"..or "wished for child"...now I will have to tell her it also means "rebellious"!..I would prefer to say that you are both..wished for children!!!
DeleteToo funny! Not sure if you saw - or not - but I've added your blog to the list of those I follow. :)
DeleteWhat a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing your heart. Glad we can trust God together with eyes open seeing His blessings. Love you Joycee. Missed seeing you today on Resurrection Day!!!! Hope to talk with you soon. What a blessing the pictures are. Just love them all!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sooo glad we can trust God together too Cindee...thank you for sharing life with me. Thank you for consistently loving me and my family, and for being my prayer partner! I missed seeing you today too..thot of you often! Love you!
DeleteDear Joyce,
ReplyDeleteI have been going through an extremely hard time - a heartbreaking one within my family. Tonight I felt God whisper - Live with your Eyes wide open.... and so I typed it in my url.... and your blog came up.
It really blessed me.
Shyla
Hello Shyla! Thank you so much for leaving a note on my blog..it made me smile to know someone I dont even know read my words and was encouraged!
ReplyDeleteSorry it took me a few days respond...I had the pleasure of having these 2 precious Grand-babies and their Mama in our home last week..ohhhhh what a joy it was for me!!
Sorry to hear you are going thru difficult times in your family. Have you ever read the book "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp? I highly recommend it...it has helped to change my perspective on the trials of life and other than Gods Word has been the biggest source of encouragement to me!The whole book is about learning to live with eyes wide open to see Gods blessins even in the midst of suffering!...here is a little snippet that I just shared with a friend last week..I hope it will give you food for thot for your day!
"Can you belive that I(God) tenderly, tirelessly work all for the best good of the whole world - because my flame of love for you can NEVER EVER be quenched?
....who would ever know the greater graces of comfort and perserverence, mercy and forgiveness, patience and courage, if no shadows ever fell over a life?"
I LOVE Anns words...love her book..love how she shares her thots which are so closely related to how i think and try to sort out life!. I dont understand Gods ways, but I do beleive that He is always good and we are ALWAYS loved and we can trust Him. May God bless you Shyla, as you live with eyes open to see His presence!