June 18, 2017
Summer Sunday-Sunshine for the Soul
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you”. Colossians 3:12-13
Dress for your Today…
Our family just returned from the wedding of our beautiful niece and her very handsome groom. It was a wonderful celebration, as the couple was surrounded by adoring friends, and their loving families. One of my favorite things about a wedding (besides the cake) is the dress the bride chooses to wear on one of the most important days of her life, her wedding day. I remember the day our daughter found her perfect dress…she was stunning; I well remember the momma heart tears… And our daughter-in-law was absolutely beautiful in her dress…Brides are absolutely lovely!
Our niece’s wedding was special to our family for other reasons too…our grandchildren were in the wedding and, they were adorable. And like the bride and the groom’s attire, the wedding garments for the wedding party were thoughtfully chosen for this very special day. And, the parents of the ‘adorables’ took extra time to dress them carefully, bows tied, dresses fluffed, and the challenge of dressing an almost three-year-old in a tuxedo…having to catch him first! Weddings are wonderful…and, the best news, they are God’s idea!
Our Heavenly Father gives us the gift of our ‘Todays’, and He gives us instructions and encouragement, and truth to empower us and to equip us to live for His purpose and in His will…experiencing His Best. I love that He instructs us even in our wardrobe choices, and a Loving Father does just that… “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…” And, He continues with the instructions to put on forgiveness…for our Today, whether we are dressing for a wedding, or a Summer Day with our littles, or our bigs, our friends, work associates…our spouses…Our Loving Father tells us good things, truth-filled things which are His Best. We must forgive others, our family members, children, spouses, friends, and sometimes the hardest to do is to accept His Grace and to forgive ourselves through His forgiveness. Some more really good news…forgiveness is His idea, and He makes it possible.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:14
Several years ago, I encountered an elderly woman in the grocery store and I am quite sure that she went into her closet that day, and carefully and thoughtfully, chose what clothing to wear. To me, it looked like she had selected her ‘favorite things’…a floral, a plaid, a colorful hat…and over her attire, she wrapped herself in a lace shawl…Hmmmmmm…As though she was icing a wedding cake, she draped herself in beautiful lace. Perhaps, she was putting on love…
Our Loving Father, gives us the gift of our ‘Todays’, and He gives us instructions and encouragement, and truth to empower us and to equip us to live for His purpose and in His will…experiencing His Best…I love that He instructs us even in our wardrobe choices, and we know, a Loving Father does just that… “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Put on His Favorite Things…
As we go about our summer days, with family, friends, and associates, I pray that we accept the Gift of Today from our Loving, Heavenly Father, and dress for the day…Putting on His Favorite Things…. As our niece and her groom, dressed in their beautiful and carefully chosen wedding garments, As our grands proudly wore their flower girl dresses and ring-bearer tux, and As the sweet lady wore her favorite things, her lace shawl…Each one of these people “Dressed for their Today.”
I am so thankful and absolutely amazed that our Loving God tells us how to live, even details of what to wear…but, that’s right, we know that a Loving Father does that for His children…He does good things for His children.
Whether you are attending a wedding today, going into your work place, or investing your time at home with littles, and bigs, and grands, and spouses…May we all embrace this gift of Today, and put on God’s Favorite Things…
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness…and over all these things, Put on love. These garments, my friends, are exquisite…and they look lovely on you! They are beautiful on God’s people.
Summer joy and blessings to you as you ‘Dress for your Today’…
