Seek the Lord while He may be found

Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalms 30: 5)

We celebrate the big milestones of our lives — weddings, birthdays, graduations, and such — with joy. We should do this. But, I believe that those smaller moments of joy that happen to us just when we need them are just as important.

My husband and I live in the house my parents built.  Many years ago my mother planted jonquil bulbs along the driveway.  After their deaths, the bulbs were neglected and the blooms were spotty.  I finally figured out that the foliage needed to die and began to fertilize the plants for the next blooming season.  After that, they started blooming again and now are the earliest spring flowers in the neighborhood.  

Just after Christmas this past year, I walked down the driveway and saw them pushing their way through the ground.  They had survived record-breaking cold, snow and ice and were now blooming.  Last year, neighbors commented on how good they felt when they drove by our house on a gloomy late winter day and saw the jonquils blooming.  I believe that moments like this are signs of God's grace and generosity to us.  

All of us experience times when we're struggling and suddenly we get an unexpected lift.  Sometimes it's a phone call from an old friend, a compliment we weren't expecting, or maybe just an "I love you" from a family member when we need it.  These small moments matter, and we should recognize that they are part of God's daily grace and should be thankful for them.

Our prayer today: Dear Lord, give us the wisdom to recognize the small acts of your grace that we experience everyday. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Sally Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.