SGLY
I tossed my straw hat high into the air. Looking at it disappear into the sunlight, the hat seemed to linger into a world just beyond what I could see. I wondered if God didn’t hold onto it for a second longer before He allowed it to return.
When I picked my hat off the ground, I noticed it was missing the SGLY pin that was on in it just moments before. To no avail, I searched all around: through the prickly dry grass, on top of the nearby ant pile, and even in my shadow. The pin had dislodged itself somewhere between the toss of my wrist and the grip of the sun’s rays. I fancied where it might have gone, and I smiled thinking about the possibility of someone else finding it one day.
SGLY stands for Smile, God Loves You. Just writing the words puts a smile upon my face. These simple words hold significant meaning to me: God’s joy resides in His decision to love without reservation, condition, or restriction. He EXPECTS me to live with and in joy.
SGLY frees me to be the servant God intended. SGLY frees me to break the boundaries set by fear and allows me to risk more. And SGLY frees me to love with such hopeful expectation that I want nothing more than to please and praise God.
At times I complicate life more than what is necessary: I over think, over analyze, second guess, and react according to my gut instead of His purpose. I put all my concerns in a magic hat and expect to pull out the white bunny which signifies to the world that I am the master of my mess.
Yet, in truth, the magic resides between my flesh and God….that space which I lean on to glean discernment. That space I rest upon and wait to listen to His will and His plan; that exact portion of faith given to me by the Holy Spirit which resides in each of us.
I smiled as I brushed the grass off my straw hat. The pin was lost somewhere on ground, on a bird’s wing, or resting upon a cloud. But the message was to continue….
As I walked out of the park, I passed an elderly man. “Smile, God Loves You,” I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
“I know,” he replied. “He loves you too,” he said with a soft smile upon his face. His smile seemed to linger into a world just beyond what I could see; yet, for a moment I saw the love of Christ in his eyes.
As I headed to the car I felt my heart soar into the air with simple, yet, amazing love. I knew in that moment God was holding me for a second longer before He allowed me to return.
SGLY
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That was just what I needed
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I shed tears reading this entry. How blessed I feel to have you in my life, I learn so much from you. I pray that I find the ability within myself, through my faith, to "smell" the color yellow. I want to teach my girls to live in this way as well. To have such a deep appreciation for His kingdom and all of it's magical parts. This was beautiful, thank you.
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You have a right to smile all the time because I know God loves you. He uses your talent to write and to express to others His love. Keep up the good work.
Love You,
Dad
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You make my face smile so often, and your dad made me smile too...LOVE YOU BOTH
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TK.....I have remembered this saying for as long as I remember and it always brings a smile to my face. You sure do have a way with words and I know that God is proud that you are a vessel for his word. SGLY!!
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The day before I read this... I almost asked you what SGLY meant because I had never seen if before and its always on your emails. Thank you for this story!!
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