Posts Tagged: Tennessee

“ ‘THAT’S TENNESSEE, SON’: THE BEAUTY OF THE NOT-SO-ORDINARY”

On August 20, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, New American Standard Bible, 1995)

A gentleman I met at church told me a wonderful story yesterday.  Seems he was a pastor, and served in San Diego.  He said, “San Diego is beautiful, but it is a desert.  If you see green, you know that it’s a park, and you’re going to have to pay at least $5.00 to get in.”

Then, he was called to a little church in eastern Tennessee.  As his plane was flying into the postage-stamp of an airport, he was absolutely struck with wonder at all the greenness.  He assumed that it must all be man-made parks.

He turned to his seatmate, a man who was from Tennessee, and asked, “What is that down there?”

At first, the man didn’t understand the question.  When he finally did understand, he said, “That’s Tennessee, Son.”

Now, I have been to both San Diego and eastern Tennessee.  They are both drop-dead gorgeous.  But this story sent me down another path.  What if virtually every place is gorgeous?  What if ever place is a garden of wonder?  What if it isn’t greenery, but gratitude, that makes a place, a relationship, a life-situation, lovely?

There are times when I’m mowing the grass in my own back yard when I feel such gratitude for even having a yard.  This, despite the fact that a lawn-care professional who was bidding on a contract to take care of it wrote that we had “a nice crop of weeds.”  Sometimes, even weeds can be lovely—at least to me.

When I was little, my dad complained about my praying before we ate.  “That boy thanks God for the birds, and grass, and weeds, while my food gets cold!”  That little boy is still alive in me somewhere.

And then, there are my relationships.  I have so many friends.  I have a wife who loves me, and whom I love.  I have activities that I love to do—blogging for example.  My life is full and deeply satisfying.

So, from this particular angle on this particular day at this particular moment, I look down and say, “This is my life.  And, oh, is it ever beautiful!”

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