The sweet aroma of honeysuckle filled the air as I drove across the bridge leading to our ministry offices. It was a few days before Mother’s Day when the sudden sensation captured my attention, directing my thoughts away from the issues and concerns that I’d been overanalyzing that morning, replacing them with a keen sense of nostalgia.
Now, instead of obsessing about the details of my day, I was thinking about my mother who had introduced me to a heavenly Father and loving Creator who makes beautiful things—like honeysuckle. She encouraged me and my siblings to explore nature, cultivating adventurous spirits in us and fueling a fire in me to learn more about His creation. She taught me that He is intentional about blessing us, that He loves us dearly, and that living for Him adds a sweetness to life.
And she did it . . . with honeysuckle.
Many of my childhood memories consist of wandering with my sisters in the woods behind our house. We would role-play, at times pretending to be on an expedition, climbing across fallen trees or misidentifying inedible plants and mushrooms as food sources. (We wouldn’t always eat them, haha!) In the Fall, my sisters and I enjoyed collecting leaves and acorns, and in the early Spring, we’d pick honeysuckles. Our mother told us we could pick the flowers for a taste of sweetness, so we’d pinch the green tip on the end, pull out the pistil, and enjoy the tiny drop of nectar that rose to the surface. It was delicious, and the time spent learning from our mother was just as sweet.
I pulled into the office with a smile—grateful that God would speak so tenderly to me on my morning drive.
Sister, keep your eyes and ears open today. He knows just what you need (Philippians 4:19) and when you need it, and He will often use the most unsuspecting things to quiet your mind and redirect your focus back on Him. He takes great delight in sending sweet, gentle reminders of His love for you.
Just like He did for me on this ordinary day.
What sweet reminders has the Lord sent your way recently?
Shannon
