WHEN

When do You smile?
There is so much beauty in the world. The flowers and trees that You created, the breeze that You send to cool us, the joys of friendship, Your mercies shining down on us. Why then do people think You never smile? For I know that the Creator of joys smiles. When do You smile, Lord?

When the buds bloom,
When chicks are furry,
When hungry kittens cry out in their still small voice,
When infants spread their lips in a toothless grin,
When the little ones lift up their bright eyes,
I smile.

But when the yellow dandelions weep tears of white carried by the breeze,
When caterpillars hide in white cloth,
When grass is cut,
When the apple gives way to the dust,
When flowers turn brown,
I grin
Because when leaves bleed and descend,
They make way for the green,
the yellow, the white, the pink and the red.
And that’s when I grin.


22 May 2001

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)