Monkey pod tree in silhouette seen Wednesday morning
Good Morning, God
This tree — seen in silhouette — stopped me in my tracks and I reached for my camera. I love these trees, God. I love the way they branch and twist and curl. They go from trunk to branch to smaller branches to tiny branches so quickly. Or maybe it is only the last two stages that happen quickly?
No matter! These trees bring me joy — and even more joy when the sky above them is a clear blue with white clouds. The background is important.
Hmmm. We have emotional and expectational backgrounds, too. For example, my father told me early on that Life is Hard — it isn’t supposed to be easy. So, when I look around me and see kindness and beauty I am filled with joy.
Alas, some people seem to expect life to be easy and painless. And when something bad happens, as it not doubt will, they seem fixated on it. Frozen in place, staring at it. How sad, God, how sad. Perhaps that is why people in underdeveloped countries manage to find joy? They know that they have to look for it.
I’ve recognized that we have control over what we choose to focus our attention on. But, I don’t think I’ve thought much about our ability to choose what’s the background and what’s the foreground. Indeed, mostly I haven’t even been aware that I have a background of expectation — and of emotion.
I suppose, God, that my relationship with YOU is my True Background. It seems woven into my being that I matter — and that EVERYONE matters. We are all somehow Your Favorite Child. Hmmm. I wonder, does each leaf on the tree feel that IT is the tree’s favorite. I hope so.
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
These are precious thoughts once again.