Even The Plants Praise Him

"let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy" Psalm 96:12

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12

I've been starting seeds over the past month or so, in preparation for warm weather and gardening. It's been absolutely wonderful to look outside and see all the brown and the bare trees, and then look inside at all the green growing. I love watching my little vegetables and a few flowers spring up from the dirt- every time I'm amazed at the growing process, and how God put all of that "stuff" inside each and every seed. Yesterday, as I was watering some of my plants, I decided to take this picture:

It's a pepper plant, and just look at it! Doesn't it look like it's standing there, simply praising God? And most of my plants look like this! I really looked at this plant yesterday and it just made me laugh to think of all the plants in my house praising God, because I have a whole lot of plants growing here. And it made me think about myself and daily life, and how, more often than not, as I've been going about my business every day, I feel like I'm in a perpetual state of worship. And just what do I mean by that? Do I mean that I'm walking around singing all the time?

Well, sort of. I do walk around singing all the time, just not physically singing. Sometimes I'll squeak out a few verses, like when I'm very much alone. I almost always have songs in my head lately, it's like a virtual MP3 player in my head. But when I say that I'm in a perpetual state of worship, I mean with all of my self and body. I mean that when I do a task, I do it to the absolute best of my ability. I mean that when I walk outside the home, it's with a smile on my face, and I greet people that I run into. I mean that as I'm tending to sick children, that I think like Jesus, and they matter so much more than anything else I could possibly be working on or need to do. And as I'm doing all these things, as I'm going about my day, I'm thanking God for every single opportunity throughout my day.

Last night, I pulled out my quilt pieces that I've been forever working on, and it was just such a pleasure to handle the fabric and see some progress, that I was thanking God for the desire to make this quilt. And then that led me to asking God for the confidence to keep going with my first quilt, and increasing my ability, so that I could eventually make quilts for other people as a gift of love. When I bake homemade bread, I thank God for the ability to bake bread and for the desire in my heart to keep my family healthy and preservative free, and I'm always rewarded with wonderful fresh bread. As I've been starting my vegetable seeds, I've been thanking God over and over for His provision that has provided seeds and the tools necessary to start my early gardening. I'm also praying for a successful gardening year- not just for me but for the thousands of neighbors and countrymen who are planting a vegetable garden for the first time ever.

Even right now, I'm looking outside and there's a small group of fat robins hopping around by the neighbor's house. They are just so fun to watch, and it's always amazing to watch God's creation at work or play. And I think that the way these robins are skittering about they must be having a great day, and I'm thankful that the robins have returned, first of all, and I'm also thankful that I get to just sit here with my cup of coffee and watch the robins.

And even more right now, Andy is on the phone, as I type this. He is on the phone with HIS BOSS. See my happy dance? The return to work is imminent, which fills me with as much joy as you can imagine. And I know it fills my husband with even more joy, because he's been eager to return to work and provide for his family to the best of his ability. So it's a fantastic day, and everything that has breath in our house will be praising the Lord today.