Woke up this morning with a view of winter blue sky and bright yellow sunshine out my window. Edward Goree wrote, “My favorite journey is looking out the window.” I’ve been on a window journey most of the day. I love sitting in my reading chair and looking out on the world through the nine windows in my lady den. Been watching the bamboo dance in unison like square dancers at a country barn dance, the wind pushing them back and forth, clicking their trunks, slapping their slender branches together. Several cardinals rode the pale green branches, holding on tight with their tiny slender legs, their feathers rustling in the breeze as they enjoyed a bamboo carnival ride.

On our first walk of the day Penelope and I saw two beautiful little dandelions, pushing through the brown oak leaves, holding their bright crayon yellow heads up, worshiping the warm sunshine. We should all “embrace life with the soul of a dandelion.” I don’t know how they keep going in this wintertime. I’m sure they carry God’s smiles. The birds were enjoying the blue skies and sunshine this morning, too, singing happily, composing a euphonious yard symphony.

Looking out the window late afternoon I caught Mother Nature stroking her watercolor brushes across the skyline covering the sky’s blueness with a palette of pale vanilla shades for her sunset rendering, painting the horizon in cigar smoke grays. Tonight’s sunset came alive behind a curtain of clouds as the sun, dressed in a sterling silver sequined pageant gown, walked down the horizon’s stage on the arm of Father Sky. He kissed the sun goodnight, tipped his tall top hat, and quickly left to wake the moon and the twinkling stars. The day ended in a gathering of deep purple clouds as the pageant of night began.

Mother Nature has a few snowflakes hidden in her clouds tonight. She might drop a few on my world. I’m excited as a child hoping to see the snow slowly fall from the heavens. I’ll have to stay up and watch for the first flake. Just to see a flurry of the ice jewels will excite me.

God’s hands were open this morning, the world resting in his palm, spreading his grace through the glorious day he created. We know that God’s hands are always open, ready to offer us strength and unending love. Psalm 145:16 reads, “You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” God is so generous with his blessings, providing for our needs without reservation. We have to have a faithful heart to accept God’s blessings, be willing to give him thanks, recognizing that everything we have comes from him. When we believe God is in control we trust in his provision even when we have doubts and don’t understand his answers to our prayers.

God wants us to have open hands by being compassionate and sharing what we have with others. Deuteronomy 15:8 states, “Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has.” Living with open hands allows us to give and to receive, gives us opportunities to share our time and talents with others, expecting nothing in return. We need a spiritual acceptance of God to truly live with open hands, a willingness to surrender our lives to his control, to accept God’s plan. “If you hold your hand closed…nothing good can come in. The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance, even as it receives,” Biddy Mason.

Bible scripture tells us Jesus told his followers to trust God to provide what they need. Matthew 6:8, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” We need to put our wants and our worries in God’s open hands and trust him to provide for us. When we pray and put our hearts in God’s hands we’ll have peace. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full,” Francis H. Burnett. I’m wondering today what defines us and our life, what makes us travel through life as a giver, what makes others travel as a taker. I have friends whose hands and hearts are always open to those they know and those they don’t know. Sometimes sharing a full heart is just as meaningful as filling the hands with needs.

“Faith is about recognizing that your life is in God’s hands, and that in His hands, there is greatness.” — Gift Gugu Mona