Someone, wiser than most, wrote, “Stretching out his hand to catch the stars—man forgets the flowers at his feet–so beautiful, so fragrant, so multitudious and so various”. That writer was smart enough to realize that great joy can be found in the simple things of life– if we but focus on them.
The problem is that the stars twinkle, gold glitters, praise feeds our ego, and these things can distract us from “the flowers at our feet”. That’s why so many are attracted to the “greener grass” on the other side of the fence. We would be better off to consider what God has placed at our feet— gifts to make us glad.
Dear friend, there are blessing all around us, precious treasures, priceless gifts from God–ignore them not! The patter of little feet running through the house, the embrace of a loved one, the kiss from your spouse, the smile of a friend, a beautiful sunset, these are common, but of great value. Life wouldn’t be the same without them. Slow down, look around, learn to enjoy the flowers at your feet.
Several years ago, after I conducted the funeral service of a teenage boy killed in a car wreck, we met at the parents home for a meal. After we had eaten the father asked me to take a walk with him. As we walked around the farm he started crying and said, “Bro. Stone I’ve been so busy making a living that I never took time to enjoy what I had and now it’s too late. I’m going to stop and smell the roses from now on.” We all need to do that. Paul said, “God—giveth us richly all things to enjoy”(1 Tim. 6:17). Learn to enjoy the flowers at your feet and you’ll never be unhappy a day of your life.
