Love for the Sweetest Days


I’m waiting {not with bated breath since I have a feeling how this will turn out} to see what my niece thinks as she takes her first taste of a macaroon. 

We’re in a little sweet shop of petite pastries where the owner kindly offers Devon any flavor of macaroon she wants for her introduction to this stylish Parisian cookie.

Devon chooses a strawberry one and studies it. 

I’m actually surprised that she’s even trying a macaroon since chocolate chip has long been her only cookie staple. But she really wants to like macaroons. 

Her American Girl doll Grace peddles tiny boxes of them from her {very expensive} French bistro cart. 

When she’s at my house she asks if we can whip up a batch of macaroons in my kitchen. {I haven’t admitted to her that I’ve never actually made a macaroon.}

She loves all things Paris {as does her auntie} so she believes she should love their favorite cookie too.



So I watch as Devon takes the tiniest nibble. Annnnnnnndddddddd . . . 

It’s definitely not love at first bite. 

She’s disappointed. “I thought they’d taste good because they come in so many colors and they look so pretty.”

Isn’t that the way it is sometimes? 




Whatever it is that beckons me from afar to a different sort of life — an exciting relationship, fresh new friends, more engaging work-- {you can name yours here} — I know it must be so sweet and happy and lovely. 

I long to be there. {Wherever there is.} 

I think how nice it would be not to worry about that. {Whatever that is.} 

I think it must be exciting to know them. {Whoever they might be.}

I imagine how happy I'll be when I get to the next stage of my journey. {Whenever that is.}

I’m dazzled by the sweet and colorful visions I’ve conjured up.



But whether or not a sweeter day arrives, there's something to be found in the days that are here now.

They hold a sweetness of their own.

It's obvious to me that I need patience and faith to trust what I cannot see. 

I know that perseverance is necessary on the days when I question my trust and hope, to find the determination to take one more step. 

But what I need on the days when everything feels like it's falling apart, is a little attention. A nod that I'm noticed. Maybe a love note of sorts. Or even a song.

From God.




In the middle of the night I woke up with these words ringing in my head, as if I'd arrived in mid-verse. I’d heard this song before but not often and certainly not that night before I fell asleep.
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place;
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held.
I’m not usually one with a song in her head in the middle of the night. But I’m discovering that there’s more of God to uncover; sometimes at strange times and in unlikely places. 

I've found these little love notes before, hidden under rocks and buried deep in the gritty dirt and sand of my very ordinary days. I know I have to look for them or I'll miss them. 

As I continued to think about the words the next morning, I thought of this verse in Zephaniah.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing. -Zeph. 3:17

Maybe God was singing a song over me. He promises us his love in our midst. He promises to delight in us. He promises us that he’ll lovingly quiet our fears and questions. And he even promises to sing over us. 

Maybe that's the sweet love note I need, delivered in the night, for whatever days are ahead.


I have to agree with Devon about macaroons, though. They aren’t one of my favorite cookies either. 

Even when I had some in Paris, they underwhelmed me. Maybe if I’d made it to the world-renowned Laduree for their famous macaroons instead of sampling some miniatures at a little cafe across from the Louvre, I’d think differently.

But in the bakery with Devon I spy a tray of tiny eclairs underneath the macaroons. I tell the owner I’ll take one of those.

The chocolate, pastry and cream are more my style than any macaroon, no matter how pretty they might look. I taste my eclair.

Sweet. 

Now that is love at first bite.




There's still time to join me and my friend Heather at Recollected Design via a Facebook group beginning Feb. 15 to study Angie Smith’s Seamless, to see how the people and promises of the Bible fit together and what they mean for our lives. Get a copy of the book here or here and come join us on Facebook! 




I'm joining my friends at Holley Gerth's place for Coffee for your Heart and with Bonnie Gray at the Faith Barista.





Comments

  1. Valerie, I love your comment about finding God's love notes in the midst of the dirt of our ordinary days. This Lent I am making a conscious effort to look for those little signs of God's presence that I usually race by. Thanks for your words!

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    1. Sharla,
      Thanks for stopping by and so happy to meet you! It is amazing, isn't it, how when we look a little closer for what he might be showing us, we realize how much we overlook sometimes? So grateful for your words here!

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  2. Those quiet songs in the night from the Lover of our souls top all songs and invitations and beckonings from elsewhere, don't they.

    Meanwhile, I'm with your niece, Valerie. I think I'll say 'no thanks' to the macaroons and 'yes, please' to any kind of pastry, chocolate or cream.

    Love our Wednesday morning chats, friend ... may your week continue to flow onward and upward!

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    1. Linda,
      Oh I knew you were an eclair girl, like myself! :) Someday we will enjoy one (from a bakery, of course) over a cup of tea or coffee in real-life! xo

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  3. The idea of God singing loudly over me, makes me smile. I've been finding myself in discontent and asking God to root it out of me. Counting my blessings helps, but realizing I'm exactly where God wants me in this moment, in this place, makes life feel a bit sweeter. And has made room for peace.

    Always lovely to pop in at your beautiful online space! Hope you have a good rest of your week.

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    1. Alecia,
      I'm with you -- in a little space of discontented frustration at times, and knowing that God takes notice of us is so encouraging. And I'm all for making room for peace in that place! xo

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  4. So insightful as usual...I don't know how you do it

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  5. May your days always be full of chocolate eclairs! Thanks for this fun, but also thought provoking post (and thanks for stopping by Henibean earlier too).

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    1. Jade,
      I second that idea -- days full of chocolate eclairs! Thanks so much for stopping by and I enjoyed my visit at your online home too -- I'll be back to visit again!

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  6. Your post was sooo good I had to read it twice ♥ I love you adorable wreath and I often wake up with random song lyrics playing in my head! I've never had a macaroon though but I guess they look better than they taste--such a bummer, but a good lesson for when we think the grass is greener on the other side (whatever side it is that we're not on of course!} I'm struggling a little trying to uncover my own love notes here but sometimes maybe they're hidden in plain sight and only discovered when we learn how to truly enjoy our ordinary days. You post was a sweet treat for my heart today. I LOVE it and YOU my dear ♥

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    1. Heather,
      Yes! The love notes may be hidden in plain sight, I've found, and sometimes do look rather ordinary. :) I can see why you might have song lyrics playing in your head since you're a singer and worship leader! :) You definitely have to try a macaroon sometime although I think there are various levels of goodness in them! I'd be anxious to hear what you think!

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  7. Hi Valerie. You paint such beautiful pictures with your words. I could picture your niece hesitantly sampling the tiniest nibble of the macaroon. I can see us lifting rocks and digging deep into the dirt for those love notes from God. And you eating that chocolate eclair makes my mouth water. :) I love how God gave you a song in the night. Those words touch my heart, too.
    "Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place;
    I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held."
    What a hope-filled love note He gave you! Thank you for sharing it with us.

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    1. Hi Trudy,
      Sometimes we do a lot of heavy lifting looking for the little gems and sometimes they're staring at us right in plain sight -- that's what I love about looking for his presence in everything!

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  8. That shop looks so sweet (no pun intended)! I love finding new gems, and discovering new tastes. And yes, like the your macaroons, what we expected can be much different, yet there is still something to admire (the pretty look of the macaroon) even though it didn't 'taste' like we thought it should! God's love notes are everywhere. Thank you for that image.

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    1. Hi Lynn,
      That little bakery was a gem to discover too! And I still love the beauty of macaroons -- not many cookies can compete with their style!

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  9. I love that Zephaniah verse, too! And the pastries look delicious. . . but I'm with you on the macaroons. Not my favorite, either.

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    1. Sheri,
      That verse is one of my favorites and glad to hear your thoughts on macaroons too!

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  10. God's love notes warm my heart. You are a wonderful writer. Thank you for posting this and I'm happy to connect with you from #onewordcoffee with Bonnie Gray. Have a blessed rest of your week.

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    1. Hi Carolina,
      Happy to meet you and so grateful you stopped by!

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  11. Hi Valerie- I just love this post and the idea of looking for Gods love notes to me!! I am going to do that-:) I love it when I am aware and can see them and not caught up in the flurry of life and all it brings- Oh how I long to live more presently each day - and to experience him in it. I love all the pictures and always feel like I have been where you write about and I love that! ( You go to a lot of neat places :) ) Anyway sending love and Happy Valentines wishes- xoxox

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    1. Hi Susie,
      Happy Valentine's Day to you, too! xo I'm with you in wanting to live more presently in each day -- savoring it and looking for him! The little bakery was an awfully cute spot! :)

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  12. I'm guilty of building up people or places in my mind, then being entirely disappointed when they don't measure up to what I expect them to be. SO glad that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that even when I don't feel Him, He never fails to amaze me with His word and faithfulness. And...I don't think I've ever had a macaroon. I'll put it on my list! :)

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  13. Love that song!
    I also agree that I want the pretty, shiny life. Usually about the time my own life looks its unshiniest ;)

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