Having studied a few languages in life (it's often the first question that people like to ask a missionary....how many languages do you speak?), I've learned a few things about accents. Having recently revisited the French language in writing emails and correspondence with Central African friends and colleagues, I find myself having to switch to the French keyboard on the computer regularly. Knowing that accents are important in this particular language (we have no accents in English, and there are only a couple of rare instances where you need to add an accent or the two little dots over a vowel in the local Flemish language), I'm always in search of where to put the accent. And in French, you have to know which accent to put on, because they go in both directions over an "e" and depending on how you place the accent, it totally changes the pronunciation of your "e".
Our women's group at church is gathering around a Bible study and teaching about the Holy Spirit. In our last session together, rather than end our gathering in group prayer (which is our normal routine), we were encouraged to go off in separate corners of the meeting place (my home) and sit in a posture that put us quietly and in reverence before God. The lesson had been about being filled with the Spirit, and though we struggled with the teaching material, we all went away from the lesson feeling the need to pray quietly. Since the sun was shining, I invited some of the ladies to go out onto the back terrace or even braver still, outdoors into the garden (there was a slight nip in the air). But I also warned them that they needed to look beyond the cobwebs on the back porch (haven't quite done the spring cleaning yet), and to look beyond the weeds (with my knee still needing physical therapy, I don't find myself quite jumping down on my knees yet to pull out the weeds!) And one of the women was quick to say "Barb, how can you even think about the cobwebs or the weeds when this beautiful sun is out and you have such beautiful daffodils in the garden?!"
Tis quite true, in fact. Whether in a language lesson on looking out at life, it all depends on where you put your accent. I was quick to point out the things that were standing in my way of enjoying the opportunity to share the sunny terrace and garden with friends, when, in fact, they were all too eager to be outdoors, soaking up the Vitamin D and the beauty of the spring flowers.
But perhaps the bigger lesson learned that morning was this: in a time in life when so much threatens to overlook the true beauty and the good, and bring into view the things that need to be corrected or updated or cleaned, we risk placing the accent where it doesn't belong.
Point well taken.
Not even a language lesson.
Just another life lesson.
Now, sit back and enjoy a view of my spring flowers~
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| Fun primroses in the flower box |
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| These babies greet me on my way to PT appointments |
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| Planted these baby daffodils years ago....I love it when they keep showing up every year! |
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| Can you see beyond the weeds and leaves and see the purple? |
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| These lovely ones will soon be out in the garden, adding their own splash of color |
