Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
Love bursts. Those are the words that my wife and I use to describe those moments when you feel overcome with love and thankfulness. They are those special times when the world seems to stops spinning just long enough to soak in the goodness of life. Love bursts can’t be planned. They are a gift from our Creator to help us understand the intensity of God’s love for us. Love bursts form the mental markers of some of the most significant instances of our lives.
Yesterday I had a love burst for my daughter, Paige, in the middle of Walmart. Paige is the youngest of four children. As the youngest child, Paige receives a steady supply of hand-me-downs. One of her prized hand-me-downs was a battered blue bike that she inherited from her older brothers. I love the fact that Paige has never complained about getting hand-me-downs, even a battered blue boys bike that she has ridden for the past few summers. Paige is always cheerful and seems to have a certain pride in re-owning things from her older siblings because of her love admiration for them. I love to bless my kids, especially when they are not expecting it. Yesterday was Paige’s turn. Our van left the driveway with an outgrown battered blue bike and it came home with a brand new 24” girls orange crush cruiser.
The love burst began as I watched Paige run from bike to bike with nervous laughter. After testing out a few bikes she chose an orange and white Huffy cruiser. Paige’s face beamed with pride as she pushed her first new bike through the isles and several folks commented on how nice it was.
Paige and I love to go for rides around the neighborhood together. Yesterday’s bike ride was a special one that will be treasured in my heart forever. As I sit here typing out my memory of our bike ride, I am reminded of God’s great love for us. God is in the business of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary if we have eyes to see, ears to listen and hearts to receive them.
Manna and Coffee 