I woke up just as the sun was rising the other day. As I walked my dogs I noticed the fireflies still shining their little lights while the sun turned the sky a brilliant gold. I looked at the green leaves and thick grass and watched as the dew on them sparkled in the morning light. It was so beautiful that it brightened my heart.

Later as I sipped my morning coffee I looked out the kitchen window and saw an orange cat and a black cat sitting under my Maple tree. They were looking across the road and patiently waiting for my daughter to open her door and set out their breakfast. About 50 feet away from them two female deer were eating the freshly grown grass in the meadow behind my home. I smiled when I saw them and said a prayer that I often say in the morning: “Thank you dear God for a beautiful day, a beautiful world, and a beautiful life.”

As I sipped my coffee I thought too of how out of all of God’s glorious creations we are the only ones who get to choose to make things either more beautiful or less. We are the only ones who can make this world lovelier or uglier, kinder or crueler, more peaceful or more violent, more loving or more fearful. It saddens me too when I watch the news and see how many times we make the wrong choice. But when life grows grim and looks ugly, I close my eyes, remember how much God Loves us all, and see again just how beautiful life can be. And I remember that for every act of cruelty in this life, there are a million acts of kindness.

May you always choose to make this world more beautiful then. May you plant flowers, grow trees, give hugs, and share smiles. May you be kind and caring. May you sing, dance, laugh, and share your joy with everyone you meet. God gave us all this beautiful gift of Life. And with our Love we can make that life our beautiful gift to God.