so much beauty around us for just two eyes to see

St Augustine tells us today about the wonders of God's creation in A Year with the Church Fathers.

He says that God basically spoils us with the wonders and beauties of creation, all around us every day. But then God went beyond even that lavish gift and sent His son to bring us back to Him, so that we would realize how much He cares for us.

It really does boggle the mind to realize that God cares about YOU so much that He died for you. The fact that He is wildly, madly in love with you is hard to grasp... but the harder we try, the more we delve into the mystery that brings us the greatest joy.

I was thinking about how Jacob wrestled with God in the Old Testament. And God touched his leg and wounded him, and he was renamed Israel, which means "wrestles with God." It occurred to me that this is reverse of what normally happens when we wrestle with God. Because normally, it is God who comes away wounded. Not that we can physically hurt Him, obviously. But His love for us is so profound that when we interact with Him, He usually comes away from the interaction with an unrequited love.

Let's make an effort today to requite that love.

God, thank You for loving us all day, every day. Please help us to return that love.