BELLA VISTA — As an employee of The Weekly Vista, words are not only part of my job but one of the loves of my life.

I welcome the opportunity to write from the heart as a way of sharing God with anyone who might want to read and enjoy.

It is in our daily lives that we have the chance to be God-centered, and we can all find him in the little things that happen to us if we take the time to look.

Another craft-fair weekend has come and gone, along with the numerous garage sales scheduled to capture the crowds in town for the weekend.

Since I don’t need more “stuff” of any kind and have an art business of my own, I enjoy these festivities from afar. However, what I do enjoy is the beauty of nature surrounding these events.

What could craft booths, garage sales and nature possibly have in common?

Since my faith is simple and comes from the lessons of everyday life, the combination of these past events has a special meaning for me.

I believe that God speaks to us in many ways. He creates the beauty of each season, whether it is the dew clinging to a spider web glistening in the sun, a bluebird puffed up in the snow on the branch of a tree or the petals of a dogwood blossom that burst forth with the onset of spring. Something captures my fancy each day, and I thank God for the natural world.

Against the beauty of this background, we are his children using our unique gifts to bring joy to others.

Those gifts that can be as complex as carving a piece of wood or as simple as a hug and a smile. No matter what our God-given talents may be, it is how we use them to share him with others that matters.

Then, there are those of use who need to unclutter our lives.

We can sell extra stuff we no longer need, but we also need to thinkabout what is important in our spiritual lives. My needs are different today than they were when I was a young mother or working full-time.

Now I need to set aside some of that “extra stuff” in my life and focus on who I am today, how I can best share God’s message now.

Yes, the craft booth displays the gift of an artist, the garage sale gets rid of clutter and the beauty of nature reminds me that God is in my life.

I need to take the time to think about what He has in mind for me. Do I use the gifts he gave me to bring the joy of his message to others?

Am I an artist of the soul? Do I take time to unclutter my life so I can walk on the path he has set for me without stumbling on things I don’t need in my life? And do I always thank him for the world I live in?

I am blessed to have a loving, supportive family, to live in a country where freedom to follow God is not questioned but encouraged and to be surrounded by events that help me remember he is there for me always.

It may have been just another craft-fair weekend for most, but hopefully it will remind me to share my gifts as I travel a lesscluttered path on my journey of life, and I know I will enjoy the scenery along the way. * * *

Jan Burgess works part-time as a customer service representative for The Weekly Vista. She moved to Bella Vista in 1995 with her husband, Bruce, and considers each day a gift - although some are more fun to open than others.

Religion, Pages 17 on 11/04/2009

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