tokens of love.....

"Lord, extolled in the heights by angelic powers
 You are also praised by all earth's creatures
 each in its own way

 with all the splendor of heavenly worship...
 You still delight in such tokens of love
 as earth can offer"

I am so familiar with His tokens of love
to me
I walk
and see
His love
and think pridefully this is just for me...
stones and acorns and shells
and perhaps
the feathers of angels

I gather and bring them home and create little counter altars
bits of earthly glory
this earth that reflects and somehow holds His infinite glory

all my days I've gathered the scraps
tickets stubs and bubble gum
hair and other relics
remains
of what no longer is
people
places
days

I've taped into books and posted on calendars
blogged and journaled
and tried to savor and save

and then to read this prayer today
that perhaps I am not just this overly sentimental
clinging hoarder

but that maybe
I am in some small way
just like my heavenly Father
who for some reason delights in my little offerings
my tokens of love
from here below

He saves my ever flowing tears in bottles {ps 56:8}
and my ceaseless prayers in golden bowls {rev 5:8}

and He has a little white stone with His pet name just for me
written upon it
stacked with the others
just waiting for the day
He can give it to me

the most precious stone I will ever collect
and I will place it
...upon a heavenly altar


when I consider Your heavens
the work of Your fingers

the moon
and the stars
which you have ordained

what is man
that You are mindful of him?

and the son of man
that You visit him?

You have made him a little lower than the angels
and You have crowned him
with glory and honor

You have made him to have dominion over the works
of Your hands

You have put all things under his feet

all sheep and oxen
even the beasts of the field
the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea

Oh Lord, our Lord
How excellent is Your name
in all the earth!
        Ps 8:3-9