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A lesson at my kitchen window
I opened my heart to God, ready to learn about the permanent joy that God gives.
An abundance of enormous blossoms, haloed by the predawn light of a spring morning, covered the dogwood tree in my next-door neighbor’s backyard. From my kitchen window, I had a perfect view of it. Just looking at the tree filled me with a joy that I wanted to hold on to. As I gazed at that tree over the next several mornings, I thought to myself, “That is the most beautiful tree I have ever seen!” But soon the thought followed, “I wish it were mine!”
Then one morning, the joy vanished. I realized that, though I still beheld the dogwood’s splendor, looking at it no longer sparked the joy that I had first felt. It was as if my initial delight in the tree’s beauty had been choked out by a growing longing for that tree to be mine.
Looking at the dogwood tree no longer sparked joy.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

June 9, 2025 issue
View IssueEditorial
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Why choose kindness?
Larissa Snorek
Articles
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Nothing to lose
Brian Webster
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When I wondered about a safety net
Jo Ann Gerber
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A lesson at my kitchen window
Pamela Walker
Image and Inspiration
Teens
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When the future is looming
Courtlyn Reekstin
Healings
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Herniated disc healed
Álvaro Vallarino
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Prayer and protection
Name Withheld
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Freedom from sickness and injury
Liwie De Leon
Poetry
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See divine Life
Emma Grewal
Bible Lens
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God the Preserver of Man
June 9–15, 2025
Letters & Conversation
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Letters & Conversation
Lois Nobles, Sil Wells, Allan Marquardt