Month: June 2014

God is Always at Work

Posted on by Wendy
When I went to check on my garden, this is what I found.
When I went to check on my garden, this is what I found.

It has been a very busy summer for me. The entire month of June is a blur. I am happy to say it’s been all good things, from Vacation Bible School, to summer vacation, to my sis visiting from far up in the northern country. I have been home very little and I’m a homebody. I sat on my porch last Friday morning, after I had to get my son to the church at 7:00 AM for his mission project, with a cup of coffee, bone tired.

I sat there in the cool quiet of the morning and listened to the birds. I thought of all the cleaning that I needed to do, along with the laundry. It’s always amazing how the house gets dirty whether I’m here or not. Dust continues to collect on the furniture and hairballs gather in the corners.

We hadn’t made a true grocery trip the entire month of June. We just ran in and picked up a few things here and there. So, a big grocery trip was also on the list. I sighed. I had so much to do and I was so exhausted. Plus, I needed to think about Monday’s post. I was out of ideas at the moment.

But, as usual, since I have followed God’s calling to look for Him everywhere and share my findings, with words on this blog, He provided.

I looked over at my garden patch. It’s like a jungle over there, with squash leaves, bigger than dinner plates and tomato plants as tall as I am. I hadn’t been over to inspect it since I got home and I kind of dreaded it. Here’s the thing about gardens, they take a lot of tending. You have to be very vigilant about watering and pest control. It only takes a couple of days of no care and you can have some kind of infestation.

My hubby had been watering it, but I knew he hadn’t been really inspecting the leaves and such. Still, I felt a little voice calling me to check it out. I’ve come to have great respect for that little voice, so I headed over. Not only were there no bugs, there was squash ready to be picked and eaten.

It was as if God was saying to me, “I know that you are tired. I know you have been busy. Look what I have been doing. I have made food for you.” I was grinning ear to ear as I said a silent prayer of thanks. He was providing food for my family as well as food for my soul.

And the next day, I had this zucchini.

This one seemed to have popped up overnight.
This one seemed to have popped up overnight.

I chuckled as I pulled it. “Now you’re just showing off;” I whispered to God.

The Bible tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10.

God is always at work. He never tires. When we are exhausted, or sick, or depressed, or angry or out of hope. He is always working things out for our good. We can forget that sometimes when things look bleak, but if we ask for reassurance with an open heart, He will give it to us. After all, we are His children, His prized possessions and we are loved at all times.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Love Will Find a Way

Posted on by Wendy
When you look at this photo, what do you see?
When you look at this photo, what do you see?

When I was visiting my parents’ house recently, I took a short walk up their driveway. Grass had begun to push its way through the asphalt. It was an interesting picture, so I went and got my camera. What do you see, when you examine this photo? I see life finding a way, against what looks like, impossible odds.

It occurred to me how often we try to tame nature. We pave roads and are annoyed when grass pushes through. We try to build houses on the beach or on the sides of cliffs and are surprised when they are swept away. We put swimming pools in gator country and are shocked to find an alligator in our swimming pool.

Nature seems determined to claim what was hers. We fight it, but in the end, we usually lose.

When I really think about it, it’s the same relationship mankind has always had with God. We need Him, but we want to tame Him or use Him to suit our own purposes. We only pray when we want something. We only quote the parts of the Bible that suit us. We only go to church when we feel desperate. We are self-focused.

But even so, God loves us. When you ever really try to wrap your brain around it, it’s truly amazing. The only tiny glimpse we get of this love, is our love for our own children, and that’s just a glimpse. The unconditional love that God feels for us began before we were born, before we were even conceived.

He loved us so much that he sent his son to redeem us. As a parent, that’s still a  mind-boggling concept for me. But, that’s the kind of love God has for us. It’s an all out, over the top, relentless love. It truly is amazing.

We can run from it, like Jonah did, but He pursues us. He wants us and loves us warts and all and in the end, just like nature, just like the grass in the driveway, love will find a way.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

That’s the kind of love God has for us. Like the photo above, when we see nothing but ugly asphalt, God sees possibility and opportunity. He sees life and He wants to give us the abundance we can only get through relationship with Him. Aren’t we lucky?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

A Place to Rest

Posted on by Wendy

 

This cathedral stood on the corner like an oasis in a dessert.
This cathedral stood on the corner like an oasis in a desert.

My family and I took a recent day trip to the city of Savannah. I lived there once upon a time, but that’s been close to twenty years ago. We wandered around River Street like tourists and then we hit the squares. My son was particularly interested in the bench where Tom Hanks sat in the filming of “Forest Gump.”

It was a hundred degrees in the shade that day, and we were thirsty, tired, and sweating profusely. This magnolia was wilting fast. Needless to say, I had two very cranky teens at this point, who had begun sniping at each other. You know how it is with siblings; when the going gets tough, they turn on each other.

Like a beautiful oasis, this church popped into site. It is a gorgeous church. It’s called the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Like most everything else in Savannah, it has a history. The original church was started in the late 1700’s by immigrants fleeing from France and Haiti. In 1835, a brick church was built. It sustained hurricane damage in 1850 and was repaired. The original structure seated a thousand people.

The congregation moved and built a new structure in 1873. It burned in 1898 and was re-built immediately. The first mass in the new building was held, fittingly, 0n December 24, 1899. And now, over a hundred years later, it stands like a beacon on the streets of Savannah.

My teens stopped arguing with each other when they saw it. My son wondered if we could go inside. We saw some people coming out, so we ventured in.

We were met with the cool blast of air conditioning. I can’t tell you how refreshing that was at that particular moment. But, isn’t that always the case when we encounter God after a long journey? Leaning into Him feels so restful and refreshing.

The beauty of the cathedral was breathtaking.

The beauty of the cathedral was breathtaking.
The beauty of the cathedral was breathtaking.

There was mostly silence, even from my crowd, and the people who were speaking were whispering. There were people praying and people lighting candles. There was a quiet reverence for the majesty that stood before us and the One who people come to worship there, week after week.

The sense of peace and quiet inside was almost tangible. My kids sat down in a pew with their dad, silently. I thought of all of the people who had worshiped there over the past hundred years and of the ones before, who worshiped together before they had this incredible building.

Now I know that God is everywhere and we can hold a worship service in the grocery store parking lot. But, there’s something awe-inspiring and deeply spiritual about old, ornate churches. There’s something about the quiet respect that used to be required in God’s house when I was growing up. There’s something special about buildings and congregations that have stood the test of time. I wasn’t the only one who could feel it. The quiet from all who were there, was proof.

We reluctantly left and entered back into the outdoor furnace, thankful and refreshed. We were glad we stopped. My teens even spoke more kindly to each other. (for a little while)

I think that’s how we are supposed to feel when we leave church; awe inspired and refreshed, eager to carry our light into the world. We definitely felt that way on that day. I pray that people feel that way when they leave my home church.

What do you think about spiritual places? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Permission to Mourn

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes, people need permission to mourn.
Sometimes, people need permission to mourn.

She approached me at the grocery store the day after I returned from vacation. It was the day before Father’s Day. I don’t know her well, but we worship together at the same church and we both attend the early service. I speak to her every Sunday.

She asked me how Vacation Bible School went, and if you ever read this blog, you know that is a ministry I’m very passionate about. I told her how great it was, chattering on like a Magpie. She politely listened and then said she had wanted to help, but her father was in the hospital that week. Uhoh, I had been rambling on about something I hold near and dear and clearly, she was in pain.

I stopped. I told her I was sorry to hear that. She said he was out now, but he has lung cancer. I caught my breath. Everyone knows that lung cancer is never good. It rarely has a good prognosis. I let her talk.

She volunteered immediately that he wasn’t a smoker. Don’t we always ask that when we hear the term, “lung cancer?”

“Did he/she smoke?”

We somehow like to make ourselves feel a little bit safer with that question. If they smoked, they brought it on themselves. It’s a judgement. It’s wrong and I have been guilty of it myself, but she was clearing her daddy’s name. He wasn’t a smoker.

She said they were thinking it had to do with years of working for the telephone company and crawling through people’s houses. Mesothelioma was likely the cause. Then she said the words, that really gave me pause. “He’s 89, but still…”

I reached out and touched her arm and replied, “It doesn’t matter how old he is. No one is ever ready to lose their parents.”

She brightened and stood up a little straighter. This wonderful woman has been blessed with parents who have lived to a ripe old age. They have been blessed to be great-grandparents and she loves them dearly. Her daddy is sick. His age doesn’t matter. She is mourning the end of life as she knows it.

Long life is a blessing. We should celebrate it as well as our many other blessings and thank the Good Lord who has blessed us. It doesn’t matter whether someone is one or one hundred years old. Death is sad. It separates us from those we love, for a time. The Bible tells us there is a time to mourn and Jesus himself, wept when all those around him were mourning the death of Lazarus.

But, sometimes, I think the people around us need permission to mourn. Sometimes they feel like they have been so blessed, they don’t have the right to mourn. It may not be a death. It may be the loss of a job or a pet. It may be the loss of a job or of their independence. It may be a child leaving home for the first time.

That’s where the community of believers comes in. Even though I don’t know her well, I worship with her. She is a sister in Christ and for whatever reason, our paths crossed that day and she reached out. I reached back. I gave her a hug and told her I would pray for her.

She thanked me and told me they were going to see each day as a gift. I was again struck by her words as I told her that we all should be doing that anyway. We said goodbye.

I don’t know which one of us received more that day. I pray that I was able to give her some level of comfort. I know that she imparted some major wisdom to me. And Jesus? Well, he was standing there beside us at Publix, of that, I have no doubt.

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

Have you ever had the opportunity to reach out to someone you don’t know very well? Has someone reached out to you? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

The Power of a Mission Trip

Posted on by Wendy
This cross was what the homeowner said his favorite part of the renovation was.
This cross was what the homeowner said his favorite part of the renovation was.

Last week, my daughter, went on her first mission trip. She didn’t have to go on an airplane halfway across the world. There were people right next door in South Carolina, who needed assistance. The trip got off to a chaotic start, when our youth pastor was unable to pick up the van she rented because her name wasn’t on the church credit card. Next, she decided to drive her own wagon and to get a carrier to place on the top, from her mother. It wouldn’t fit.

All the while, my family was traveling back from vacation and attempting to meet up with them somewhere on I20. We passed them and had to turn around. Now I can’t tell you the sense of peace that I had in this chaos. It was as if I could hear God whispering in my ear, that they were not supposed to be on the road at that time. We did meet them, much later than planned, and they were off.

When they were to be divided into groups to work on the three different homes, someone moved from some group and our small group had to be split up. My child, ever cautious and not normally one to take chances, said she felt the deep nudging in her heart to volunteer to go to a different site than her two besties. (This of course, was the Holy Spirit at work.) She listened to that voice and was not disappointed.

One of the girls on her site was 22 and had been volunteering at Salkehatchie since she was 14. (My daughter’s age) She said she decided to become a teacher because of her experiences with this group. Her foreman, was an incredibly patient man, who gave them all nicknames and worked them hard. She said they were the last group to lunch and the first to leave.

They re-shingled a roof. They painted. They ripped up carpet and put down new carpet. They completely re-did a bathroom. The two elderly brothers living there had no way to take a shower. She learned how to caulk and how to use power tools. She learned how to be a part of a group who were being the hands and feet of Christ.

Her days started at 5:30 in the morning and ended at 10:00. She got to be a part of faith in action. She was exhausted and she loved every minute of it.

All of the groups had lunch everyday at different churches in the community. They were served real down home cooking. Think fried chicken and iced tea. She said the church members thanked them for their service, everywhere they went. She really got to see Christian community at work and she found it beautiful.

And the two brothers who lived at the house? They were super grateful and helped where they could. They picked up shingles and helped prime the house. When the group started, there was no way to take a shower and part of the ceiling had caved in. When they were done, there was a working shower and bathroom with all new fixtures, a new ceiling and roof, new carpet, new furniture and a fresh coat of paint on the inside and out. With all of those improvements, one of the brothers told the group that his favorite part of everything they had done, was the cross that they placed in the front yard. Talk about God at work!

Can I get an amen?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Community at Work

Posted on by Wendy
We are all a part of some type of community. The part we play, is entirely up to us.
We are all a part of some type of community. The part we play, is entirely up to us.

My daughter just returned from her first mission trip. She went to Eastover, South Carolina with a small group from our church to help repair houses that were in terrible shape. There were so many ways that God had His hand in this trip, from the people who went, to the group she ended up with. I will share that in a later post, because as I’ve said before, when you really look for the hand of God, you will see it almost everywhere.

On her very first evening there, she was playing around on her guitar with a college chaperone, Caitlyn, who went and brought her guitar too. Another chaperone for the camp, just happened to be walking by and insisted that they lead worship every night.

Let me give you a little back story here. My daughter has played guitar  for a little over five years now. She has the most wonderful guitar teacher on the planet. Her name is Vanda. Vanda is a Godly woman who helps lead a praise and worship service at the local chapter of the Salvation Army. She always has a smile on her face. She encourages my daughter to believe in herself. She witnesses to her about her own faith. She has suffered a terrible tragedy in the loss of her son, Jon. She has had ongoing heart problems. Yet, week after week, for over five years, she greets us and all of the other kids who are lucky enough to have discovered her, with a smile. I see the face of Jesus, every Monday afternoon, when I see her. She is a light to all who know her.

Then there’s our youth pastor, Nikki, who has always encouraged my daughter to play her guitar at church. She insisted that she bring her guitar on this trip.

So, now you are caught up.  Whenever my daughter has ever had a performance, she practices for weeks ahead of time. She has never been confident enough to just go with it. That changed last week when she was unwittingly recruited to play. (Which is impossible to have been a coincidence)

She had to get up each evening and play in front of people she didn’t know. She had to play songs she didn’t know. This would never be something she would have normally agreed to. But, with Vanda’s years of encouragement and coaching, along with Nikki’s years of encouragement, and let’s not forget a healthy dose of the Holy Spirit, she played every night, alongside Nikki or Caitlyn.

She got to participate in leading worship of around thirty people. She got to use her talent to praise God. Vanda got to reach people she had never met, in another state, because she shared her gifts. Community came together to make beautiful music.

As the mother of a teenager, I am more thankful everyday for the people who help my children in their faith walk, from Sunday school teachers to school teachers, to church volunteers, to a very special guitar teacher. God has blessed us with so many wonderful mentors and so often they never know what a difference their contribution makes.

To all of you who have ever shared your wisdom, talents, gifts, or love with a child, let me assure you, that God sees your service. Even if you don’t get thanked for it here, on this side of eternity, there is rejoicing in heaven over your willingness to share what you have been given. God is pleased and in the end, isn’t that all that really matters?

When has a mentor made a difference in your life or in the life of your child? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Life’s Tides

Posted on by Wendy
This was high tide at the little inlet close to our rental.
This was high tide at the little inlet close to our rental.

A really beautiful phenomenon at the beach was the changing of the tides. This inlet was gorgeous at high tide. I wanted to get a picture of it every time we passed over it, which was a lot. It was different every time because the tide was different every time. People who live in this part of the country live their lives around the tides.

The fishing, shrimping and crabbing industries are heavily dependent on the tides. The kayak industry is as well. We rented kayaks one day on the trip. Paddling against the current is really hard, but going with it is tricky too because you can sail right past your intended destination.

The same little inlet at low tide.
The same little inlet at low tide.

It’s amazing that this is the same little inlet isn’t it? It went from gorgeous to ugly and muddy. Kayaks went down it earlier in the day. Now it’s barren; or is it?

My son and I went in for a closer look at low tide and were kind of surprised at what we found. It was teeming with life. There were tiny crabs everywhere, hundreds of them, ducking in and out of little holes. There was a giant conch shell walking around. I didn’t even know they had legs! There were water birds feasting on unseen critters near the rocks. What was seemingly an ugly wasteland was not. It actually had a beauty of its own.

This bird is enjoying low tide.
This bird is enjoying low tide.

I began to think of the tides in our lives. Sometimes they are high and the sailing is easy and smooth. We don’t hit bottom. We are surrounded by goodness and beauty.

But sometimes the tide is low. Life can look desolate. Maybe it’s due to sickness, death, the loss of a job, broken relationships or betrayal of trust. Sometimes we feel devoid of all that is good and growing, like this inlet looks from road.

But, upon closer inspection, it’s often during those times, that we feel closest to God. It’s during those times that friends come out of the woodwork to help us and show us love, to stand by us. It’s during those times that we experience the most growth.

Remember the story of the footprints in the sand, where the man asked God why during the worst times in his life there was only one set of footprints? He wanted to know why God abandoned him when times were the toughest. God gently replied, “That’s when I carried you.”

And so it is with the low tides of life. When things look bleakest, we need to take heart. There is work going on. There is life. We are loved more than we know and God has a plan even when we can’t see it. The tide will rise again and so will we. That is a promise from the One who created us.

Nothing is ever wasted and we are not alone even when the tide is low. That’s when we should seek God the most.

What do you think about life’s tides? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Enjoying the Moment Even Without the Pictures

Posted on by Wendy
There was a mama dolphin and her baby swimming right in front of us.
There was a mama dolphin and her baby swimming right in front of us.

When we first arrived in Hilton Head, we walked down to the dock at Harbor Town and were rewarded with a mama dolphin swimming with her calf. They were side-by-side and super close to us. Everyone around was ooohing and ahhing. I snapped and snapped, but I couldn’t get the shot. They would disappear almost as soon as they appeared. It was beautiful. You just have to take my word on it.

The next day when we arrived at the beach, there were two dolphins swimming, not a hundred yards from us.

These people are pointing at the two dolphins close by.
These people are pointing at the two dolphins close by.

I grabbed my camera again, and again, was unsuccessful at capturing them on film. It struck me, after a few tries that I was missing the wonder of it by trying to take a picture. This was a huge revelation.

I like to think of dolphins as the dogs of the ocean. People are fascinated by them and they seem to share the same fascination with us. There are stories of them saving people at sea after they fall overboard or are shipwrecked. People will pay hundreds of dollars for the chance to swim with them. Yet, here they were in all of their glory, swimming in the wild.

Adults and children alike, couldn’t take their eyes of them. When I gave up trying to “get the photo,” I too, was mesmerized by their close presence. They swam close by for a long time among the diving pelicans, before they finally swam away.

I pondered the whole, “photo-op idea,” for a good, long while after that. I love a good photo. I especially love candid shots and nature shots and I surround myself with many of both. But, sometimes I think we take, “taking pictures” way too far.

If we have to stop having fun on our trip every few hours to post that fun to Instagram or Facebook, then we might be taking photos to the extreme. That’s a regular conversation, I have with my teen daughter. Everyone else is having so much fun. It’s all over Instagram. My reply is always the same. If they were having THAT much fun, they wouldn’t have time to put it on Instagram. Trust me on this one.

Last summer, my kids, my sister and her kids and my mom, visited this really cool place called Noah’s Ark. They have a bear, a tiger and a lion all living in peace together. They are friends. It was a fabulous thing to see. I simply couldn’t get a good picture. Does that make it any less awesome?

I also have a vivid memory of this woman screaming at her kids and their friends about sitting still and smiling for a photo. I cringed at her tone and whispered to my sister, “I wonder what they will remember from this trip.”

My point is, we have become a heavily visual culture. Newspapers have gone by the wayside. They have tried to put the Bible on video. We don’t want to read an e-mail over five sentences long. We are obsessed with taking pictures. Every man, woman and child carries around a phone with a camera.

While there’s no harm in that on its face, I think it’s important to remember that life is really about our journey and our experiences. Pictures are great, but sometimes the memories are just as good without them, like those dolphins. When I was growing up, film was expensive. Mom took a lot of pictures, but not hundreds and hundreds. And you know what? My childhood memories are just as great.

We should strive to enjoy this moment, this day, whether or not we have the pictures to prove it was fun. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Being Mindful of Danger

Posted on by Wendy
Alligators are very good at hiding.
Alligators are very good at hiding.

While biking on the many trails on our recent beach trip, we encountered several of these guys. The American Alligator is a really a sight to behold. They are direct descendants of the dinosaurs and were close to extinction a couple of decades ago. Through laws to protect them, they have made quite a comeback. They are everywhere there is freshwater, in South Carolina and Florida. They even make their way to swimming pools from time to time.

I wouldn’t have seen this guy if I had been in a car. As it was, I wouldn’t have seen him if I hadn’t really been looking for him. Just after I snapped the photo, he disappeared under the water and was completely invisible. That’s a little bit frightening, if you think about it. He was close to six feet long and he has the ability to be invisible.

This one was hard to see when you stood across the pond from it.
This one was hard to see when you stood across the pond from it.

Then there was this one. Any blind man could see him, right? Well, not really. I had the zoom function on my camera. He was actually completely on the other side of a large pond. There were people pointing at it, when I stopped to investigate. My son kept saying, “I don’t see it.” Until he saw it and then he was floored like I was. I repeat, gators are good at hiding.

When we walked down the beach, we saw quite a few of these.

This jellyfish looks shiny and harmless.
This jellyfish looks shiny and harmless.

It’s small and shiny. If you didn’t know better, you would pick it up. You would make an unpleasant discovery. It stings. Jellyfish are beautiful. Some have gorgeous, long tentacles. They almost glow, but they sting and it’s quite painful. It’s always an effort to avoid jellyfish when I’m in the ocean. They too, are almost invisible in the water.

So what do jellyfish and alligators have in common? When they are in their natural habitat, they are almost invisible and dangerous. They can be harmful to humans who aren’t looking for them and taking care to avoid them.

The earth is full of dangerous things and choices that can harm us. We can easily be stung or harmed or worse, if we don’t keep a watchful eye and guard ourselves. The Bible tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

It is popular in our culture to act on our understanding or our emotions. But, the Bible teaches us differently. We have a guidebook for life that will not only keep us safe from the likes of gators and jellyfish, but it will also give us the ability to “soar on wings like eagles,” IF we trust the Lord. Isaiah 40:31

Trusting in God and not in popular culture, gets harder everyday, but it’s something Christians must strive to do. We have to trust that God knows best and know that gators and jellyfish lurk nearby. We don’t need to live in fear, but we have to be watchful and we have to trust in God.

What do you think about not leaning on our own understanding? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Regeneration – Lessons from a Starfish

Posted on by Wendy
I saw this starfish lying on the beach on the first beach walk I took.
I saw this starfish lying on the beach on the first beach walk I took.

I love to walk along the beach. It’s never the same experience twice. I heard this woman ask a lifeguard, “What is swimming today?” He replied, “In the ocean?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “People.” She said, “Are there any critters swimming today?” He said, very politely, “Ma’am, it’s the ocean. There are always critters swimming in it.” I chuckled as I kept walking. We love to go to the ocean, but we don’t necessarily like what may be swimming with us. Sure, there are dolphins, but there are sharks and jellyfish, too. Yet, people return to the ocean  year after year, in droves. Why is that? What about the ocean calls to so many of us? Is it the beauty? Is it the never-ending rhythm of the waves? Some say it reminds us of the womb. Who knows? I am one of those who loves the sea. Big waves, no waves, East Coast or West, I find it beautiful and never the same experience twice. On this day, on the Atlantic, I saw a starfish. (Or a sea star, since they aren’t really fish) Sure, I’ve seen dozens of them in souvenir shops, dried out and perfectly preserved, but I had never seen one in the wild. It was beautiful and shiny and perfect. When my daughter scooped it up to toss it back into the ocean, it had hundreds of tiny little legs. Who knew? I snapped a photo and walked on. When I was a little bit further down the beach, I saw this one.

This one had been damaged with some parts broken off.
This one had been damaged, with some parts of its arms broken off.

I found this one even more beautiful and here’s why. Starfish have the unique ability to drop an arm and get away if a predator is attacking it. It also has the ability to grow a new one. In fact, most of its vital organs are housed in their arms, so some can regenerate an entirely new starfish from just one arm and a portion of its central disc. It takes about a year for the new growth to make it whole again. This starfish was a survivor. It wasn’t perfect or whole, but it would be again, with time. Aren’t we all like that starfish on the inside? No one sails through life without injury, not physically, but emotionally. We all have wounds and scars, but if we lean into Jesus and give it some time, we can heal. The Bible tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 Healing takes time. Growth takes time. Both take a lot of work and are sometimes not pleasant, but in the end, we can be whole again through faith and trust in God, and like both of those sea stars, I find that very encouraging. Have an awesome day! Wendy 🙂