Month: June 2016

Faith Lessons from Running Shoes

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we are called out of our comfort zones.
Sometimes we are called out of our comfort zones.

I recently purchased a new pair of tennis shoes. I always put off this task as long as possible for a couple of reasons. First of all, there’s nothing more comfortable than a pair of running shoes that I have worn long enough to feel like they are custom-made for my feet.

The second reason is that there is no way of knowing that the bright, new, shiny pair of shoes that feel great on my feet in the store, will feel the same way, once I take them out for a walk, with some running thrown in for good measure.

My neighborhood is made up of many hills. The kids always affectionately called it the roller coaster neighborhood when they were growing up.

Due to the topography, a new pair of running shoes has a high likelihood of causing a blister on my feet the first time out. The problem is, there’s no way of knowing until I’m actually wearing them, a mile away from my house.

But, I had waited as long as I could and I was getting some smooth spots on the bottoms of my current shoes. I reluctantly purchased a new pair. The following morning, I laced them up and headed out, hoping for the best.

I did okay for the first mile, but on the way back home, my right heel started to burn. I was getting a blister and there was nothing I could do about it. I tried running more than walking, to get home faster, but it was growing downright painful.

Then I tried something different.

I always pray when I walk. I began to thank God for a laundry list of blessings in my life, the first being that I could afford to buy new shoes. Many people can’t. The second was that I actually had feeling in my feet. Some people don’t. My list went on until I arrived home.

My foot still hurt, but I wasn’t so focused on my pain, when I was giving thanks for so many other things.

I was grumbling a couple of days later, to my daughter, as I was putting band aids on my heel, before my walk, about how I had made a poor decision on my new shoes and how my other ones were just perfect.

She reminded my that when my old shoes were new, that they too, had rubbed a blister on my heel. How had I forgotten?

I learned two valuable lessons from those new shoes. First of all, when we “give thanks in all circumstances,” like the Bible tells us to, the tough times in life become more bearable, not magically fixed, but bearable.

The second is that it’s really easy to stay with what we find comfortable and never venture outside that safety zone. It’s easy to forget that what is now comfortable for us, probably wasn’t always. It’s also easy to want to give up on something new before we give it much of a chance, if it makes us uncomfortable.

But, the greatest experiences in life rarely come to us from sitting on the front porch in our rocking chairs. God rarely calls us to sit around and do nothing for longer than a season.

Walking with Jesus is not always comfortable, but always worth it. Sometimes we need to apply a few band aids, but we always need to keep moving forward. Getting more comfortable requires times and perseverance.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Sea Turtle Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
This sea turtle looks like she was hand painted by God.
This sea turtle looks like she was hand painted by God.

On a recent trip to the Georgia coast, my family visited a sea turtle hospital. I had never given these beautiful creatures very much thought until the year before on a family vacation in Florida, we got to witness a sea turtle release. Three turtles had been rehabbed and were being returned to the sea.

It was an amazing experience, so naturally, when we learned that there was a sea turtle hospital that was open to visitors, we were all interested.

It was sad to find so many turtles who had been injured by the negligence of humanity, but inspiring to see all of the people working with them with the goal to return them back to the Atlantic Ocean to live long productive lives.

They were doing a surgery on one when we arrived and a volunteer explained that its flipper had been so damaged that they were having to amputate it. My eyes filled with tears at the news and I asked her if it would spend the remainder of its life in captivity, keeping in mind that some live over 150 years.

She explained to me that there would be a long rehab for the turtle, but that they can learn to compensate and live just fine in the wild, just like a three-legged dog does. I was shocked. How was that possible?

She went on to explain that they would put special weights on it and move it to larger and larger tanks to help it get stronger before finally setting it free.

Now, there’s no way that poor turtle has any idea what’s in store for her or the fact that the people who keep manhandling  her only want what’s best for her. They want her to be free again, but they want her to be strong and ready first.

I have thought a lot about that turtle upon my return home and the many others at that facility. As I was taking a walk yesterday, I came across a different kind of turtle attempting to cross the road. My heart went out to it as I was reminded of those sea turtles.

I knew it had very little chance of crossing successfully. It would surely get hit by a car. But, I also noted the sharp claws on its feet and I was reluctant to pick it up. So, I gently moved it across the road with my foot. It was terrified and drew up into its shell. It had no way of knowing I was trying to save its life.

As I came back by to check on it, I found it still tightly in its shell and I wished I had a way of communicating that I was only working for its best. For all it knew, I was some giant, kicking it around.

I continued to think about that turtle and the sea turtles as I finished my walk and how people can learn a lot from them.

We sometimes find ourselves getting kicked off of the path we are on, the one we think is best, but perhaps God is moving us out of the way of danger, like I did with the land turtle.

We also sometimes find ourselves getting mauled somehow by people, like the sea turtles and we end up on the sidelines for what seems like forever until we are ready to swim again. But perhaps God is using that time to grow us stronger and better equipped for the future, even though it may not seem like it at the time.

The turtles reminded me that we can trust that God is at work, even when all seems lost, even when we don’t understand. We are loved and treasured and He has a plan.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding today too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Faith Lessons from a Pier

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes when disaster looks imminent, we have to have faith.
Sometimes when disaster looks imminent, we have to have faith.

Last week on our family vacation, during and early evening at a pier, we observed a huge ship which seemed to be coming right towards the dock. We weren’t standing on the pier at the time, but dozens of people were. They were fishing and talking and laughing, seemingly unconcerned with the giant ship headed right towards them.

My family watched in nervous amazement as the ship stayed on its course. Didn’t these people remember what happened with that cruise ship in Greece a few years back where the captain ran it aground?

There were so many sandbars in our area and the waters seemed so shallow. Was the captain of this ship awake? Was he impaired? I even sent some photos to my mama so she could show them to my daddy, who was a Navy man.

Weren’t those people on the docks the least bit worried about their safety? They didn’t appear to be. Then, at the last minute, (or so it seemed to me), it turned.

Of course, the people on the pier had seen these ships many times. They weren’t concerned because they knew from years of experience, that there would be no collision. The experienced captain of the ship knew exactly where the deep waters were and he knew exactly when and where to steer his ship to safety.

But, we didn’t know that.

As we continued to watch the ginormous ship head away from the pier, it seemed to get perilously close to a shrimp boat returning from a day of shrimping. We couldn’t see the smaller boat very well and we wondered if the captain of the big one could. Were the people on the shrimp boat worried about their safety?

We anxiously watched as the big vessel appeared to narrowly miss the smaller one.

The zoom lens provided a very detailed view of the shrimp boat.
The zoom lens on my camera provided a very detailed view of the shrimp boat.

When I returned home and looked at my pictures, I marveled at the details on the shrimp boat. I noticed the nets and all of the seagulls surrounding it hoping for a scrap. I saw that it even had a name. I couldn’t see all of that from a distance, but my zoom lens could.

I thought about that big ship for days afterwards. I thought about how it looked like it would crash into the pier, into those people, causing a disaster, but it didn’t. I thought about how it looked like it would collide with the shrimp boat causing tragedy, but it didn’t.

I thought about how faith teaches us that when tragedy seems imminent, like a huge ship headed straight for us, that we can trust that God has us covered, time and time again. We don’t need to worry or even flinch.

I thought about how even though I couldn’t see the details on the shrimp boat, they were there, which made me consider that God sees all of the details of our lives, every little one, with a giant zoom lens. He is completely aware of where we are and where we are going and it matters to Him.

Jesus said, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:30-31

Having faith in difficult times can be hard. When we feel like a giant ship is headed straight for us, we wonder if God hears our prayers or even cares.

The answer is yes. He knows. He hears. He loves us. He cares.

Whatever your giant ship is, fear not. He’s got this. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Strength from Adversity

Posted on by Wendy
Isn't it interesting that the strongest living things often endure the harshest circumstances?
Isn’t it interesting that the strongest living things often endure the harshest circumstances?

My family recently vacationed on the Georgia coast. It’s a beautiful area that has been kept natural. Georgia didn’t clear-cut its trees like some other states I have visited and there are beautiful oaks that are hundreds of years old, dripping in Spanish moss, standing proudly.

We learned that the wood of the live oaks is especially strong and that wood from some of coastal Georgia’s oaks was used in the construction of the hull of the USS Constitution. Interestingly enough, she was named by President George Washington and her maiden voyage was in 1798.

She is most famous for her performance in the War of 1812, where she got the nickname of “Old Ironsides,” because the artillery from the enemy just bounced off her rock solid hull.

And guess what? She’s still in service for the US Navy. She serves as a museum now, but in 1997 for her 200th birthday, she sailed under her own steam.

Let’s consider that for a minute. Think about the materials she was made of. Trees that can grow in coastal environments have to be able to withstand all types of assault from nature. First of all, salt water kills most things that are green. It tends to be very corrosive. Then there’s the extreme heat and sometimes drought. Oh, and let’s not forget tropical storms and hurricanes.

Yet, these live oak trees survive and thrive. There’s one on the coast of South Carolina that’s estimated to be over 1,500 years old. The fact that they live in hostile environments makes them incredibly strong and resilient and when they are cut down to be used to build something, like the USS Constitution, it too, becomes incredibly strong and long lasting.

The ones with large limbs that touch the ground and then grow back up to the sky are often referred to as angel oaks because they touch the earth and then grow back towards Heaven.

These trees have stayed on my mind long since we have returned from our trip. I think they have much to teach us.

First of all, the strongest living things must survive adversity. We simply can’t get stronger sitting in the shade sipping lemonade in perfect weather. No, it’s the storms that strengthen us and define us.

The Bible tells us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

But, then after we have persevered, we have the ability to use our strength to help others and to build lasting testaments to the God who stood by our side and helped us survive and thrive in our adversity.

Lastly, we too, are earth bound at the moment like those trees, but we too are growing towards Heaven with each passing day, with each prayer, with each act of kindness, with each step of faith.

And like those trees, our journey too, through the good and bad, can be stunningly beautiful. A huge live oak reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂