Month: March 2017

Beating the Odds

Posted on by Wendy
Some things flourish against all odds.

I was working outside this weekend with my hubby. We finally got some rain last week, but I noticed that the ground was still cracked and rock hard. While I was holding up a board, a bright green sprout caught my eye. He patiently waited while I snapped some photos. After twenty years of marriage, he’s used to dealing with the fact that I’m easily distracted when I’m outdoors.

I really can’t help myself. I tend to see God’s fingerprints everywhere in Creation.

On this particular day, the green sprout stood proudly, despite the hard, inhospitable ground, almost as if in defiance. It was like it decided to grow against all odds and was thriving. I couldn’t help, but to be impressed by its perseverance. I thought about the little sprout for the rest of the day.

I thought about how God’s economy is so very different from ours. If we want something to grow, we water it and tend to it. We pamper it and hope. We can put endless hours into something and it may flourish or it might not. While we love to believe that hard work always produces results; sometimes it does not.

We live in a society where we have been taught that self-reliance is something we should strive for. We should be able to do everything completely on our own, by the sweat of our own brow.

The Bible teaches a different dynamic. The Bible teaches us to acknowledge first and foremost that we rely on God for everything and that every good thing comes from Him. Yes, we are called to work hard, but we are also called to know that He has a plan and that it often differs from our own. Obedience and faith teach us to be okay with that.

The Bible also teaches us the importance of community. We are called to help each other and work together. There are some things we simply cannot do alone. There are times when we need other believers to hold us up and to stand in the gaps for us.

There are times, when against all odds, something beautiful flourishes when it seems next to impossible, when on paper, there was just no way. If we dig a little bit, we often will find that there was prayer behind the miracle and many times a group of prayer warriors.

In those instances, we are reminded that nothing is impossible with God. A little green sprout reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

The Rewards of Seeking

Posted on by Wendy
“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Proverbs 8:17

I was taking a walk recently and praying. The day was beautiful and unseasonably warm for a winter day in Georgia. I had a lot on my mind and my heart was heavy. I often find that God communicates with me when I’m out in nature.

In the past, He has sent me a hawk. Once there were three smooth stones for me to find. Another time there was a lone penny. All of those items corresponded perfectly with the situation where I found myself.

So, I reluctantly, went for a walk and watched for God. What I really wanted to do, was to lie on the couch and eat cookies, but I went seeking.

I thanked God for the day and the many blessings He has showered me with and I poured out my heart, hoping for answers. I watched and waited expectantly as a lone buzzard soared above, yet seemed to follow along with me.

“Just great,” I thought. “I came looking for inspiration and all I see is death.”

Yet, almost as soon as I thought it, I could feel another voice. That voice reminded me that buzzards don’t kill anything. They just clear away what is already dead. They have a very important job. Without them, dead things would pile up and dead things can carry all types of diseases and harmful bacteria.

As I continued to walk, I thought about how often we carry around things from our past that cause us harm. What things do we need to let go of and allow Jesus to take them away. Maybe it’s constant worry and anxiety. Maybe it’s old anger or old wounds. It could be almost anything that burdens our souls. Sometimes these emotions had a useful place in our lives, but as time has passed, they are only piling up and hurting us.

The buzzard reminded me that Lent is the ideal time to ask ourselves what things we are carrying around that are dead weight. What are we allowing to come between us and true relationship with God, a relationship that means true peace?

As I contemplated that thought, I heard a hawk call loudly in the distance and once again, I was reminded that those who truly seek with open hearts, will find. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Lent Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Lent can be a spiritual time to ask God what needs redemption in our lives.

Today is the first day of Lent. It will last for forty days, not counting Sundays, and will end with the celebration of Easter. The forty days come from the time Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan. Afterwards, He began His ministry. In a sense, it was a preparation for the work God had planned for Him.

For Christians, it’s a time of repentance, prayer and reflection. It’s not a Biblical practice. It’s more of a church doctrine and not all churches participate in Lent.

Lent is not really a joyful time. Self-reflection, is a hard look at what needs to be changed about ourselves in order to draw closer to God and to better serve Him. Repentance means to stop doing something we are not supposed to be doing, and to ask for forgiveness. Neither of those are fun activities.

It’s always tempting to skip the whole Lent thing and go right to the Easter celebration, and we can. There’s no Lent Police walking around to make us participate in Lent.

But, over the years, I have come to look at Lent as an opportunity. Easter is our highest holiday. It’s our day of redemption. In order to fully participate in that celebration, we have to give some careful thought about what needs redeeming.

Are we carrying around unresolved anger? Are we carrying around guilt over past hurts? Are we carrying around unforgiveness? Are we carrying around pain? Do we have relationship issues that need repair in some way?

Easter gives us the opportunity to place all of these heart crushers at the foot of the Cross. Jesus will redeem them for us. There is only one requirement: We have to ask.

He cannot redeem what we refuse to lie down and if we aren’t willing to do some honest soul-searching, we can’t even admit what our needs are. This is where quiet time, prayer, and reflection come in.

Many people choose to give up something for Lent and that’s fine if that’s how they want to honor the season. Others choose to pick something new up, like daily Bible reading. That’s also fine. Over the years, I have done both and have benefited from both.

But, we can also choose to intentionally use this time to ask God to show us what we need to change in order to be more Christ like and to deepen our faith. The bottom line is that observing Lent makes Easter much more joyful.

Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂