Month: July 2019

The Gift of Now

Posted on by Wendy
My dogs often remind me to be in the moment.

Last spring, I took a yoga class for the first time. I have practiced the poses before, but never actually attended a class. I found it fascinating. The entire focus was on being in the moment and learning to appreciate something most of us take for granted, breathing.

Sometimes we keep ourselves so busy, that we are never in the moment, always focusing on being a couple of steps ahead of where we are. It would never occur to us to think about our breathing. I thought about that class for most of the summer.

My dog reminded me when we were sitting on the porch together. She hits me with her foot when she wants me to pet her. I was checking my e-mail on my phone and she hit me with her foot. I tried asking her to give me a minute, but she was insistent. I remembered the class and I put the phone down.

She and I were both more content as we took in the sound and scenery around us without distraction and appreciated the present.

Later in the summer, when I was struck with a very painful case of shingles, I found myself drawn out to the porch again. Every movement brought about searing pain, even breathing. I definitely found myself in the present. It was all I could focus on.

As I sat there in the coolness of that Sunday morning, remaining very still, I found myself asking God what it was He wanted me to learn from my illness. Although it was excruciating, I knew it wouldn’t last long. My dog snuggled a little closer as if wanting to comfort me, this time not taking, but giving.

I think the answer was not taking a single breath for granted, because each one is a Divine gift. The Bible tells us, that God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Breathing is important. Maybe we sometimes forget how important. Being in the moment is important. Learning to appreciate where we are and the people we are with right now, is also important because we may never pass this way again.

Learning to be still and honoring that truth, fills our heart and souls and honors our Maker.

A yoga class, my dog and a case of shingles, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Blueberry Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Everyday I searched, hoping to find one more ripe one.

Every summer, I attempt to grow something that is edible. My backyard is mostly shade, so I’m very limited, but this year, I have a blueberry bush that was very happy in its spot and it made some serious blueberries. I had my doubts about how well it would do because it was covered in blooms very early in the season and I felt like it may have bloomed too early to actually make fruit.

I watered it and fed it anyway and hoped for the best.

I was rewarded with blueberries for several weeks and I was thrilled. Each day I would go outside with my bowl and search for the ones that were just the right color. It never ceased to amaze me that even though I would look carefully the first time, several trips around the bush would continue bless me with a few I had missed.

I was just as happy with those as I was with the first handful. It didn’t matter whether they were the first ones or the last ones. I treasured each one.

I marveled at how two berries could be side-by-side on the vine, yet one would ripen before the other one, even thought they received the same amount of sun and water. I also found that sometimes the berries on the bottom or on the inside of the bush would ripen before the ones on top, even though they received less sun.

There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why some were ready for harvest, but other ones weren’t. Everyday, I persistently looked for more, hoping they were ready.

One of the main reasons I love to try and grow things is that Jesus often reveals Himself to me in the process.

A little heart nudge reminded me that people, like blueberries, bloom and ripen at different rates on our faith journey. Some have the perfect amount of sunshine and rain. Some come close to drowning and get very little light at all, yet Jesus searches for us relentlessly wherever we are in the process.

He never gives up.

I was also reminded that sometimes we may feel that those around us appear to have little chance of bearing fruit, like I did with those early blooms, but we are called to water and care for them anyway.

We don’t get to decide when or how the fruit arrives. We are simply called to do our part and let faith do the rest. For nothing is impossible with God.

Some blueberries reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Call to Hospitality

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we need reminding that a little hospitality can make a big difference.

A couple of months ago, we had some new neighbors move in down the street. I went out and bought the ingredients to bake them something to welcome them to the neighborhood. That’s what my neighbors did when we moved in and I have always remembered how nice it was to feel welcomed.

Because of their kindness extended to my family, I wanted to pass that on.

This is the deep south, so cooking is how we show our appreciation and respect for just about everything, from new babies, to someone being sick, to new neighbors, and even when someone passes away. Cooking for people is how we show hospitality.

The Bible even talks about hospitality. One of my favorite verses is 1 Peter 4:9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

It speaks to me because, I must admit, I sometimes grumble about cooking. It’s just not something I love to do. I do it, but I have been known to grumble about it.

After the moving truck left, I kept looking to see if my neighbors had moved in so I could bring them a treat, but they were never out in their yard and their garage door was always closed. At first, I thought maybe they hadn’t truly moved in yet. But, as time went by, I decided they probably just weren’t friendly folks. They went to work and came home, locked everything up tight and stayed indoors.

I convinced myself that they wouldn’t appreciate my hospitality.

Turns out I was wrong. A couple of weeks ago, I was coming back from a walk, and a car at that house, pulled to the end of the driveway. A woman got out and put something in the mailbox. I went up and introduced myself. She was very friendly. We chatted for a few minutes and I learned they had come from Pennsylvania.

When I told her we were going to bake them something to welcome them to the neighborhood, she seemed very surprised and touched. But, then I told her I couldn’t ever catch them at home because their garage door was always closed.

She told me they always keep their garage door closed even when they are at home. She thought everyone else did too.

Yikes! I had read that situation completely wrong. I just assumed, incorrectly, that they were unfriendly and didn’t want anyone knocking on their door because I held them to my preconceived notion.

I wonder how often I do that.

It’s hard to be the new kid on the block, any block. When we can do a little something to make people feel welcome to our street, our workplace, our school, our community, our family, or even our church, I think we are called to do that.

When we reach out and extend hospitality, like my neighbors did so many years ago, we encourage others to do the same. And couldn’t we all use a little more kindness these days?

A conversation with a new neighbor reminded to always remember the gift of hospitality no matter what our preconceived notions may be. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂