Month: October 2019

Finding the Extraordinary Right Where We Are

Posted on by Wendy
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

My pastor has recently been preaching a series on learning to hear God’s voice. A couple of weeks ago, he talked bout Moses and the burning bush. This is a very familiar story to most Christians. Personally, I’ve always wished that God would talk to me in a burning bush or something like it. I would really appreciate a megaphone moment, giving me perfect clarity on the next steps I should take in whatever season I find myself in.

But, this time the pastor asked the question why God would choose an ordinary bush at the base of a mountain. Why wouldn’t He appear in a lush oasis, full of greenery and life? He could certainly show off His majesty that way. Why would He choose the ordinary?

I pondered that concept long after the sermon. Why wouldn’t God use all of His wonderful creativity when communicating with us?

But, when I thought about the Bible, He used ordinary people repeatedly. He used a prostitute named Rahab to help deliver the city of Jericho. He used a young shepherd named David, to become Israel’s most renowned king. He used a common fisherman named Peter, who had a tendency to shoot off his mouth and struggled to believe, to become the rock that the Church was built on. And then there’s the unplanned baby, born to a teenager, who had to use a manger for a crib, because there was no room for Him.

He would grow up to be the savior of all mankind.

When I think about it, God seems to go out of His way to intentionally choose the ordinary to further His plans. Maybe that’s because that choice is so very different than what we would choose. Humanity seems to naturally choose big, beautiful, bright and splashy. We like larger than life people and events.

But, God’s way is different.

So, why did He choose the burning bush, when all of Creation was at His disposal?

Perhaps it was because He meets us wherever we are. He meets us in the hospital room, in the midst of an upheaval, in the middle of the divorce or when we are surrounded by bad decisions. When our situation seems impossible, He meets us there.

He doesn’t usually zap us out to where we would rather be or appear to us in bright lights. Instead, He gently takes us by the hand and walks with us through the darkness. He sends friends and family and sometimes strangers, to cheer us on and when we get to the other side of the crises and look back, we know He was there, communicating with us all along.

We can often miss the extraordinary because it’s hiding in the ordinary. A burning bush reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Hibiscus Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Lady Bird Johnson

It was a gray, overcast day when I arrived home from work. Fall had at last shown up and the air was cool. But, when I went to let my dogs out, I was greeted by some very bright hibiscus blooms.

Hibiscus bushes are tropical. When I see them I think of summer. I planted them last spring in anticipation of the season to come. Now, it’s mid-October and the world has turned orange, with pumpkins everywhere, from our porches to our coffee. Mums and pansies are the flowers of the moment, all the rage, one might say.

But there stood those bright pink hibiscus blooms. They were completely unaware of their surroundings or that they weren’t the color of the moment. They didn’t seem to notice that the days are growing shorter and their time is growing short as well. At best, they will go dormant until spring, but the reality is, they probably won’t survive the winter.

But, there they stood proudly, in their tropical beauty, blooming boldly against the dreary sky, daring to share their gift with anyone who cared to stop and drink it in. Their act of continuing to thrive was not lost on me.

I went and got my phone so I could snap some pictures to capture the moment.

I thought of those hibiscus blooms long after it got dark outside. I thought about how we all have great gifts and graces to share with a world that desperately needs more light and less darkness and ugliness. Like those hibiscus, we need to continue to contribute our unique talents even when the seasons change, even when the skies are dark, even when we don’t know what the future holds.

Because a little light goes a long way, especially when it’s dark. A small act of kindness can change someone’s outlook. A kind word has the capability to soften a hardened heart.

We can all make a difference simply by being who God created us to be and giving that glory to Him . When we intentionally do that, we may find that our own stresses and worries fade away.

Some pink hibiscus blooms reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Watching for the Breezes

Posted on by Wendy
Watching for the breezes along the path, reminds us that God is with us.

I was recently taking a walk in the cooler weather. Now cooler for us in Georgia, is the 80’s which by most standards, is still really warm, but it was a nice break from the 90’s. As I got to moving, I began to heat up rather quickly, but every few minutes, there was a light breeze.

It was amazing how quickly the breeze would bring relief from the heat. I thought about that breeze my entire walk and I said a prayer of thanks for it when I finished.

Wind is one of those elements that fascinates me. It’s invisible, yet we know when it’s there. It can provide us respite from the heat or make us colder in the winter. It can also cause devastation in the form of a tornado or a hurricane.

I suppose it’s good example of God’s infinite power and grace.

A breeze is defined as a gentle wind.

I have been in situations where a cool breeze made all the difference, like working with a team on a roof in late June. There were times when the heat felt relentless and like it might get the better of us, but that breeze gave us enough encouragement and respite to keep working. It was almost as if the Holy Spirit himself was cheering us on.

When we look back on our journey, on the path we have traveled thus far, we can all find cool breezes. They come in many forms like a text or a phone call from a friend, or a post-it note left with a kind word from a co-worker. They can be from someone at church just checking in to see how we are or as an invitation of some kind.

I recently received a slice of pound cake on my desk from a co-worker and then some chocolate from a sweet mama of one of the kiddos at my school. Both actions made my day brighter.

Whatever the form may be, these little breezes, while on the surface don’t seem like much, but can make all the difference when we are having a tough day or even a tough season.

They remind us that we are loved and that even though the road may be difficult, that we worship a God who cares deeply about our individual situations. He is in control. He always has a plan and if we keep our eyes open, we can see that He sends us encouragement along the way through those who He has carefully placed in our lives for such a time as this.

A cool breeze reminded me to take note of the many life breezes He sends. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Kindergarten Perspective

Posted on by Wendy
We often miss the beauty when we rush to where we’re going.

Ever had one of those mornings when it felt like you were on a tennis court with one of those automated ball pitchers, but you didn’t have a racket? I recently had one.

I’m the first to arrive in the office. It’s dark and quiet and I don’t turn the lights on until it’s time to allow the buses to unload their kiddos and to allow the car riders to begin to trickle in. Our office tends to stay extremely busy and it’s often the only quiet time I will have until I walk out the door to head home.

I treasure that time. I breathe deeply and say a prayer. I check my e-mails and prepare for the day.

But, sometimes there is no quiet. Sometimes the phone rings and the bus radio squawks and I have to attend to it. Sometimes people come in to talk or ask questions. Sometimes things don’t work out at all the way we planned them.

How do we react?

Last week I had a morning like that. Even before I turned the lights on, there was busyness. And after I turned them on it was non-stop. There were early morning meetings and all kinds of visitors. There were lunchboxes left on buses. There were several binders and Chromebooks that were left at home and dropped off for delivery.

And then there was a little girl who was tardy. She was in kindergarten and I knew she would have to be walked to her class. I put a smile on my face and I asked our nurse to watch the office and we began our journey.

She was completely oblivious that she was late and was in no particular hurry to get where she was going. I realized right away there would be no hurrying this child. We chatted about her morning as we creeped ever so slowly down the hall. Before we even got past the bathrooms, a little girl stopped and said hello to her. We stopped for a moment to acknowledge her.

When we turned the corner, she stopped and admired all of the art on the wall. It was really cool and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see it if I hadn’t been with her. When we got further down the hall, two little girls came rushing up to her, said good morning and got on either side. They told me they were in her class. They joined us for the remainder of our walk.

When we finally arrived at her room, I no longer felt the need to rush and I found myself enjoying the kindergarten art on my walk back and I saw God.

Every morning I pray that God will show Himself to me during my day. That day, it was through the actions of a child, a child who reminded me that we will eventually get where we are going whether we hurry or not and that the scenery is always worth slowing down to admire. She also reminded me that friends along the journey make it a lot more fun.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂