Month: March 2020

For Such a Time As This

Posted on by Wendy
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

A few weeks ago, I started a new job. Interestingly, it happened to be at my college alma mater. I had prayed about the next chapter in my life for a long time. I sensed that when my nest became empty, I was called to do something else, something more challenging, something that would make better use of my talents, something that would stretch me.

If I’m honest, I prayed with hesitancy. I really don’t like change and I had become quite comfortable where I was. I loved the people I worked with at a small elementary school, so much so, they had become like family. I loved the children I got to see everyday. I loved their parents.

I had prayed about returning to work full time, for over a year when my last position came open. When I first started that job, our school nurse, who became a dear friend, had just been diagnosed with ALS. I prayed with her every morning as I watched her slowly die with each passing day. She taught me so much. It was the hardest year of my life and it bonded me with my coworkers in ways I could never explain to people who weren’t there. She passed away at the beginning of the next school year.

If given a choice, I would have never chosen to live through that season, but God clearly wanted me there, like Esther in the Bible, God put me there at that moment in time for a reason. When the sun came out again, coworkers had become family.

So, when I obediently started sending out resumes and got rejections, it was okay with me. I had decided to put it in God’s hands. I wasn’t worried. I knew there was a plan and I was okay if it was to stay put.

But, when I got called in for an interview, I met eight of the most upbeat positive people I had ever met. We laughed a lot and they seemed to really enjoy their jobs. They were doing work that I would be proud to be a part of, using skills that I had longed to use for years.

When I got the offer, I knew it was meant to be, so I put in my notice. My coworkers were super supportive, but it was very bittersweet. My last day was difficult to say the least. My desk was decorated. I received flowers and treats all day from staff, parents and kiddos. My team provided lunch. After hugging my office mate goodbye, I sobbed all the way home.

Monday called for rain, but as I drove in, I witnessed a gorgeous sunrise. A student bus was at a stop light and I smiled as I remembered riding that route myself, but I laughed out loud as the message, “Have a Nice Day,” scrolled across. I knew it was a God wink. When I arrived, my new coworkers were so kind and welcoming. I knew I was in the right place. On my drive home, I saw a hawk sitting on a fence, another God wink, another reminder that I was where I was supposed to be.

Now, as I find myself working from home due to the COVID-19 outbreak, along with my hubby and two college kids, asked by government officials not to leave unless we absolutely have to, I once again find myself in a place I wouldn’t have chosen to be. I see so many Facebook posts about the death toll rising, jobs lost, weddings postponed, and senior years cut short. There’s a lot of fear, sadness and negativity out there and it’s all legitimate.

Maybe now more than ever, like Esther, we need to remember that we are all here, “for such a time as this.” The God who knit us together in our mother’s womb, is in control. He has a plan. If we trust Him, He will use us to glorify Him, even if it’s scary and sad for us at the moment.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Prayers of Children

Posted on by Wendy
Remembering to pray with the honesty of children, can help us along our faith walk.

I was recently talking to a new friend of mine who is bilingual. The concept of speaking two languages has always intrigued me. It’s likely because I took two years of Spanish in high school and five quarters in college and I still can’t speak it. When I learned that she was bilingual, I asked her same thing I always ask people who speak two languages.

“Which language do you think in?” She told me that she thinks in English now, but that she was having her daughter’s baptism service in Spanish because she prays in Spanish. I was fascinated.

She said she learned all of her prayers as a child, in Spanish and that’s the only way she knows how to pray.

So, it doesn’t matter how well she knows English, and by talking to her, you would have no clue that she speaks any other language, when she talks to God, she talks to Him in the language of her childhood, the language she spoke when she first began verbally communicating with God.

I thought of our conversation long after it was over. I thought about how innocently yet perfectly, children pray. There are no long flowery words strung together. They just simply talk to God. They give thanks. They say what’s on their mind, sometimes even if an adult wouldn’t approve. They don’t hide what’s in their hearts or minds. They just honestly put it out there with no guile involved. They truly believe that He’s listening. It really doesn’t occur to them that He wouldn’t be. They know they are loved. The Bible tells them so.

Most young children are happy to pray out loud if asked. They aren’t embarrassed. Their prayers are usually simple and to the point and sometimes you can almost feel God smiling as they speak.

But, as we get older and our lives and hearts get more complex, our prayers tend to change. We aren’t as honest. We hide certain parts of ourselves even though He can see them. Nothing is ever hidden from Him. We often keep Him at a distance, more like a far away uncle than the daddy in the room.

Ask us to pray out loud and we totally freeze. I get it. I’ve been in the room when the person praying seems to pray for every headline from the morning news and recites a dozen Bible verses using words that require a thesaurus. We simply don’t know what to say. What we need to remember is that we don’t have to.

If we quiet our minds and listen to our hearts, the Holy Spirit will guide us. God isn’t interested in our large vocabularies or in how many headlines we can remember. He’s interested in our hearts. He’s interested in our worship. He’s interested in our trust and our obedience.

The Bible says, “But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'” Luke 18:16

Jesus knew all about the hearts of children. Their prayers reflect their hearts. Maybe we can try to remember to pray with childlike faith, innocence and wisdom.

A conversation with a friend reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Honoring the Greatest Two Commandments

Posted on by Wendy
The azaleas reminded me that God has a plan and is not surprised by this pandemic or anything else.

I don’t usually post on Mondays, but today I felt led to. I am astounded at how quickly our world is changing. Every 24 hours the news is a little more grim. What weeks ago, was a virus called Covid-19, that I had never heard of, in an area of China I had never even heard of, has now crossed our borders. At this writing, 46 states, including mine, and the District of Columbia all have reported cases.

Unfortunately, panic has ensued. There’s not a drop of hand sanitizer to be found anywhere and for some bizarre reason, toilet paper has become scarce.

We have been told not to panic. Some 80 percent of people will clear it with no problems if infected. But, the remaining 20 percent will get very sick or die. Our government has asked us to stay at home if possible, for two weeks. Schools and colleges have been cancelled. People have been asked to work from home if at all possible.

Yet, it seems to me, that most everyone seems to believe that they are included in that 80 percent, even though the twenty percent includes anyone over 60, which is over 60.7 million, anyone with underlying health conditions like diabetes and emphysema and people who are obese, which is 70 million, not to mention anyone on chemotherapy. That’s a lot of at risk people.

Last week at my office, the question that arose over and over from my younger co-workers was if any of us older folks remembered a time this surreal. The answer most often repeated was the days after 911. Those of us who lived through that dark time remember it well. The difference is that we all came together, even Congress (for a time, if you can believe that). We reached out to our neighbors. We were all Americans and we shared concern for one another.

Our nation turned back to God and the churches were full, for a time.

I also have vivid memories of the Ebola outbreak in 2014. I even wrote about it. With a 50 percent death rate for all exposed, it was terrifying. I remember asking my readers to pray and a scripture came to mind.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Our nation once again, turned back to God, for a time.

The Ebola outbreak was halted. I’ve no doubt that was due to Divine intervention.

As I was walking today and I observed that the earth was coming back to life, bursting forth in bloom, I was reminded that God is not surprised by any of this. He’s at work and He expects us to be as well. First of all, we all need to pray for intervention and we need to remember that we are not now nor have we ever been in control of our lives.

We need to acknowledge Who is.

Then perhaps we should ask ourselves how we can help that 20 percent. Can we deliver groceries or meds to them, so they can stay at home? Can we call them on the phone so they don’t feel so isolated? Can we stay at home as much as possible ourselves to avoid becoming carriers?

How can we effectively “Love our neighbor?”

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

Panic has never solved anything. The Bible repeatedly tells us not to fear, but apathy isn’t the way to go either. Maybe we could all dig deep and reach for empathy and remember that God is in control. Those of us who belong to Him need not fear.

Our most recent global crises reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Gifts of Light

Posted on by Wendy

Sunset
Perhaps we are made to crave light both physically and spiritually.

I recently started a new job where I work in a downtown in a small city. As in most downtown areas, there’s lots of pedestrian traffic. Most people, myself included, have to park our cars and walk to wherever we are going. It rained my first four days of work. Most people either carried an umbrella or huddled underneath a raincoat. No one made eye contact. People seemed to be looking down or zoning out as they trudged to wherever they were going.

Even inside the building where I work, the topic of rain randomly popped up in most people’s conversations. We all needed some light.

But, on Friday, the sun came out. The transformation was amazing. I actually took a walk during my lunch break.

There were tons of people out. Folks seemed to have a bounce in their step. I smiled and made eye contact with people and they smiled back. The sun seemed to have made all of the difference. Even on my drive home, people behaved a little better on the road. They were less aggressive and more patient.

On Saturday, I had errands to do and I was shocked at how many people were out. I live in a college town and the college is on spring break so I didn’t expect much traffic. When I grumbled to my hubby about it, he reminded me that it was the first warm sunny day we had in a while and people were more inclined to get out and get things done.

He was right of course. Errands that would have been complete drudgery in the rain, became no big deal in the pretty warm weather.

As I was sitting in church on Sunday and the sun was coming through the windows, a Biblical reminder popped into my head. In Genesis, God’s very first words in the Bible were, “Let there be light.”

It goes on to say, “God saw that the light was good.”

It got me to thinking that maybe we are drawn to the light because God created it and it’s good. It seems to effect our mood and even our actions. Maybe that’s by design.

John 1:4 talks about Jesus and says, “In him was the light of men.” This light is a light for our souls.

So, God designed us to physically and spiritually crave light and He has provided us with both.

After the sermon, as my hubby and I walked to our car and I could feel the warmth on my face and in my heart, I said a prayer of thanks for both.

A sunny Sunday reminded me that God loves us and knows what we need even before we do. But, then, He always has. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Taking a Break

Posted on by Wendy

Last week I left my job of 3 1/2 years to to start a new one. It was a really good move for me, but leaving was hard. I was very attached to the people that I worked with as well as lots of the kiddos and their parents. I started my new job and I’ve met some wonderful people and I’m really excited to be there, but it’s been a long week with very little quiet time or white space, so I don’t have a post this week. I hope to get some rest and see you back here next week.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂