Month: May 2021

Finding Joy in the Journey

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the shortest path isn’t always the best one.

I work at a large university and like all universities, parking is an issue. There’s just not enough of it.  I recently changed jobs at the university.

My last position was downtown. I was so excited to learn that I scored a spot in a lot right across the street from my building. It was so close! But, I quickly learned that being that close wasn’t necessarily a gift. The place where I had to cross the street was the spot where three streets converged. When I went to cross the street each morning, I had a long wait for the light to change. When it did change, almost as soon as I got in the crosswalk, the warning light began to blink and I had to rush to make it across before traffic began to move again.

It was a stressful start to each morning, no matter how short the distance was from my car to my desk.

When I accepted my new position, all of the lots next to my building were full. The closest parking spot for me was in a deck a fairly long way away. According to my Fitbit, it was right at 1,000 steps. I wasn’t super excited about the distance, but what I found was a delightful way to begin each day. The walk was though mature trees of all kinds. There were blooming flowers and chirping birds replaced the sounds of cars. A chipmunk or two ran across my path.

I quickly learned that the fastest way isn’t always the best way. There is beauty in the journey. That longer walk each morning helps me begin each day less stressed. It creates some space to be thankful and breathe. It reminds me to listen. It reminds me to watch for God and to enjoy the twists and turns along the path to where I am headed. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Prayer for Faith

Posted on by Wendy
Don’t miss a single blessing; there are so many!

A few days before a much anticipated celebratory weekend that included a trip to my parents’ house, a visit from my sister, a screening of my daughter’s film for her senior project, a low country boil to celebrate her college graduation, Mother’s Day and graduation, I discovered a lump that shouldn’t have been there.

There was a time in my life when I would likely have been devastated. I would have Googled every possible scenario and been unable to sleep. I would have probably spent lots of time begging God to make it go away. I would have sacrificed the blessings that God gifted me with by focusing on the unknown and not relying on my faith.

I did pray for intervention and healing, but I didn’t start there. This time I asked Jesus to give me peace remembering the verse,  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) I asked Jesus to help me stay focused on Him and not to allow my circumstances to steal my joy because I had so very much to be joyful about and I knew I would never again have those moments. I prayed that He would use whatever the outcome to glorify Him and then I prayed for healing.

Jesus answered my prayers. A deep peace settled over me. I had a wonderful weekend and celebrated to the fullest. I laughed a lot, ate great food, took lots of pictures and made memories that will stay with me forever. I felt nothing, but pure joy when I hugged my mama on Mother’s Day, and when my daughter unwrapped her graduation gifts and when she walked across the stage, officially becoming an adult.

I started a brand new job two days after graduation and I was still at peace when I met my new co-workers and settled into my new office. When the day came to get everything checked out, I met another woman in the waiting room and we discussed our faith and how we knew that everything would be ok, no matter the outcome. I knew that God had put her there.

Turned out, that the lump was nothing, completely benign and I said a prayer of thanks, not just for the outcome, but because of the peace that I felt during the entire ordeal and when I got into the car, the song, “I Will Praise You in the Storm,” was playing and I felt complete gratitude wash over me.

I was reminded that on this side of eternity, we will always have joy and pain mingled together. That’s a guarantee. What we decide to focus on, is up to us. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

No Post Today

Posted on by Wendy

Last Saturday, my family had a celebration for my daughter’s college graduation. On Sunday, we celebrated Mother’s Day with my mom. On Monday, my daughter graduated and on Wednesday, I started a new job. I had a really blessed and busy week and very little quiet time to reflect and write, so I don’t have a post today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and hope to meet back here next week.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Lessons from a Hummingbird

Posted on by Wendy
God’s promises don’t change simply because we can’t see the end from somewhere in the middle.

One morning last week, as I tiptoed into the kitchen to get my morning coffee, a little red dot at the window caught my eye and I found myself grinning as I thanked God for the good morning from Him. I had been praying that He would show Himself that morning. We had been through a couple of dark and stormy days and I had been cooped up in the house.

A couple of weeks earlier, I spotted a lone hummingbird in my yard. I love those little bossy birds and when I see the first one of the season, it becomes official in my mind, that summer, my very favorite time of the year, is coming. I quickly went inside, pulled out my feeder and made the sugar water concoction that they enjoy and then I waited.

A week passed with no visitors. I dumped it out and refilled it. Another week passed with no birds. The rains came. And then, out of the corner of my eye, early that morning, I spotted one with his ruby red throat, taking a sip. He flew away the minute he saw me, but it was too late, hope bloomed and joy filled my heart.

God had been listening all along as He always does. Even as I made the nectar and then had to dump it and make more, God was at work, planning. He rewarded my faithfulness even as I grumbled about it, even as I doubted. Did I really even see the first one? Maybe I was mistaken.

How often do we do doubt what we know we are called to do, when we don’t get any results from our work? Do we doubt the calling? Did I really hear God right? Sometimes I pray really hard about something and when I get the answer, I proceed, but then things get rough and I don’t feel blessings raining down and I question. Maybe you do too? Then, I will pray hard for even more validation and I am sometimes met with silence.

Yet, how I proceed from that point makes all the difference. Do I continue to trust God or do I put my trust in my current circumstances and act accordingly? If I am honest, I have done both. Looking back, I wonder how many blessings I missed out on when I decided to trust my own judgement that has been clouded simply by what I see before me. I allow myself to forget that I am confined to the here and now. God is not.

Thankfully, God is always willing to give me second chances. He is faithful even when I am not. His mercies are new every morning. That particular morning I was reminded. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂