Author: Wendy

The Gift of Empathy

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the smallest amount of light can make all of the difference.

I received a text early one morning last week, that my co-worker had an ear ache. She was in lots of pain and was going to the doctor. I felt horrible for her. I had frequent ear infections as a child. They were terribly painful. I can remember doctor visits, ear drops and yucky pink medicine. I can remember my Mama rocking me in the middle of the night to try to soothe the pain and comfort me.

Those long nights as a child, have given me deep empathy for someone suffering from ear pain.

As an adult, I have come to see empathy as a gift that comes from personal circumstances and sometimes suffering, that can turn into deep, heartfelt encouragement for others in similar situations.

Have you ever noticed that some of the people who shine the brightest light have been through some really dark times? Those who have been through deep personal turmoil and called out to God and walked out on the other side, not only have a story to share, but they have a unique empathy because they have been there. They truly understand.

That’s why mommy groups, cancer survivor groups and groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, work so well.

There will always be suffering and turmoil on this side of Eternity. We can spend our time shaking our fists at the sky and ask, “Why me?” or we can call out to God and reach out to others who have been there. We can receive comfort and encouragement from both.

When we get through it, we have two choices. We can harden our hearts and close that door and lock it tightly. We can become angry and bitter or we can allow it to change us in a good way. We can allow our suffering to be used to help others in similar circumstances. We can become a blessing to those in need. We can listen, encourage and offer comfort and understanding. We can offer witness that God is still in charge and still good.

We can shine a brighter light than ever before because in the end, the darkness does not win. Light will always be triumphant. A text from a friend reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Choosing to Be Malleable

Posted on by Wendy
Clay is rigid. Once it becomes a bowl, it’s always a bowl.

We sang a song in church on Sunday called, “The Potter’s Hands.” It talks about being made and molded by God’s hands. It’s beautiful imagery. The idea of God as a potter and His people as clay is always a reminder that the clay doesn’t get to decide what kind of art it becomes. The clay must be content in knowing that the potter has a plan.

As we were singing, I was reminded of a recent conversation with a friend of mine who has retired and struggling a bit on the next chapter. Transition and change is always hard even if it’s good change.

If God has used you in a certain way, for His glory, for many years, and that path comes to an end, what’s next? Is the Potter done with you? Does He put you up on a shelf until it’s time to call you home?

These are questions that can plague us when chapters in our lives come to an end.

I have no doubt that the answer to these questions is no. God is always at work and there is no expiration date on our usefulness to Him. It’s really more about our availability and flexibility.

After church, when that song was still on my mind, I thought of a post I wrote several years ago. I had come to the conclusion that we are really meant to be more like Play-Doh than clay. Clay gets hard and dries out. Once it’s been made a bowl, it will always be a bowl.

But, Play-Doh, can be a cup, a bowl, a bird, or whatever the artist wants it to be. It can always be rolled back up into a ball and be made into an entirely new creation.

As Christians, we can choose to be either. We can choose to believe that God has only one life calling for us and when we’ve seen that through, He’s done with us. We can be rigid and unbending or we can choose to be malleable in His hands, accepting that life is always changing and therefore He might change His way of using us for His glory.

We are still a type of clay in the Artist’s hands, but a type that is useful until our last breath on this side of Eternity, being made into something entirely new whenever He sees fit.

The choice is ours to make. A song reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Standing on the Promises

Posted on by Wendy
“The grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

When I write in this space, it’s usually to share glimpses of God that I have witnessed, with fellow Christ followers or those who may be seeking Him. I like to try to share encouragement and hope with those who may desperately need it, hope that God has a plan and that He’s always busy working, even when we can’t see Him.

Sometimes I hear about an account that is simply too powerful not to share. I heard one a few days ago.

Early Sunday morning, March 5th, a small church in rural West Virginia caught on fire. Firefighters from several fire departments worked for hours to battle the blaze. The fire burned so hot at times, that the firefighters had to retreat.

The pastor, Reverend Phil Farrington, who had been notified, sat on the ground and wept as he watched his church burn. The building sustained heavy damage, but when the firemen went in to investigate, they were surprised to find almost two dozen Bibles, unharmed. They were scattered around the sanctuary, mostly in the backs of seats.

The shocked firemen piled them up and took pictures of the miracle.

Reverend Farrington saw it as a sign from God and said, “In the midst of the fire, God’s word will always stand.”

Interestingly enough, there were three crosses that didn’t burn either. Two were made of wood and hanging on the walls.

The Coal City Fire Department put on their Facebook page, “Though odds were against us, God was not. Not a single Bible was burned and not a single cross was harmed! Not a single firefighter was hurt!”

I love this story. It speaks to believers and doubters. Bibles are made of paper. There isn’t a single, logical, physical, reason, why they didn’t burn, not one of them. But, faith isn’t always logical and it’s much more about the spiritual than the physical.

God’s Word has come under a different kind of fire lately. There are those who say it’s outdated, or doesn’t matter, or that God has changed since it was written, yet the Bible itself tells us that God doesn’t change and that His laws, plans, and thanks be to God, mercy, grace and love, are still in play.

As Christians, we can hold tight to that fact along with what the firefighters’ said, “Though odds were against us, God was not.” Deep in our hearts, that’s all we really need to know.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Trusting the Giver

Posted on by Wendy
Anything placed in God’s hands, is always enough.

Last Sunday, during choir practice, we only had two sopranos show up. I don’t read music. I suspect that the fact that I got invited to be in the choir in the first place, had much more to do with my passion for singing than my actual abilities. Not to mention, the choir was really small at the time and they needed more people.

I have always made it known that my sweet spot is standing between two strong sopranos. But, alas, last Sunday, there were just two of us. Thankfully, the lady who did show up is very strong and she reads music. I let out a little sigh of relief.

When we began singing our song for the day, imagine my surprise, when she leaned over and whispered, “I’m following you.” I chuckled as I leaned back over and told her, that we would be going off the cliff together and we would be like “Thelma and Louise.” She got tickled at that remark.

We did okay, the two of us, but I thought about our exchange, long after we finished singing.

I’ve been participating in choir for over five years now, but I’m still very unsure of what I’m doing. I want backup. I want a safety net. Why is it that we are sometimes so hesitant to believe in our abilities when it has to do with serving God?

We go to school and we learn a trade or get a degree, then we go to work everyday. We learn new tasks and a couple of months into it, we are fairly confident. After a couple of years, we can often know enough to train someone else.

Why is our faith walk so different? Why are we afraid to share our faith or teach our faith after spending years in church? We don’t have to be Bible scholars to share the Gospel, yet we tend to hesitate. We always feel like there’s someone who is more qualified than we are.

At what point do we consider ourselves qualified enough? In fact, God has a long history of calling the seemingly unqualified, Abraham, Moses and Esther had all kinds of inadequacies, yet in God’s hands they did great things. What about the little boy with the fishes and loaves? Want to talk about not having enough? But, when he put it in God’s hands, there was more than the crowd could eat.

We have to remember in the end, it’s not about us and the abilities or resources that we have or don’t have; it’s about the God who we serve and when we hand it all over to Him, there’s always plenty.

A friend in the choir reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Recognizing the Signs

Posted on by Wendy
God has a long history of using Creation to communicate with His followers.

A friend of mine recently asked me if I believe in signs. Do I believe that the Creator of heaven and earth and all the creatures in it, can use His creation to communicate with His followers? Not to mention, there’s even a talking donkey in the Bible and God sent ravens to feed Elijah?

I told her yes, without a doubt.

She proceeded to tell me about her mother and grandmother who were driving to a hospital for her grandmother’s knee surgery. It had already been postponed one time and her grandmother is in her eighties. The ladies had refused to come and spend the night with my friend the night before, so they had to leave home at 4:00 AM.

When they got on the road, it was still dark outside. A little ways into their trip, a dove flew right in front of their windshield, close enough where both women could see it. They immediately felt that God was with them and a sense of peace.

The surgery went well and her grandmother is recovering, but that dove left a lasting impression on my friend, so much that she shared with me.

I told her that God often shows Himself to me through hawks. I can take a walk and be diligently praying about something and a hawk will cross my path, so closely that I can’t help, but see it and I’m always filled with His presence.

I was thinking about our conversation last weekend, when I was able to get outside for a rare walk. I was giving thanks for the sun and the warmth and praying for guidance on my next steps in the season I am in. I came to my neighbor’s house with a blue bow on the mailbox. They were outside with their five-year-old daughter and their brand new baby boy. I stopped to talk to them and take a peek at the baby.

He was adorable and I was caught by surprise at my own memories of holding my son that suddenly flooded my thoughts. He will graduate from high school in a couple of months and my nest will be empty.

But, after a few minutes of talking with them, their five-year-old excitedly said, “Look!” and pointed across the street. A big hawk flew from over the neighbor’s house and landed in a tree, right where we could all see it.

I smiled, filled with peace and headed home.

Do I believe God can use whatever means He chooses to communicate with His followers? That’s a hundred percent yes. I just wonder how often we miss it. Thankfully, a five-year-old pointed it out to me. Maybe you needed someone to remind you to look today too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Rainy Day Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
Flowers always require rain to bloom.

Yesterday, as I headed to my car after work, it was raining, again. I dug around my bag and found my umbrella, again. It’s gotten an awful lot of use over the past few months. Sigh. I knew the rain was coming. It had been forecasted, still, I wasn’t happy to see it.

When I was driving to work that morning, I prayed that God would show Himself. It had been a long week and I was bone tired. I was greeted with a spectacular, bright pink sky. It was gorgeous and I was thankful, but as I headed home, the skies were gray once again. I was so tired of the rain.

Yet, as I grumpily drove, I couldn’t help but notice, the daffodils that were blooming all over the side of the road. There were also brightly colored yellow bell bushes along my path. When I turned into my neighborhood, there were tall, white Bradford Pear trees that were covered in blooms.

Creation had definitely begun to awaken from it’s winter slumber and as usual, it was stunning. I had to grudgingly admit that the copious amount of rain had to have played a part in the beauty that I was being blessed with.

A few weeks ago, when the rain was pouring for days on end, spring was nowhere in sight. The entire world was dark and gloomy and I wanted sunshine and rescue from the seemingly endless downpours. It was February and it was dark and cold; spring felt like a very distant hope.

Yet, on the last day of February, I marveled at the beauty the rain had helped to create.

I felt a little heart nudge that reminded me of my morning prayer for God to show Himself. I had prayed and almost immediately, my prayer was answered and I could feel His presence. I love those kinds of moments, immediate gratification, who doesn’t?

But, He was also present in the gray, cold rain. I had to look a little harder to find Him, but He was there. He was there in all of the beautiful spring color, but He was also there before there was any color, preparing for the beauty that He knew was coming.

I couldn’t see it during the rainy weeks in February, but He was at work. He’s always at work. The early spring blooms reminded me that people, just like the earth, require a certain amount of rain to bloom and it’s not always pretty. It’s sometimes messy and uncomfortable.

Faith teaches us that spring always comes, no matter how dark and rainy the winter might be. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Perfection Deception

Posted on by Wendy
The quest for perfection will always frustrate us on this side of Eternity.

Next Friday, the elementary school where I work, is having a book dress up day. It coincides with Dr. Seuss’s birthday. The different grade levels are picking book characters to dress up as and there will be a parade. Elementary schools still do some cool and fun activities because being a kiddo and learning is supposed to be fun.

Those of us older folks, who happen to work in the office, were encouraged to participate as well, which we of course, happily agreed to. Life is serious enough. We didn’t want to miss an opportunity to play along with the littles and who doesn’t love a parade?

After much discussion and combing Pinterest, we decided on 101 Dalmatians. It would be fairly easy to put together and we all knew the story well from our own childhood.

All I had to do was buy a plain white t-shirt and cover it in black spots. That’s a simple enough task. I got the shirt, put it in the washer and when it was dry, got ready to cover it in spots.

But, I had to decide whether to use a fabric marker or fabric paint. After several doodles on a different piece of fabric, I settled on the paint. Then I got started on the first spot. Was it too small? Was it a perfect circle? Where should the next spot go? Was it too close or too far away? Then there was the third. Was I making a weird pattern? Should they all be close to the same size?

After driving myself crazy for a little while, I picked up the book that I had since I was a kid, and was reminded that no two dalmatians look alike and that some had lots of spots and some had very few and the patterns were all over the place. Thank-you Walt Disney.

I knew this of course, but how had I forgotten? How had I allowed such a seemingly easy task, to cause me such unneeded stress?

I knew the answer: It’s the quest for perfection.

It’s a doomed quest that many of us needlessly saddle ourselves with, the perfect body, the perfect smile, the perfect hair, the perfect outfit, the perfect spouse, the perfect kids, the perfect job, the perfect church, the list is endless.

We sometimes forget that we are travelers here. Our permanent residence is in heaven where perfection lives because God is perfect, but on this side of Eternity, we are broken and nothing is perfect, although there are times when we will create all kinds of unneeded chaos trying to achieve it.

A dalmatian t-shirt reminded me that life here on planet earth is never perfect and trying to achieve perfection here will always wear us out. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Seeing the Light in the Difficult Times

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes when we are forced to be still, we hear and see things we would have otherwise missed.

Sunday morning I awakened by a throbbing migraine. I have had them since my freshman year in college. My mama has them. My granddaddy had them. Over the years, I’ve learned to feel one coming on and I can head it off by taking medication early, before it gets bad. After it gets bad, there isn’t much to do besides, sit in the darkness with an ice pack on my head.

Because of my learned coping strategies, it’s been a long time since one has really knocked me off of my feet, but this one was sneaky and it came during the night. I tossed and turned as it got worse and it wasn’t until it became more than I could stand, that I finally got up and took something.

Of course, it was too late at that point and I had to get an ice pack and go right back to bed. An hour later, I finally trudged into the kitchen for some coffee to continue the fight. It was a little better, but still there. I sat at the kitchen table in semi-darkness, lamenting the fact that I would miss church and probably the work out I had promised myself.

I knew very well that my day would be slowed down to a turtle crawl at best and a day on the sofa at worst.

As I began to drinking my second cup of coffee, I could hear nothing but silence and the ticking of a clock. The sky through my windows began to brighten and the sun came out. It had been raining for days, so my soul felt a little lighter. Then a deer walking the fence line caught my eye. I sat mesmerized watching her, wondering what had caught her attention.

If I hadn’t felt confined to the chair, I would have been up emptying the dishwasher.

I likely would have missed the sun breaking through the clouds and the deer.

A little while later, I went to let the dogs out and it felt like a cool spring morning. I grabbed a blanket and went out to the porch to sit and I could hear the creek behind our house. It doesn’t normally have enough water to make a gurgling sound, but the recent rains had given it a beautiful voice, one I would have missed if I hadn’t had the headache.

As I sat, bundled up in the cool morning air, I felt thankful and blessed, not for the migraine. No one is thankful for a migraine or any other sickness or crises in their lives. But, I was thankful that in the stillness I was able to see God. I was able to see beauty. I was able to find peace.

The Bible tells us over and over that we never walk alone and most believers know that it’s true on some level, but it’s often the darkest times when we are really reminded, when we can really feel and see that promise.

A migraine reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Accessing Joy

Posted on by Wendy
Christian joy has never been dependent on our circumstances.

Yesterday, I knew early on, that it was going to be one of those days. I finished getting ready for work late. I didn’t have time for my morning devotional and as I went to get my wedding rings from my jewelry box, they weren’t there. I knew immediately where they were. I had put them in the pocket of my pants while I was cooking supper and left them there.

One might surmise that I have done this before…but, when I dashed to the hamper to retrieve them, I remembered that I had already put those clothes in the washer with plans to wash them after work and so I raced to the washer and dug through the laundry until I found them.

I jammed them on my finger and sprinted out the door. I knew I was setting myself up for a bad day. I intentionally get up in the mornings with ample time to read a devotion and some scripture, to have breakfast and drink some coffee. All my years traveling around the sun have taught me that I’m the best me, when I am not rushing and have prepared myself both physically and spiritually for whatever my day may hold.

But, yesterday everything was off. As I pulled out of my driveway into the cold incessant rain, I prayed for an extra measure of grace and that God would show me His face that day.

I wasn’t at work long before I had to rush out to a meeting, late again, but this time because I was talking to a mom who I felt truly needed a compassionate ear. The room was packed when I arrived and the meeting ran long, and we’ll just say it wasn’t a meeting where everyone learns they are getting a giant bonus.

I left the meeting trudging back into that steady, cold rain and after a work errand, headed back to my own desk. The day so far, had been just as I had anticipated. I prayed for an extra measure of peace.

When lunch rolled around, we had parents coming in to see their children and have lunch with them. Everyone who came in commented on the grim weather. And then one of our mentors arrived. She comes once a week and has lunch with one of our kiddos. She comes because she wants to give of her time and herself, and this particular mentor, comes because she loves Jesus.

She had bright smile and while she did comment about the weather, she said, “Ladies, we need to find the joy.” Then she left.

Her words stuck with me for the rest of the day, partially because I know where her joy comes from and partially because it was true and partially because she was an answer to my morning prayer.

Yes, this day, I had enough sense to see it.

I asked God to show Himself and He did. He sent a representative to remind me of His truth. Christian joy has never been determined by our circumstances, because it comes from somewhere much deeper, somewhere that is never dependent on worldly matters, because it doesn’t come from this world.

Because of someone’s encouraging words, my day did get brighter and I did reach deep and find that joy. I was so thankful she reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Appreciating the Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
Taking time to appreciate our blessings, is a way of giving thanks to the One who gave them to us.

One day late last week, the meteorologists in our area began to forecast rain and when I say rain, I mean they were talking five to seven inches of rain over the next week. Everyone at work grumbled at the news. Lots of people on Facebook grumbled. Georgia has had a very wet winter and it appeared the trend would continue.

Saturday morning started out cloudy, as expected, but as the day progressed, the sun came out and by 1:00 it was beautiful and sunny. I received a text from a friend telling me she was outside soaking up the sun and hoped I was doing the same.

I wasn’t doing the same. I had been running around doing errands and when I arrived home, I planned on taking a walk and then checking off my long to do list.

But, I was so tired. I hadn’t gotten enough sleep the week before and my deck looked really inviting. I decided to have lunch outside and then get busy. It was 70 degrees out there and I lingered after lunch. My hubby decided that it was a perfect day to cook on his smoker, so he did.

Then he brought some cushions out to put on our outdoor furniture. I decided to sit with him for a few minutes while he ate his lunch, then I would get busy.

One of my dogs jumped up and sat down beside me and she and I enjoyed the sun, for just a few more minutes.

But, then my son came out with his lunch, so I decided to sit with him while he ate, then I would get busy.

We chatted and laughed as the minutes kept ticking by and I don’t know when I have been so relaxed.

When my son decided to go back inside and my dog and I remained, an idea bubbled in my heart. When we know rain is coming and we are given the blessing of beautiful sunshine in advance, isn’t it wrong not to appreciate it?

I had been praying about being so tired and here was an opportunity to rest, was I really not going to take it? How many blessings do we miss while we are busy doing what we consider more important at the moment?

Let’s face it, our to do lists are never done. When we actually make it to the bottom, don’t we always start a new one? And will those lists have any significance at all in five years?

A sunny, warm day in February, with family and furry babies to share it with, is a gift. We should really take the time to enjoy what we have given and be thankful. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂