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Backseat Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
What would our lives look like if we let Jesus drive?
What would our lives look like if we let Jesus drive?

My family drove to my parents’ house to celebrate Mother’s Day. The drive takes about and hour-and-a-half. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to take the top off of my hubby’s Jeep.

It was a nice drive down. Being in the front passenger’s side, I was in charge of navigating the radio. I answered to my two teens in the back. Every now and then, I would almost lose my hat, so I had to be mindful of how I held my head.

When we arrived, my very tall son,who was seated behind my hubby, made the comment that his knees were almost under his chin and that we had grown too big as a family, to travel in the Jeep. I laughed. He was crammed in there. Being the shortest in my family, and I’m still not sure how or when that happened, I agreed to ride in the backseat on the trip home.

I learned very quickly, that keeping my hat was going to be an ongoing struggle, so I abandoned it and put it in the floor. My hair kind of blew around my face and I was reminded of boat rides as a kid. I also learned very quickly that I was no longer in charge of the radio and the sun was too bright to fiddle with my cell phone.

For an entire hour-and-a-half, all I had to do was just ride. I had zero responsibility and it was incredibly freeing. I would catch a whiff of jasmine in some spots and honeysuckle in others. I marveled at how blue the sky was and how warm the sun felt on my skin. I observed how green the grass had become and I realized that there are a lot of cows on our route.

None of those things were new or spectacular, but they are observations I would have missed if I hadn’t been in the backseat. They were observations I would have missed if I had been driving or in charge of navigating.

As I said a quiet prayer of thanks for the beauty around me and the wonder that is God, I felt a gentle nudge telling me that the wonder is always available, but I choose to forfeit it when I fight for control. When I worry and fret about the little things and even the big things in life, I miss the wonder. When I feel like I have to fix everything, I miss the beauty. When I feel like I have to say yes to everything and take on way more than I can handle, I surrender peace to chaos.

I was reminded that there is another way. I can choose to let Jesus drive. I can trust that He knows the right path. I can accept that He doesn’t need a navigator; He wants someone who is willing to go along for the ride. He wants someone who can appreciate the wonder along the way and someone who trusts that even in the darkest times, that He’s still in the driver’s seat. He wants someone who has faith that He will get us where we need to go and that He never gets lost.

A ride in the backseat reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

It’s What You Leave Behind

Posted on by Wendy
"It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you" Randy Travis
“It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you; it’s what you leave behind you when you go.” Randy Travis

When the sun came up yesterday morning, I was delighted to see that my yellow irises were blooming. They even have a name, Money. They bloom every year right around my birthday and they are like a birthday wish from heaven.

My maternal grandmother died the month before I was born and so I never got to know her. As time went on, my granddaddy had a companion and her name was Kittie. She became a grandmother to me.

Long after Grandaddy died, we celebrated birthdays and Christmas with her. When I went away to college, she and I exchanged letters once every couple of weeks. We continued that practice until she was placed in a nursing home in her eighties. She was very special to me and I know that God placed her in my life.

She loved irises and grew different types. She entered them into a yearly contest. Sometimes she would complain that they bloomed too soon or that a late frost would mar them, but the yellow ones called, Money, were her favorites. They often won her a ribbon.

After she went home to be with Jesus, her house sat vacant and was set to be torn down. I called her sister and asked if it would be okay if I went and dug up some of her beloved irises. She gave me her blessing and so my hubby and I went and dug up the bulbs.

We planted them in a patch around a tree so I could see them from my kitchen window. They didn’t bloom the first year and then I found a little cat statue with angel wings and placed it in the bed. Kittie loved cats. I could vividly remember her teeheehee, giggle, when I put it there. The next year I was blessed with blooms along with beautiful memories of her.

Now, every year right around my birthday, those blooms pop out. They stand straight and tall as if they are pointing to heaven. They remind me of the importance of those who walk with us along our journey. They remind me that sometimes family doesn’t come to us through blood, but through God’s special blessings. They remind me of a beautiful soul who isn’t here physically anymore, yet her memory remains.

They remind me that life is short and that we need to make our moments count. They remind me of the Randy Travis song, Three Wooden Crosses. “I guess it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you; it’s what you leave behind you when you go.”

That’s easy to forget sometimes in our constant rush, but sometimes it’s good to be reminded. Sometimes it’s good to stop and ask ourselves, “What will we leave behind when we go?” A different kind of Money reminded me today. Perhaps you need reminding too. Let’s make this day count.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Even When You Can’t See Him

Posted on by Wendy
"Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest is we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
“Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest is we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

A couple of days ago, I sat down at my kitchen table and had a pity party. I had just returned from the doctor’s office after a breathing treatment and armed with an antibiotic. My week-long cold had turned into bronchitis and I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

My sweet hubby, bless his heart, was trying to fix me something for lunch even though I had no appetite. When he sat down and joined me, the tears began to fall. Nothing was going right. Why wasn’t God answering my prayers? Weren’t we doing all of the right things? Why were all of my plans failing?

Now, my hubby has spent close to twenty years living with me. He didn’t intervene. He just sat there quietly listening and let me wallow. He didn’t have any answers. He didn’t offer any, but he also didn’t try to make me feel better. I suspect he knew that while I was at a low point, my own faith would help me find the light.

We talked for a little while and he went back to work.

It’s interesting how God can work through our people, those who we hold dear. I didn’t really need for him to point out all of our blessings; I knew they were there. I was just in a dark place at the moment. My hubby knew through his own faith, that he couldn’t get me out, but he knew who could and so he just listened.

I found myself asking God all that day where He was and why I couldn’t feel Him or see Him at the moment. My faith told me He was there, but like a child, I wanted proof.

The next morning, I awoke super early. I couldn’t sleep for some reason, but I felt better. The antibiotic was working. I had the entire day to myself with nothing on the schedule, so I asked God for a quiet day, one where I could seek Him and hear Him.

I did some Yoga as I prayed, in front of a window. It was the first day I could breathe deeply in a week. I kept noticing the wind moving in the trees and I had my answer.

We can’t see the wind, but its power and ability is evident in the world around us. It moves the trees and cools the earth. It makes wind chimes create beautiful music. It can also be quite destructive. Just because we can’t see it, doesn’t make it real and present.

As I was pondering that thought, my eye was drawn to a bush that comes back every year. I have no idea what it is. I didn’t plant it, but it’s beautiful and hardy and comes back on its own. It reminded me that while I do have work to do, God is working too, on things and plans of beauty that I can’t even fathom.

My part is to simply trust and be patient. I felt incredibly encouraged.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Spreading the Fragrance of Christ

Posted on by Wendy
Don't be fooled by these little, unassuming blooms. Their scent is incredible.
Don’t be fooled by these little, unassuming blooms. Their scent is incredible.

I recently visited my parents. They have a huge yard and a ton of really beautiful things were blooming, but my daddy couldn’t stop talking about the tea olive bush. When he pointed it out, I was unimpressed. With all of the bright, showy things blooming, it wasn’t much to look at.

But, he just couldn’t stop talking about its smell. I reluctantly gave it a sniff. My mind was immediately changed. He was right. Those tiny, unassuming flowers were intoxicating and I just couldn’t get enough. Every time I walked by it, I could catch their glorious scent. How had I missed it before?

I was reminded of an incident as a teen involving a plant and my parents. They had this ugly plant called a Night Blooming Cereus, that sat in the corner of our family room, but they tended it lovingly. It only bloomed in the dead of night, once a year and they often missed it. Yet, they still cared for it.

My daddy often went on about the fragrance it gave off and said that he could tell the minute he walked into the room, that it had bloomed.

Well, one magical evening, it bloomed while we were all awake and you would have thought that my mama had just given birth. She must have taken twenty pictures of it.

As a teen, I didn't get it, but now I totally do.
As a teen, I didn’t get it, but now I totally do.

I had a friend over that evening and we laughed and thought my mama was nuts. We really didn’t get her excitement. But, some twenty plus years later, I do.

Just like that tea olive in the front yard, there’s way more to this seemingly unassuming plant than meets the eye. With nurture and love, it produces a beautiful bloom and an intoxicating scent. Those who don’t pay close attention will miss it.

I wonder how many blessings I have let pass me by, because I didn’t take a closer look. I wonder how many people I could have helped bloom if I had have been more persistent in prayer and with nurture. I wonder how many people have a beautiful scent to share if I were to lean in a little closer.

I wonder if I give off an inviting fragrance for Christ. When people lean in a little closer to me, are they pleasantly surprised? What about you? What kind of scent are you giving off?

The Bible tells us, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

That tea olive reminded me to not only lean in a little closer to those around me, but to also ask myself how I’m doing spreading the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Honey vs. Vinegar

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes a gentle approach is much more effective in sharing our faith.
Sometimes a gentle approach can be much more effective when sharing our faith.

A few weeks ago, my hubby and I were shopping at Sam’s Club. I love that store. There are always so many cool things to look at when I’m there.

This particular time, there was a salesperson trying to sell a satellite service. This woman was like a bulldog. The first thing she asked was who our cable television was with. She then proceeded to tell us how much we paid and how her service was so much better. She was in our faces and in our personal space. We couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

As we browsed our way through the store, we wound up in the deli section. There was a Sam’s employee there, rearranging some of the bread. There was a flat bread that my hubby and I were discussing trying. The woman looked over and told us how good it was. She said that when they were doing a demonstration on it, that the employees kept sneaking over to get more, even thought they weren’t supposed to. She told us how she had seen it prepared and that it was delicious. Then she went on about her business.

We bought some of that flat bread and let me tell you, it’s become a delicacy in our house. My entire family loves it and can’t get enough of it. We’ve even made a special trip out to Sam’s to purchase more.

I have been  thinking about the two approaches of those women as well as my reaction to them. That first woman could have been handing out pure gold and I would have missed it because I was so turned off my her approach.

The second woman could have been peddling garbage, but she was so humble and soft-spoken about it, I probably would have given it a try.

Those two women reminded me of how we choose to share Jesus with others. Knowing Him is exciting. Knowing we get to spend eternity with Him in heaven is exciting. Knowing that death isn’t the end for us is exciting. It’s good to be excited about Jesus, but sometimes in our excitement, we can get aggressive like the first salesperson.

In our excitement to share and bring others to Christ, we can invade personal space and even get loud and pushy. Unfortunately, we can push people away from Jesus instead of guiding and pulling them towards Him, even though that wasn’t the intention.

Sometimes the best course is to act like the second salesperson. Share our personal experience. Invite others to try it and then back away.

Because the thing is, the bread we are trying to share, never runs out and I think it’s certainly worth taking a more careful approach when we talk with people about something as important as eternity.

My mama always said you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Perhaps that applies with faith sharing too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

God Knew

Posted on by Wendy
We couldn't have possibly known last summer that South Carolina would have catastrophic flooding. But, God knew.
We couldn’t have possibly known last summer that South Carolina would have catastrophic flooding. But, God knew.

I clicked on the Weather Channel yesterday morning to figure out what I should wear to church. It had been raining for days and was unseasonably cool. But, when the page opened up, the headline made me catch my breath. It read, “Catastrophic Flooding in South Carolina.” What to wear to church was completely forgotten.

A Salkehatchie summer mission trip, to South Carolina, has made a lot of people there very dear to me and my daughter. I silently prayed for their safety as I scrolled through pictures of the horrible devastation that had roads that looked like rivers and Interstate Highways closed, due to flooding.

As the morning went on, I began to think about the couple that we were able to help on that trip. When we arrived, their ceiling was caving in from a roof leak in the front of their house. In the back of their house, the roof had leaked so badly that the floor had rotted completely out and was literally being held up by the carpet.

Another group worked on a house that had a tarp and cement blocks on the roof. No one knows how long it had been there. But, when the Two Rivers’ Director and her team, toured all of the homes of the people who had requested assistance, and there were many, one of the team members spotted the house with the tarp and said he felt led to talk to the owner. Upon learning that he was a disabled Vietnam Veteran and had no means to fix his roof, his house was chosen.

Keep in mind that according to Clemson University statistics, South Carolina has been in drought for 8 out of the last 10 years. But, according to a weather report, the Metro Columbia area, which was where we were working, got 5 to 10 inches of rain in just 24 hours and it was still coming down.

I thought of the couple that we helped. They had needed help for a long time. Their church had reached out to members of the community for assistance, and I’ve no doubt that they had prayed about it. But it wasn’t until last summer that help arrived with a brand new roof and new ceilings and floors on the inside and apparently, just in the nick of time.

There’s no way, that their home could have survived ten plus inches of rain. I suspect they would be homeless now. And the veteran with the tarp on his roof? There’s no way a tarp could have held out that kind of rain either. I suspect he too, may have been homeless, without intervention.

We had no way of knowing in the unprecedented heat wave last June, what was coming in October, but God knew. God knew unprecedented rain would be coming. He hand-picked each one of us and each one of those homeowners. God intervened and each one of us who volunteered allowed Him to intervene through us.

As horrible as all of the flooding is, and it’s bad, God reminded me this morning that He is here and working, even when it seems all is lost. Please join me in prayer for all of the residents of South Carolina. May they stay safe and dry and see blue skies soon. And may they all have the blessing of seeing God at work in the aftermath.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Loving Our Neighbors

Posted on by Wendy
We didn't have to travel far to find neighbors to love.
We didn’t have to travel far to find neighbors to love.

Over the past few days, I’ve written about an amazing ministry that I was able to participate in, in South Carolina. I’ve written about the many volunteers, who graciously gave their time and resources to be the hands and feet of Christ for the week.

Today I’m going to share a little bit about the people we served, the Smiths. The house that I helped work on belonged to an elderly couple. They were both in their eighties. They had been hard workers all of their lives. They even had an in ground pool in the back yard that had trees growing in it. They had a huge garden at one time, that now sat dormant.

I imagine at one time, their home was the talk of their neighborhood. They were members of a fairly large church and only stopped attending when their cars stopped running. Mr. Smith had been a contractor at one time. Mrs. Smith had worked at a fabric store.

They were proud people who simply had the misfortune of getting old and sick. They could easily be my neighbors or yours. They could easily be me someday or maybe you.

When I began picking shingles up off of the ground, Mr. Smith approached me and told me he had a lawn tractor with a cart and he could pull it up for me to load them onto. He said it would take me forever to get it done on my own. He didn’t want a hand out. He wanted to help. He and I spent all afternoon chatting as I loaded shingles and he would drive them to the dumpster for me and wait for me to unload them.

Mrs. Smith stayed inside the house and always invited the girls inside to have coffee with her. She couldn’t stop bragging about how hard they worked.

Their roof had been leaking for quite some time. The ceiling had caved in, in the front and back rooms and the floor had completely rotted out in the back room. Seriously, it was being held up by the carpet.

When everything was replaced and the back room was repainted and carpeted, Mrs. Smith was like a child on Christmas morning. That was the room she spent most of her time in. Having survived two broken hips, she didn’t get out much.

On our last visit to their home, the couple thanked everyone with huge smiles. Mrs. Smith invited us all back to visit. Mr. Smith said something I will never forget. He had emphysema and was very hard to hear, so if you didn’t lean in, you would have missed it.

“I just can’t believe someone like you would ever help someone like me,” he said.

I was stunned. What did he mean, “Someone like him?” What made him feel so different from us? Was it because he was poor? Was it because he was old? Was it because he no longer had his business or health?

As followers of Christ, I don’t know that we always do a good job at loving our neighbors. I often get requests from people to donate to their overseas mission trips to Africa, South America and other far away places. But, what about our neighbors down the street? Can we in good conscience drive by the house with a tarp on the roof because their roof leaks, on the way to the airport to fly to our mission trip?

The story of the Good Samaritan says that our neighbors are anyone who crosses our paths. Are we reaching out to our neighbors? How many people would help others if a program like Salkehatchie existed in their town? What if they were able to serve by paying a couple of hundred bucks and giving their time instead of thousands for a plane flight?

These are issues that have plagued my mind since my return. I think we can do better. I’m going to try to organize some kind of outreach in my own community. Perhaps you are inspired to try something in yours too. Who knows what kind of difference we can make?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Endless Possibilities With God

Posted on by Wendy
The wake up crew.
The wake up crew.

On the first day of my mission trip, we went around the room and introduced ourselves. That kind of thing is usually kind of awkward, but in this case, there was lots of joking. Many of the people already knew each other and everyone was incredibly friendly.

There was one teen in attendance who used a walker. His name was Duncan. He had cerebral palsy and appeared awfully frail to me. To my shame, I wondered  how he could possibly participate. My understanding was that we would be in extreme heat and up on a roof all week. I silently doubted his ability to contribute to the mission. It was a very foolish assumption on my part.

There once was a giant named Goliath who had the misfortune to have underestimated a boy that he thought was small and frail too. He failed to understand that the boy had a heart for God. It proved to be a huge mistake on his part. That small boy changed the fate of Israel for ever.

There was a mighty king of Egypt who doubted that an outcast, shepherd who stuttered, could lead thousands of people out of bondage. He too, underestimated the power of any person, no matter their physical limitations, who has a heart for God.

As it turned out, Duncan was the first teen up every morning and he summoned all of the others, with a trumpet. It was really difficult for the other kids to complain when they dragged themselves out of bed to be met by his cheerful smile.

I also learned there was plenty to do on the work site besides roofing and there were several kids and adults who couldn’t get on a roof for various reasons. Duncan proved to be a dynamo. He scrubbed kitchen walls which hadn’t been scrubbed in over a decade. He painted. He installed cabinet knobs. He helped get roofing nails off of the ground. He even helped leave Salkehatchie’s iconic calling card in a unique way.

Each year, the volunteers leave a reminder behind of their service.
Each year, the volunteers leave a reminder behind of their service.

He never quit early. He stuck it out in the sweltering 100 degree heat with everyone else. His tireless dedication was an inspiration to everyone around him.

One evening the kids were having a scavenger hunt and they were divided into teams. Duncan couldn’t run around with the others, but he sat at the table and thoughtfully read each clue. Time after time, the other teens would return and ask him where they should look. They would lean in as he made a suggestion and off they would go. He was usually right.

God showed His face to me and to all of us, in so many ways that week through this very special boy. He reminded me that everyone is a unique creation of God. We all have a purpose and a part to play in the Kingdom. Duncan played his part beautifully that week.

Duncan also reminded me that, “All things are possible with God.” Sometimes I need a reminder. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Calling All Prayer Warriors

Posted on by Wendy
The world needs more prayer warriors. Are you willing to be one?
The world needs more prayer warriors. Are you willing to be one?

I received a call last night from a friend I hadn’t spoken to in a while. Interestingly enough, I was in the process of writing a post about the importance of making time to stay connected with special people in your life. I am always amazed at God’s timing and how He works in my life. She was filled with worry and anxiety concerning her sister-in-law. She told me she needed a prayer warrior and thought of me.

This is like the third time in the past week or so that someone has referred to me as a prayer warrior. To be honest, I have really never considered myself a warrior of any kind. I’m more of a lover than a fighter and I try to avoid conflict if possible. But, I do believe in the power of prayer with every fiber of my being. I have read about it in the Bible and I have seen it work in my life and in the lives of others way too many times to count.

I looked up the term warrior in a dictionary. The definition is: a person who fights in battles and is known for having courage and skill or one who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause or conflict. I do have courage when it comes to prayer. It comes from being redeemed by Jesus. I do pray throughout the day everyday about just about everything from world conflict to our leaders to other people who are sick or lost and then for my own needs. I usually take the top down approach. I am passionate about prayer and energetic. Perhaps I am a prayer warrior. Perhaps you are too.

Maybe it’s important that we realize and accept that we are in daily spiritual warfare whether we like it or not. We can participate through Bible reading, worship and prayer. When we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit can help guide us in prayer. I like the idea of being a prayer warrior. I like the idea of participating with other Christians in fighting evil. I love the idea of being on a winning team. Make no mistake, God will win in the end.

There will be push back from Satan. But, we can put on the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18 and be protected by the Trinity.

I told my friend I would be happy to pray for her sister-in-law and I’m going to ask my readers and fellow prayer warriors, to do the same. This young woman has accepted a request to go to Sierra Leone, a country in Africa, with a team, to help educate them about preventing the spread of the Ebola virus. She is a strong Christian and feels in her heart that she has been called to help and called to go. She believes that fear and panic can have deadly consequences and that education is super important to stopping the spread of this deadly disease.

She is a newly-wed. Her sweet hubby supports her decision. Her new family supports her decision. The world really needs people who are willing to offer hands-on help. But, they are afraid for her safety and they have asked for prayers. Her name is Carolyn. She leaves next Wednesday, October 22nd to train in Atlanta and then leaves for Sierra Leone on October 28th. She plans to return on Thanksgiving.

Please join me in prayer for this brave young woman. Pray for her safety. Pray for her peace. Pray for Divine guidance while she is there trying to serve others who are desperately in need. Pray for her family here in the U.S. Pray for their peace. Pray that God will put His hand on all of them in this journey and pray that she returns safely on Thanksgiving Day, having made a difference in thousands of people’s lives.

Let’s put on our Armor of God and get started. The world needs us. Will you join me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Still Standing

Posted on by Wendy
There is nothing left of the house, but the chimney is still standing.
There is nothing left of the house, but the chimney is still standing.

I had a really hard day yesterday. My hubby and I had to make a really difficult, but necessary decision. I shared it with some of my heart sisters at church. Everyone who is a Christian is a brother or sister in Christ, but there are some of those people who share a very special place in my heart. I think of them as heart sisters. I can always be honest with them and share my true self. They don’t always expect a plastered on smile. They are the ones who hand me a tissue when I get teary.

They were supportive as I knew in my heart they would be and sad too. They are gifts from God. The really cool the thing about these women is that I don’t have to see them or talk to them often to feel the special bond I have with them. I would love to see them more, but it’s not required. It’s a friendship that has to be forged by our faith.

I never really gave the heart sisters bond that much thought before today. I love them. I love to see them. I’ve always felt close to them, but I never gave the why that much thought. We would probably have never even met each other if it hadn’t been for our church.

Later in the afternoon, my hubby and I decided to take a walk at the Botanical Gardens. I have always found that being out in nature is balm for a hurting soul. Creation is after all, God’s cathedral and it was a stunning day outside, one of those days that you want to give special thanks for, with low humidity, a light breeze and a deep blue sky. For some reason, our teenagers decided to join us. I’m smart enough to know that teens wanting to spend any time with their parents is also a gift from God.

Somehow, we got on a trail that we hadn’t been on before and an hour or so planned stroll, turned into a close  to three hour, seven mile walk. We did stop often to take pictures and enjoy the scenery, but towards the end, we wondered if we would have to camp out. We were exhausted and lost. Would the trail ever reach its destination?

Somewhere near the end, we ran upon this old chimney. It had once been part of a house. There was nothing left of the house. It was surrounded by trees and weeds and wilderness, but the chimney stood proudly, perfectly intact. I couldn’t help but snap a photo. It reminded me of the heart sisters bond.

It doesn’t really matter where we are or how often we see each other, the bond is strong and sturdy like the chimney. It still stands. I find that comforting. When relationships are forged by God, they will stand the test of time and the elements because they are blessed. Certain people are put in our spiritual lives for a reason only God knows, but I sure am thankful for them. The trail did eventually end as all trails and journeys do, and as usual, God had given me food for thought while I was out in nature, seeking Him. I suspect getting lost was part of His plan all along. I would have never seen the chimney otherwise.

Have you ever given much thought to heart sisters or brothers? I’ll bet if you do, some will come to mind. If they do, say a prayer of thanks; they are a special gift.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂