Category: Building Christian Character

As Christians, people should be able to look at us and see Christ. People should be able to see who we serve in the way we act.

Autumn Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
The oak tree in fall reminds us to walk at our own pace. God’s timing is always perfect.

As I was walking through campus last week, I couldn’t help but to admire the beautiful fall trees. There were tall tees and short trees, old ones and young ones, all participating in the stunning fall art show. The leaves ranged from tiny to huge and the colors were all over the spectrum. There were reds, yellows and oranges. Some of the trees were almost bare, having dropped their leaves early. Then, I passed by an oak, that was still mostly green and hadn’t really started to drop its leaves at all.

I marveled a moment at the mighty oak. I doubted that it really mattered to it what the other trees were doing, and whether it was ahead or behind in the seasonal show. When the time comes, it too, will play its brilliant part.

I immediately thought about one of my students who I had spoken with earlier in the week. She told me that all of her roommates and everyone she knew, had it together, knew exactly what they wanted to do and were going to graduate early. She felt that she was behind. I gently pointed out to her that in real life, there is no behind; we are all figuring it out at our own pace and we will all get there.

I also reminded her that social media is just about all, make-believe. Everyone’s life looks perfect on Instagram. She acknowledged the truth in that statement as we made a plan for her next semester.

I often wonder what it is about humanity that makes us determined to compare ourselves to each other. I don’t think there is anything that can kill peace and joy more quickly than comparison, but we tend to be suckers for punishment.

One walk out in creation can remind us that God loves variety. He has His own timing and it is always good. The trees are all sizes and shapes, just like we are. They bloom at different times. Some trees are evergreen and don’t drop their leaves at all and the ones that do, drop them at their own pace and it is good.

There would be nothing magical about the fall if the leaves all fell in the same week or if they were all the same color. The season is beautiful because every tree is different, just the way God intended.

The fall season reminds me to appreciate where I am in life and that comparison is really about questioning God’s plans and His timing for us. The Bible tells us they are always good. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Spider Lily Reminders

Posted on by Wendy
When we walk with Jesus, we should always expect the unexpected.

I was taking a walk last week around the campus where I work. As we approach fall, there’s not a lot blooming. There’s a lot of green still and a few leaves are falling, but there’s not much color yet.

The entire world is embracing orange these days. Pumpkins and pumpkin spice are the flavors of the month. We long for the cooler temps and brightly colored leaves that usher in the fall season.

So when I happened upon a patch  of brightly colored hot pink spider lilies I just had to smile and take a photo. The calendar may say it’s time for the autumnal equinox, but nature seems to have other plans.

I’ve always enjoyed those whimsical flowers. They look like something Dr. Seuss would have dreamed up. The fact that they appear in the fall, really makes me smile.

They remind me that it doesn’t matter how much we plan. We can want a new season to begin with every fiber of our being, but in the end, it’s all in God’s hands. Our desire for control can be so very costly, because in the end, we have very little of it. God apparently likes a shot of bright fuchsia in His fall palette of colors even if the retailers do not.

I’ve learned to expect the unexpected when walking with Jesus and I’m even learning to embrace it. So, I smile at those whimsical bright spider lilies and peacefully wonder, what other surprises might be in store in the coming season. There’s really no way for me to know, but He knows and that’s enough.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Rainy Day Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
As people of faith, we never walk alone.

One day last week, the school where I work, hosted a welcome back event to kick off the fall semester. We engaged the Chick-fil-A truck and our school mascot. We invited all of the students as well as our faculty and staff. It was a beautiful day and we had a big turn out.

For about an hour, it was an ideal event.

Then the clouds quickly moved in and we heard a loud thunder clap. In almost no time, the rain came down in buckets and most people scattered. We took down the tables and chairs and moved inside. The sweet Chick-fil-A people brought us all of the remainder of our sandwiches in warming bags.

The event was effectively over an hour earlier than advertised.

When I went back outside to see if we had missed anything, there were two disappointed girls walking slowly towards the now empty area where all of the fun had been. They were wearing raincoats and looked a little shocked. I asked them if they had come for the event. They said they had been walking our way when it began to rain, but they were so close that they just kept walking.

The only thing they saw was an empty lot, but I knew there was more.

I told them there were plenty of sandwiches and drinks left inside the building and I invited them in. It was a joy to see them light up at the news.

There were other students inside who welcomed them. They were excited to learn they hadn’t missed it after all and they sat down and ate.

I thought about those two late arrivals long after I went home and changed into dry clothes. I thought about how often we give up on something because we think we missed our chance. How often was what we were looking for just right around the corner?

Rain is a guarantee on this side of eternity, but as people of faith, we never walk alone. God walks with us and He sends us people along the way to point us to shelter when we need it and sometimes He sends us blessings when we least expect it. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Plant Anyway

Posted on by Wendy
When we plant, we are placing hope and faith in the future.

I was recently eating a pear that I had picked from a tree at my Mama’s and Daddy’s house. It was sweet and super juicy, so much so that I had to grab an extra napkin. I have looked forward to eating those pears every year in late summer, since I can remember and it made me think of my grandmother who planted it.

I wonder if she had any idea that over fifty years later, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren would  still be enjoying the fruit from that tree or that the tree would still be producing so much fruit that its branches have to be supported because of all of the weight.

I am told that she ordered that tree from a catalog. She planned for it, waited for it to arrive, dug a hole and planted it in just the right spot.

She also planted scuppernong vines in several different places. One of them in particular, had big delicious golden berries. When I was growing up, my mama, sister and I would fill huge bowls with them in the early fall. I looked so forward to it. We would eat as many as we picked and when I remember those moments, my heart always fills up with joy and gratitude.

My brother is nine years younger than I am and he also has wonderful memories of the fruit that vine produced.

My grandmother didn’t live to see or taste the fruit of the many trees and vines she planted. A heart attack took her away before I was even born, but the fruit she planted lived on long after her physical body had passed and some of it still does.

My hubby and I have even been talking about taking a cutting of the pear tree to create a whole new tree, something that would have never even been possible if  my grandmother hadn’t decided to take a chance and plant something.

We live in a world of instant gratification. We like to see the fruits of our labor immediately, from our careers, to weight loss, to relationships, if we don’t see measurable results fast, we consider our efforts, if not ourselves, a failure.

Maybe our high-tech busy living, has given us a faulty sense of reasoning. That old pear tree reminds me that God sometimes calls us to move a little more slowly, to take the time to plant many things and to become comfortable with the fact that some of what we plant won’t grow. We should plant anyway.

It also reminds me that we may never see the fruit of some of what we plant, but that doesn’t make the fruit any less amazing. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

When the Prayers Went Up the Smoke Went Down

Posted on by Wendy
We worship the God of possible.

I recently attended a weekend conference for my job. I went prepared to meet lots of people, eat lots of food and to participate in light chit chat for a couple of days, which I did. What I wasn’t prepared for was a beautiful testimony of God at work.

On my second night there, I met a woman who has a son at the University of Georgia. She shared with me a fun story about how his summer internship took him to the maker of the Heisman trophy and he actually was able to hold one. They even gifted him with a big gold bulldog. We laughed about how she told him it needed to come back to her house and not go to his fraternity house.

Dinner was announced a short time later and we ended up in line together and I asked her to share her story with my co-worker. We all shared a laugh and ended up at the same table for dinner.

During dinner, she made a comment about having a keen sense of smell before her accident. My co-worker asked her what happened. She casually told us that she had been hit in the head by a fork-life and showed us the indention in her head that she still carried.

Then she told us her story. She told us about being in the hospital for a month and not knowing who her  children and husband were. She told us about a long recovery and as she did, she leaned over and put her hand on my arm and looked me in the eyes with tears in hers and said, “Don’t let anyone tell you that God is not still in the miracle business.”

She said that it all happened in 2007, when much of South Georgia was on fire. When the paramedics arrived they knew immediately that she need to be life flighted to Florida, but the helicopter pilot told them there was way too much smoke to fly.

She said, “but as the prayers went up, the smoke went down.”

She arrived safely in Florida, but they didn’t hold out a lot of hope with her head injury. When she went back to the hospital many months later, her care team was astonished to see her fully functioning. Her surgeon told her he had no explanation for her recovery.

But, she knew and fifteen years later, she was still sharing her story of God’s mercy and glory with complete strangers.

I learned a lot at that conference, but I’ve no doubt that the story of faith and grace shared by a complete stranger will remain with me always, along with her words, “when the prayers went up, the smoke went down.” They serve as a simple, but powerful reminder that nothing is impossible with God. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Exodus Reminders

Posted on by Wendy
When we freely give in obedience, there is always more than enough.

I’ve been reading an online Bible study on the Book of Exodus. Exodus is one of those books with lots of action. There are ten plagues; the Red Sea parts; manna falls from Heaven and the Ten Commandments are given, just to name some highlights.

There are accounts in Exodus that people just never forget no matter how young they may be when they hear them.

As I get older and read Exodus, the more subtle details jump out at me. In Chapter 12, the Israelites are leaving in a hurry. They grabbed their dough before they even added yeast or had time to bake it. Yet, Moses tells them to go and ask their neighbors for silver, gold and clothing.

Moses was just following orders. God told him back in Chapter 3, “Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:22

Then in Exodus 11:2, “Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”

These people were finally getting out of slavery. Moses was leading them to the Promised Land. I just find it odd that God wanted them to take the time it took to knock on their neighbor’s doors, (their neighbors who had just lost their first born son) and ask for silver and gold and clothes.

But, God is not a God of haste or panic. He is always working and always has a plan. The Israelites obeyed and they took all of that silver and gold and eventually took it across the Red Sea and into the desert.

What in the world were they going to do with those things in the desert?

When I read Chapter 36, the dots all connected. God had plans for a tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant and they were elaborate and ornate. Moses asked the Israelites who were willing, to bring their jewelry of all kinds and linen and yarn and the text says they gave freely day after day. The skilled workers told Moses they had more than enough and and Moses commanded them to stop.

I’ll have to admit, I have skimmed over this chapter in the past.

There are quite a few chapters that give exact measurements for every nook and cranny including the clothes for the priests and I found it kind of boring, but two things really spoke to me this time.

The first is that God always has a plan. Even when we think that we are performing mundane or ridiculous tasks, He will use our obedience for His glory. The second is that all that we have is His. The Israelites wouldn’t have even had all of that plunder without God’s intervention, but they didn’t hold on tightly to it. They gave it freely, day after day and there was more than enough.

These are lessons worth remembering. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Water Bottle Revelations

Posted on by Wendy
Even though the top is just slightly off, water will likely leak everywhere.

I was recently sitting at my desk eating lunch when I reached for my water bottle. Right before I picked it up, I noticed that I hadn’t screwed the top on correctly. It didn’t seem like a big deal; it was just slightly off, but there was a good chance when I went to take a drink of that completely full water bottle, that water was going to leak all over me.

Something about that slightly off bottle top, got me to thinking about my morning spiritual routine.

On most mornings, I sit quietly, eat my breakfast, drink my coffee and spend some time with a daily devotional or two and pray. I find that when I do that, I am ready to deal with almost anything that life may throw at me that day. I am less likely to get annoyed in traffic, less likely to get my feelings hurt by some offhanded comment and less likely to get aggravated in general.

It’s fairly easy to let daily annoyances go.

But, some days I run late and I don’t have as much quiet time and sometimes I don’t have any. I may look the same when I leave my house, but I am not the same.

On those days, I am much more likely to let little things bother me because I didn’t start from a solid place of peace to begin with.

As I was looking at my water bottle, I thought about the Armor of God, found in Ephesians. Paul says in his letter: “ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. “ Ephesians 6:10-12

I think we sometimes forget in our busy modern lives that there is a constant unseen battle going on between good and evil. Paul goes onto describe all of the different parts of armor that we need to wear daily as Christians, to protect ourselves.

But, there is only one piece that can be used offensively and that’s the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Should I be at all surprised when I leave my spiritual sword at home for the day, that the enemy would take extra shots at me? Why wouldn’t he?

Would I leave home without my cell phone? Why would I leave home without my spiritual sword?

A water bottle with a slightly off top, reminded me that leaving home without all of the armor available to me can leave me open to a messy day. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too,

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Seeking and Finding

Posted on by Wendy
God reveals Himself to those who seek Him in countless ways.

One morning last week, I was driving to an event for work. I was praying about several areas in my life where I needed both God’s intervention and His guidance. As I prayed, it began to rain and as the drops hit my windshield, I was reminded of the prayers from Psalms, so I gave thanks for the rain.

After that, I gave thanks that I woke up that morning, and I gave thanks for my health, and my family’s health, and for my car that runs, and for my job. The more I named, the more I thought of; it was as if naming the blessings made them multiply.

Next, like the Psalmist often does, I thanked God for the many times in the past that He has intervened on my behalf and the countless prayers He has answered. Then I found myself praying for my parents and naming the specific instances that He has had His hands on them and healed them and as I acknowledged His protection, I caught a red light and something made me look to the left.

When I did, I first saw the dorm that my Mama moved me into over 30 years ago and I thanked God for His constant presence, even when I couldn’t see or feel it and then I caught my breath as I saw a stunning rainbow over that dorm.

My eyes immediately filled with tears as I felt His presence and I felt the most wonderful sense of peace as I repeated thank you over and over.

After the event, I went to my sweet co-worker’s office to tell her good morning and the first thing she said to me, was “I have been praying for you.”

I thanked her and I told her what had happened and about the rainbow. She grinned and told me that she had seen it too and then showed me a picture she had taken with her phone. She then told me about a similar situation she just had with the car tag in front of her and how she knew it was God communicating with her.

We talked about how special those God winks are and then she said, “You know, we have to look for and acknowledge the small stuff, because if we don’t, we will never get to see the big stuff.”

As I thought about our conversation later, I thought about how often God intervenes and is present in ways that we never see, and how true worship should be looking for, acknowledging and giving thanks for the times we do see His hand at work. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Hydrangea Encouragement

Posted on by Wendy
Hydrangea Bud
Any growth, no matter how small, is worth celebrating.

Every year, beginning in the late spring and stretching into the summer, I am blessed with gorgeous hydrangeas. I usually cut some and bring them into the house and I still have plenty of huge cheerful blooms to greet me when I arrive home from work each day. 

Most of them are gifts from parents at the school where I used to work and that makes them even more special.

But, this year, they didn’t bloom even though I did my part.  I covered them when we had a late frost to protect them. I watered and fed them and nothing happened. They were green, but they didn’t bloom from May all the way into June, but then in late June, one tiny bloom emerged. I was thrilled to see it. Since it was the only one, I watched it carefully.

It seemed to take a long time to grow, but when it did, it was a different color than mine usually are. It was unique and I was just as proud of the one, as I usually was of the dozens.

As I was thinking about the amount of time I have put in on those hydrangea bushes only to get one bloom and of how delighted I have been about that one bloom, I am reminded about how much God delights in us when He sees growth.

Sometimes we get it right and we bloom and flourish with the fruits of the Spirit. We pray, read our Bibles and worship and serve and make a huge Kingdom impact and I know He’s proud of us. But, at other times, we stumble. Sometimes our lives grow dark through unforeseen circumstances or bad choices and we get lost along the way and fail to bloom.

Still, His love for us never changes and when we do find our way back and manage even the tiniest bloom, I imagine Him delighting in the new growth, just as I did with my lone hydrangea bloom and I am encouraged. Perhaps you needed some encouragement today too.

Have an awesome day! 

Wendy 😊

Lessons from the Hummingbirds

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

Every summer since we moved into our house over fifteen years ago, I have put out a feeder for the hummingbirds. Every summer, I have been blessed with a bunch of those bossy, territorial little birds. I have enjoyed watching their antics and marveled at how they seem to care more about keeping other birds from taking a drink than feeding themselves. Their nature tends to be quite humanlike at times.

They are colorful and fun to watch and sometimes a lot of work. I often have an ongoing battle to keep the ants out of the feeder. At the end of the season, they consume so much sugar water, that I struggle to keep it filled.

It’s like when I put out a feeder at the beginning of the summer, I feel a responsibility for these tiny wild creatures.

But, last summer I only saw one or two birds the entire summer and never together. I poured out most all of the sugar water I made because when it remains in the feeder more that a couple of days in the really hot part of the summer, it sours and can be dangerous for them to drink. I figured someone else in the neighborhood must have been feeding them or perhaps they were getting what they needed from flowering plants.

So, this summer, I decided not to put a feeder out. The hummingbirds clearly no longer needed my assistance. We decided to plant tomato plants in the pots underneath where the feeder usually hangs instead of hibiscus.

I didn’t see any of the little birds at all in the late spring or in early June, so I thought my decision had been the right one, but in mid June, I caught one sitting on the edge of a tomato cage. It sat there for a good little while and then flew away. The next day I saw it again, in the same spot. I began to question not putting a feeder out. Did they need it after all?

Was it too late to put one out?

One morning before work, I went ahead and made some sugar water and when I got home, my hubby had put the feeder out. We had a visitor that afternoon and within a couple of days, we had at four at the same time. I felt both guilty for not putting it out earlier and relieved that we had because they apparently needed us after all.

God often uses nature to teach me life lessons. Those hummingbirds reminded me that we should never stop giving even when we think our giving is not appreciated or needed. We are called to simply do our part and let Him do the rest. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂