Category: Trusting God

Sometimes life seems upside-down. When we draw closer to God, we begin to learn and trust that He has a plan for us and we can let go of many of life’s anxieties knowing that He has our best interest at heart.

Using the Prayer Perch

Posted on by Wendy
This smart little guy is using his perch, so he can rest.

We put our hummingbird feeder back out a couple of weeks ago. My daddy had spotted some hummers at his house and had declared that it was officially time. Since he’s the hummingbird captain of our family, I put mine out and waited anxiously. A couple of days went by and I didn’t see any.

I was a little disappointed, but I patiently waited and one morning, one was there. I was like a proud new mama, so excited to see him. He was solo for another week. I made a new batch of nectar and hung it out there and then, there were three.

I have no idea why the tiny creatures delight me so much. They just do. I feel like they teach me new life lessons every spring when they return.

Yesterday, I was lamenting to my husband, wondering why the one currently feeding, wouldn’t rest on the provided perch. I specifically purchased a feeder that would allow them to rest. Why wouldn’t he rest? He’s grown accustomed to my hummingbird ponderings and didn’t bother to attempt to offer an explanation.

I wonder if Jesus feels the same way about us sometimes. He told us specifically that He would give us rest. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus also promised us peace if we would trust Him. He told His disciples, “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

Peace and rest sound pretty good to this often tired and weary mama.

But, I have to ask myself, how often do I act like the little hummingbird who fluttered his wings constantly and refused to rest on the perch provided? How often do I bring needless anxiety and worry on myself when I worry about things completely out of my control or when I attempt to fix things I wasn’t called to fix?

The great perch of rest for Believers is prayer. Prayer is where our most effective work is accomplished, but how often do we forget that when we pray, we are then called to hand it over to Jesus and rest in the knowledge that He’s got it covered.

Our continued striving and worry gets us nowhere, but completely exhausted. A hummingbird reminded me that rest is a necessary part of the journey. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Trusting His Will

Posted on by Wendy
Like a message from Heaven, there they were, blooming early.

As I sit at my keyboard, I’m filled with gratitude. I have come to the end of a faith lesson and it’s been a tough one.

Thirty days ago, I began an online Bible study on Job. That’s always a tough book to read. It’s about human suffering. It’s about us not understanding God’s plans, but it’s ultimately about accepting that His plans are greater than ours because He is God and we are not. It’s about choosing to trust Him and worship Him in good times and bad, even in our suffering.

Thirty days ago, the same day I began the Job study, I got a call from my doctor. My mammogram had come back abnormal. There was some kind of mass and I needed further testing. It was thirty days before I could get an appointment at one of the local hospitals.

I had just finished reading the book, “Crazy Love,” by Francis Chan. In the book, he writes that American Christians tend to focus all of our prayer on our own protection, when our focus should be on glorifying God with our lives, whether we are protected or not.

It’s a difficult concept and not really how most of us are taught to pray, but for whatever reason, I felt convicted to pray that way about my situation. I didn’t pray that it wouldn’t be cancer. I prayed that God would give me the strength to praise and glorify Him, no matter the diagnosis.

While it was difficult, I kept remembering Jesus praying in the garden that there would be another way, but that He would submit to God’s will. I know I have a savior who understands all of my human weaknesses and every time I would pray about it, I would feel this voice deep within asking, “Do you trust me?”

The waiting was hard. I tend to be very patient with people, but I don’t wait well. I wasn’t afraid of the outcome, but I wanted a plan.

The day arrived and of course, they were running behind, more waiting. But, a woman came and sat in front of me with, Matthew 19:26 carved in the side of her purse, “With God all things are possible.”

Jesus was there.

The technician took like 10 films and told me to wait and that she would probably need to take more. She said she definitely saw something. She returned and took me for an ultrasound. After that, a different technician went to get the doctor and I was alone in the room, but not really.

I could feel Jesus there and I continued to pray for strength

When the doctor arrived, she looked some more and then smiled and told me it was a cyst and there was nothing to worry about. Flooded with gratitude I thanked her and as I dressed I thanked God for the outcome and for the lesson.

When I got home and let my dogs out, my yellow irises caught my eye; they were blooming, the ones I planted that belonged to my surrogate grandmother, the ones that usually bloom a little closer to the end of April. Yet there they were, a little early this year.

As tears spilled down my cheeks I thanked God again. I had tried the prayer that I was convicted to pray and I never walked alone. Although a little frustrated at times, I always knew it would be okay because He was with me.

And it’s the same with all who belong to Him. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Joy Stealing Comparison

Posted on by Wendy
For me, my newly organized cabinets were as beautiful as a sunset.

Last week, I was off for spring break. I knew a lot of people who went to the beach, or the mountains. I knew people who went snow skiing and people who flew across the country. I knew a few folks who actually left the country. Most everyone happily shared their adventures on social media.

I took the week to do some serious spring cleaning. I watched one Marie Kondo episode and I was ready to clean out closets. We moved into our house over Spring Break, fourteen years ago and had accumulated way too much stuff.

So, with my hubby in tow, we started in our bedroom and worked our way to the kitchen. We donated bags of clothes that hadn’t been worn in years. Don’t even get me started on the plastic ware. I can’t begin to express the happiness I feel when I open my cabinets and find nicely stacked storage containers with matching lids.

I saw a post from a friend on Facebook about how she was having the vacation that she had needed to take for years. I felt that I was taking care of projects that I needed to work on for years. I suspect that both of our souls were getting exactly what we needed at this particular moment in our lives.

There was a time in my life when I would have missed that soul truth. I would have been seriously bummed out that I missed out on all of the fun that everyone else seemed to be having last week. All of the beautiful pictures of sunsets and family fun can hardly compare to cleaning out closets and cabinets.

No one wants to see those pictures.

Social media has taken comparison to a whole new level and there’s nothing that steals joy more than comparison can.

But, I’ve reached a point where I know what’s best for my own heart and soul. For me, the satisfaction of completing my own little projects last week was exactly what I needed, because for me, the new organization is like coming home to a new peaceful place every single day.

As long as we are walking with Jesus, wherever we are on the journey, is exactly where we are supposed to be. We aren’t supposed to compare our path with anyone else’s. They are on a different journey.

A week of Spring Break organization reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Trusting the Divine Scheduler

Posted on by Wendy
One of the greatest treasures we will ever have to give, is our time.

Most people who have attended church for long enough, have sat through a stewardship sermon where a pastor tells us about the importance of tithing. It’s probably one of a pastor’s least favorite sermons. They will talk about where the concept of tithing come from in the Bible and how the church uses the money to further the mission of spreading the Gospel.

There are many examples of people taking the challenge to give more, even when the checking account says they can’t and in the end, there being more than enough.

The idea of giving in that way tends to make us very uncomfortable, but we often forget that God’s economy is different than man’s.

We are leery of what we can’t see or prove on paper, yet that’s where faith has the opportunity to blossom.

But what about a commodity more precious than money? What about our time? Do we believe that God can multiply our time?

We live in a busy culture. We work all day and rush home to cook dinner, or shuffle kids off to sports or some other activity; we have to assist with projects and homework. We have houses to clean and bills to pay. We have to shop for groceries and at some point, we are supposed to throw some exercise in. We have meetings to attend. We have to sleep.

Finding time in an average day to pray and read the Bible can seem nearly impossible, but what if we trusted God with our schedules? What if we took some time and asked God to make a way for us to have a closer relationship with Him? Do we believe the Maker of time could make the time?

I once read about a woman who prayed that God would multiply her time and He did. So I tried it.

I was running late and I knew that I really needed to start my day with some devotional time including some scripture reading. I stopped rushing around long enough to ask God to multiply my time that morning so that I could read His Word.

He did. It was as if the clock slowed down to a crawl and I was able to sit down and take a few minutes with God before I headed out into the world and I learned a very valuable lesson.

If we believe that God is the Creator of the Universe and of all things in it, then we have to believe that He can control all things in it. If we trust Him with where we will spend Eternity, surely we can trust Him to manage our time here on earth.

When we do, we will find there’s more than enough. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Blessings After the Showers

Posted on by Wendy
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Yesterday, I barely made it home before it started raining. It was a pretty decent shower with a couple of thunder claps. As I looked out my kitchen window, I silently congratulated myself that I didn’t get caught in it. I was in my house, safe and dry and my car was parked safely in the garage.

My hubby wasn’t so lucky. He had to drive home in the rain and it was still drizzling when he got home. It didn’t last long though and the sun came out almost as soon as the rain stopped. He ran out to his truck to get something and came back in the house smiling.

It’s pollen season in Georgia and everything is blanketed in a thick coat of yellow powder. You can sweep it off, but it comes right back. The only thing that really removes it is a good rain shower.

My hubby was happy to report that his truck was all shiny again after the rain. The pollen had been washed away.

I glanced out the door at my car, yep, still covered in pollen. I had missed the inconvenience of the rain, but I’d missed the blessing that came with it as well.

I thought about the rain for the rest of the evening. I thought about how we dread the inconveniences and frustrations that inevitably occur on this side of eternity. I thought about hard times and how we tend to avoid them at all cost.

Yet, often, when life gets hard, we learn to focus on the things in life that really matter and we learn to let go of the things that don’t. We find ourselves drawing closer to God, when we find ourselves in need.

In a sense, hardship washes away the stuff that doesn’t really matter and magnifies the stuff that does.

And when the sun comes out again, and it always does, we are lighter than we were before because we laid those needless burdens down and if we allow Him to, God will put new light into us and we can see new blessings.

A spring shower reminded me to stop dreading the rain. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Breakfast Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
If God calls us to it, He always equips us.

Last weekend, my family went to visit my parents. My daughter who is in college, was home for a couple of days for spring break and my mama was giving her some patio furniture. We were going to deliver it for her and Mama was going to ride along to see my daughter’s place.

All went as planned and we made the delivery on Saturday. Mama got to see my daughter’s college pad and got to visit some of her other donated furniture. We had lunch and headed back to my parents’ house where we stayed another night.

Mama asked my hubby to cook breakfast on Sunday morning. He loves to cook and breakfast is a specialty of his. He happily agreed, but when he got started, I found myself chuckling as he searched her kitchen cabinets. I gave him a few minutes before I asked if I could help him find something, knowing full well, I probably could not.

He was looking for the griddle and it had been moved since the last time he used it.

Now, my mama is one of the most organized people on the planet. She’s always buying new little stackers or dividers, to make her kitchen more organized and it is. However, it’s a well known family truth, that she constantly moves things around, so chances are, wherever it was the last time we were there, it will be somewhere different the next visit.

She vehemently denies this fact, but my sister will vouch for me. 🙂

When my hubby and I first got married, he was very uncomfortable looking through her cabinets to find the items he needed to cook, but twenty-two years later, he has no issues looking through the cabinets.

He’s come to understand that when he has a meal to cook, he rolls up his sleeves and gets it done. He may not know where everything is, but he’s willing to look for it to complete his task. He no longer waits for someone to offer him assistance, but he’s not afraid to ask for it if he needs it.

As I watched him cook breakfast in Mama’s kitchen, I felt a lesson dawning.

We often find ourselves in unfamiliar situations, with a new task to do. So often, we are hesitant to ask for help and sometimes we are even tempted to walk away and give up altogether. The older we get, it seems, the more uncomfortable we get with the new and unknown.

Yet, sometimes that’s exactly where we find ourselves called. We have to remember that when God calls us to do something new, we never walk alone. If He calls us, He will equip us.

Sunday morning breakfast reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Freedom of Letting Go

Posted on by Wendy
When we fight for control, we miss you so much beauty along the way.

Last Sunday, I had to drive myself to church. My hubby was staying afterward for a meeting and I had to be there early, so we took two cars, which is certainly no big deal. On most Sundays, my hubby drives and I usually text our daughter, who is away at school, a good morning message.

While I’m in the passenger seat, I often marvel at how high or low the river is, when we cross over it. I notice the different trees and flowers that are blooming, or if someone along our route, has painted their house or built a deck. I take note of all of the runners on the sidewalk. I don’t concern myself with the traffic or if the car in front of us is going too fast or too slowly, or if someone pulls out in front of us. I sometimes fiddle with the radio.

I can do all of those things because I am not driving the car. I am not the driver. I’m the passenger. I am not in control or responsible for getting us safely to our destination.

Last Sunday, I was in the driver’s seat. I couldn’t text my daughter. I gave the river a quick glance and I mostly missed the spring blooms. I had to concentrate on driving the car and arriving safely. I couldn’t concern myself with all of the pretty scenery along the way. I missed it.

I found myself thinking about my Sunday morning drive long after I had returned home.

Like most people, I like to feel like I’m in control of my current situation, whatever that situation may be. I like the idea of being in the driver’s seat and calling the shots. But, what if being in the driver’s seat means that we miss all of the beautiful scenery along the way, while we fight to keep ourselves on the road, in between the lines, and in charge?

The fight to be in control is a lot of work and effort and how often does it really pay off?

When we walk closely with Jesus, we agree to not only let Him drive, but to trust that the scenery will be breathtaking and that we will arrive where we are supposed to, at exactly the time we are supposed to.

We hand over the control and enjoy the ride. There’s freedom that comes from letting go. A Sunday morning drive reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Call to Plant

Posted on by Wendy
If we keep planting, something will eventually bloom.

Last weekend, I looked out of my bedroom window and saw a white iris standing tall and in full bloom. It made me catch my breath for a moment. There are lots of things in bloom right now. It’s spring time in Georgia and the pollen count is through the roof. A blooming iris is by no means unusual.

But, this is the first of the season at my house, which always touches my heart. The first one always signals a new beginning, a new chapter that is beginning to unfold. I also have a history with this particular group of irises.

May parents have an old home place on their property. There’s nothing left at this point, but a decade or so ago, my hubby and I dug up a bunch of bulbs that had been planted near that house. We really didn’t have any idea what we were digging up, but we dug them up anyway and transplanted them to our backyard around some of our trees. Turns out, that they were irises.

The first couple of years, I tended to them. I watered them and kept them clear of debris. Some of them bloomed. Some did not. At one point, I divided them because they became overcrowded and some did really well. Some didn’t.

I haven’t given them much attention at all over the past several years. I got busy with work, and kids, and other projects. They have become very overcrowded. I haven’t fertilized them or watered them, yet, the first one has bloomed in spite of my lack of attention.

As I went to examine it, I was reminded that we never really get to decide what blooms, or when it blooms, or if it even blooms at all.

We can plant. We can nurture. We can water. Sometimes what we plant takes off and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes we get to see the fruition of our hard work and sometimes we never get to see it, yet we are all called to plant something. Sometimes they are physical plants that we can enjoy or even eat. Sometimes it’s encouragement that someone needs desperately to hear. Sometimes it’s spiritual truth that may not take root until many years in the future.

Just because we may not get to see the blooms, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plant or that we should get discouraged. We need to remember that we have a Divine Gardener, who has a plan. We simply need to keep planting.

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

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Using Our Circumstances

Posted on by Wendy
Patrick used the shamrock to explain the trinity.

As I write this, my son is in New York City with his high school marching band, getting ready to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Needless to say, he was super excited to get to be a part of it.

St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays that retailers have come to love. It’s about parades, wearing green and drinking beer.

But, St. Patrick has an interesting story.

Patrick was probably born to wealthy British parents somewhere from 400-460 AD. He was captured by Irish raiders as a teenager and taken to Ireland. He was then sent off alone as a slave to tend sheep. During that time, he was very lonely and prayed constantly.

After six years, God told him in a dream that it was time to leave Ireland. He started walking around 200 miles to the coast where he was rescued by friendly sailors and returned home.

While he was in Ireland, he learned their language and customs. Legend says that an angel told him in a dream to return to Ireland to teach the Gospel. After studying for 15 years, he went back to Ireland.

The Irish were mostly pagan and Druid, but there were some Christians there. Since Patrick knew the Irish customs, he knew that the shamrock plant was sacred to them , so he used the three leaf clover to explain the trinity. He knew fire was also sacred to them and so he used bonfires to celebrate Easter. He also used the sun, a powerful Irish symbol, and superimposed a cross over it to create the Celtic cross.

He took what he had learned during a dark time in his life, in a place where he didn’t want to be, and used it to glorify God. God was preparing him for a plan all along, that Patrick couldn’t have possibly understood, but God knew. At the end of Patrick’s life, he is credited with starting three hundred churches and baptizing over a hundred twenty thousand Irish people. He preached for forty years and died on March 17th.

He is also credited with performing at least thirty-three miracles, none of which were driving out snakes. There never were snakes in Ireland. Perhaps he drove out a different kind of snake.

Patrick’s story reminds me that no matter how lost or abandoned we may feel, we never walk alone. God is always with us and always working. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too. Happy St. Patrick’s 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 🙂