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.

Snow Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy
Fresh snow, like grace, is brilliantly white and covers everything in its path.

On Tuesday night, we got the much hoped for phone call; there would be no school on Wednesday due to inclement weather. There was the possibility of snow coming our way, which is a big deal in Georgia. We don’t get much of the stuff and it creates a ton of excitement for us.

We also went to bed with cautious optimism. Nature often proves to be fickle where she will or won’t deposit her cold powdery gift. There have been times when it seemed that every county around us got snow and we didn’t get so much as a flake. There have been times when the forecasters promised us it was coming and they were proven wrong.

Many of us in the Peach State have adopted a believing when we see it attitude when it comes to snow.

But, Wednesday morning, we awoke to a pretty little blanket of snow on the ground and it continued to fall for a little while.

I marveled at how beautiful a thin layer of frozen water can make a landscape, but I knew it wouldn’t last for long. I bundled up and grabbed my camera and went to explore.

There had been others out ahead of me because there were already footprints and some tire tracks on the roads, but the areas that were untouched really drew my attention. I didn’t stay out long because it was bitterly cold and I just don’t do cold.

Later, when I sat down at my computer, I noticed that the light coming from the sun shining on the snow was almost blinding. My entire work area was bathed in the light.

I knew there was a Bible verse that had the phrase, “white as snow.” I Googled it. I was not disappointed.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Sure, I had read it before, but gazing out across my yard at the glowing blanket of white, gave the verse a whole new meaning. We humans can be capable of doing some pretty bad things here on planet earth, sometimes on purpose and sometimes inadvertently.

Sometimes we become the people that we want to be, but we carry past sins around on our conscience. Sometimes there’s an enemy voice that makes us question if we are really forgiven for this or that.

But, God’s Word has an answer for those doubts. “Let us settle the matter.” Yes, we are forgiven if we only ask and let me reassure you if you haven’t seen snow in a while; it is brilliantly white and it covers everything in sight.

A Georgia snow reminded me of the beauty and the reality of forgiveness. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Ramsey Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
Like Ramsey, we have all been strays at some point.

My neighbor, who I’ll call Jack, recently took in a stray cat. He’s a cute little orange and white cat. I had seen him hanging out around the cul-de-sac, but he was wild. He always ran away when I tried to approach him, but Jack has a way with strays and he took him in and got him shots. He named him Ramsey.

I marvel as I look out the window and watch that previously wild cat, follow Jack faithfully to the mailbox. How is it that he can build that kind of trust?

Well, Jack and his wife, went away for the holidays and they boarded Ramsey. When they returned, they found that he had become very sick. He had fluid in his lungs and he could barely breathe. They took him to the animal hospital at UGA and learned that he had a heart defect. They kept him for a while, but they treated him and told them to keep him indoors for a week.

While I was watching the Rose Bowl, I got a frantic call from Jack; Ramsey had slipped out while the trash was being taken out and he was missing. Now, Ramsey has been known to hang out in my garage and Jack was hoping I would check and see if he was there.

I rushed out the door. It was nineteen degrees that night, unseasonably cold for us. There was no way a sick cat could make it in that cold. I didn’t see him at first, but then I got down on my hands and knees and looked under my daughter’s car. There he was, hiding.

I still had Jack on the phone. I told him that I could see him. I didn’t dare approach him because he doesn’t trust me. Jack and his wife came over immediately. He crouched down and called Ramsey and he came out from under the car. Jack scooped him up, but he didn’t hold him for too long before Ramsey was squirming to get down. They apologized for the inconvenience and took him home.

I thought about Ramsey and Jack in the days to follow. His pursuit of Ramsey reminded me of how God pursues us. He finds us as wild strays and fixes our hearts. He seeks only to love us and we like Ramsey, often squirm to get away, back out into that dangerous world that to our minds, seems free and exciting.

Sometimes like Ramsey, we do get away and like Jack, God pursues us, even when it’s unbearably cold, even when the big game is on, He calls us. If we are smart, we answer and return to the safety of His arms, just like Ramsey returned to Jack’s.

An escaped cat on a cold night, reminded me of God’s love for us. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Unexpected Gifts

Posted on by Wendy
The best gifts rarely come wrapped or from underneath a tree.

Last Sunday morning, when my hubby and I were running out the door to go to church, my car wouldn’t start. We assumed it was the battery and took his car instead. After church, he went and got a new battery. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the battery. It was the starter.

The minor, easy to fix car repair, had quickly turned into a tow truck call and a much pricier fix, right at Christmas time.

But, this Advent, I have been determined to see all of the many gifts that I so often miss. My sixteen-year-old son volunteered to drive me to work. My daughter, who is home from college for the Christmas break, volunteered to pick me up. Just like that; I had transportation.

I can’t really fully express how much I enjoyed being driven by my children. I’ve come to a point in my life where I realize that time and people are the most precious gifts we are given on this side of eternity. I enjoyed our conversations. I enjoyed their choices in music. I enjoyed seeing my children happily helping out in adult roles.

When I discovered that the starter was covered under a warranty, it also meant it took another day to get it repaired. I saw it is a gift all of the way around.

And when my daughter dropped me out at the mechanic’s to retrieve my car and I told her that I didn’t know what I would do without my kids chauffeuring me around, she said, “How many times did you chauffeur us around?” I immediately felt the sting of tears in my eyes.

I gave thanks on my drive home for my what initially seemed like misfortune. God, in His timing and wisdom, gave me not only the unexpected gift of extra time with my children, but also the gift of allowing them to serve me. Now, I’m not one who likes to be served. I like to be the one who does the serving.

But, when we allow others to serve us, we allow them to be a blessing. I wouldn’t trade the time with them for anything, but if I hadn’t been looking for it, I would have missed it.

I could have easily been angry, discouraged or frustrated about my car. I could have chosen to feel inconvenienced. Instead, I chose to look for the blessings in my situation. I was not dissappointed.

But, then again, when I’m truly seeking God in what I do, I never am. Car trouble reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Teen Widsom

Posted on by Wendy
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” 2 Corinthians 12:9a

This past Saturday, my son came home with a story he wanted to share. He had been out to dinner with some friends. It was dark and very cold and he noticed an elderly couple in the parking lot with car trouble. The hood was raised and their car wouldn’t start.

He said he didn’t know what he could do for them, but he felt compelled to help them.

He discovered right away that English was their second language and that they didn’t know that much about cars. They were also hesitant to talk to him. I suppose teenagers don’t have the best reputation these days. But, he was persistent. He fought his way through the language barrier and he found that they thought it was a dead battery.

He didn’t have jumper cables but, there was an AutoZone just up the hill. He offered to call and they agreed. The guy who answered the phone was very nice and they talked about the model of the car and the battery it would need. My son was planning to offer to drive them, when out of the blue, the car started.

He kept the AutoZone employee on the phone for a few minutes and gave them directions. They were extremely grateful and they got in their car and drove away.

I’m sharing this story not because I’m proud of my son, although I am, but because he felt compelled to help and he did. My son knows nothing about cars. He will proudly tell anyone who asks that he’s a band nerd and a computer geek. He loves technology and thrives in that world.

Yet, when he saw someone in need, even though they required a skill he didn’t have, he figured out a way to help anyway. He used his beloved iphone and called someone who could help and who happened to be very close by.

I don’t think I would have thought of that.

I think many times, our go to, is to walk away because we don’t know how to help. We want to help, but the situation can seem so dire, that we just do nothing. Our hearts are often in the right place, but when it comes to action, we miss the mark.

Yet, as Christians, we are called to be His hands and feet. We are called to the physical as well as the spiritual.
Perhaps, the next time our hearts are compelled to help, we should simply offer our help in whatever capacity we have. Perhaps we should stop worrying that we don’t have enough and trust in the One who does.

For He can take our tiny offering and feed the multitudes or even start a car. Our lack has never limited His abilities.

A teenager reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Wilderness Peparation

Posted on by Wendy
When we walk with God, we are never lost.

If I were to ask you to picture wilderness, what would come to mind? Would it be desert? Would it be a forest? Would it be an island in the middle of nowhere?

Whatever you picture, I’m sure it’s not a place where you would ask your travel agent to book your next vacation.

When I hear the term wilderness, I also immediately pair it with the word lost. Lost in the wilderness seems like a horrible state to be in and I remember news stories of people being lost in the wilderness. I suppose when I think of wilderness, I think of no way out.

But, the Bible tells us a different story about the wilderness. When God sent His people to the wilderness, not only was there a reason, but they were never lost. He knew right where they were and why.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years and while it was a punishment for disobedience, it was also an opportunity for them to grow, and to trust, and depend on Him. It was a time for them to ultimately leave their Egyptian captivity behind for good. Keep in mind He fed them and led them the entire time. They weren’t where they wanted to be, but they weren’t lost either.

And when the time came to claim the Promised Land, they were ready.

In the New Testament, when Jesus went out to the wilderness, He fasted for forty days and then was tempted by Satan. There was nothing fun about the wilderness for Jesus, but the Son of God went head to head with Satan and won. He too, was being prepared.

God had not abandoned Him.

There are times in our own lives when we find ourselves in a wilderness of some sort. Sometimes we made choices that put us there. Sometimes we have no idea how we got there or even why. Either way, if we lean into God, He will use those times to grow us and stretch us, to refine us, and to build us into something better and stronger.

God never abandons His people. We never walk alone. Then, when we least expect it, He will call us to our own promised land, the one He has uniquely planned for each of us.

Learning to accept seasons in the wilderness is part of our faith journey. Learning to trust that God will lead us out and into something better, is also part of our faith journey.

Sometimes I need reminding that the promised land is just ahead. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Choosing Peace

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus will always get us safely to the shore.

Yesterday my daddy was scheduled for a heart procedure. Between him and my mama, my family has been through a lot of heart procedures. He had a minor heart attack over twenty years ago. My mama’s and my daddy’s hearts have taught me a lot about faith. They have taught me not to panic.

Interestingly enough, Mama sent me a text yesterday morning that included her daily devotion. She felt that it was a message straight from the Holy Spirit and felt led to share.

The verse was Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

The writer then went on to recount a conversation she had with Corrie Ten Boom. She said, “There is no panic in heaven, only plans. The Holy Trinity has never met in an emergency session; God has not stepped down from His throne; Jesus has not left his right hand and the Holy Spirit has not stopped interceding for you.”

The devotion went on to say that anything contrary to that truth was lies.

I thought about those words all day long. When my children were little, before they could swim, we had a pool in the backyard. I always told them if they fell in, not to panic. The pool was not that big. All they had to do was get to the side. They could dog paddle or open their eyes and walk, but never panic. Panic would make them drown.

Perhaps I knew that truth because it had been shared with me. My great uncle used to come and visit us in the summer for a few weeks. He loved to fish in my parents’ pond, but he didn’t know how to swim. One day he was fishing and he fell out of the boat. He told my mama about it long after the fact. I think she almost passed out herself, before she weakly asked him how he got out.

He told her, “Hon, I got on my hands and knees and crawled to the shore.” The man clearly did not panic.

I always remembered those words, so much so, that I passed them on to my own kids.

If we remember not to panic, Jesus will always get us safely to the shore. We have an enemy who will desperately try to steal our peace, but we are called to remember that peace is a gift from the Holy Spirit. It’s ours to guard or to forfeit.

We always have a choice.

A later text from Mama told me that when the doctor came to see Daddy, his heart was actually back in rhythm. They didn’t have to do anything after all. I could have worried all day, but what would that have accomplished?

I might have missed a blessing. We are called to choose peace. A text reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

PS My daughter is coming home from college next week. I’m going to spend every moment possible with her so I won’t be posting. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope Wins

Posted on by Wendy
As long as we walk with Jesus, hope wins.

Last week, I got to watch the annual country music awards. Being a country music fan, I usually watch at least some of the show. This year I was very interested to see how they the stars of country music would deal with the tragedy in Las Vegas. As a rule, country music artists tend to be a people of faith who regularly talk about and sing about Jesus.

How do Christians respond to tragedy?

I knew I was in the right place when the very first performer, Eric Church, sang “Amazing Grace.” What other genre of music would do that? Then they led into the 90’s song, “Hold My Hand,” by Hootie and the Blowfish, but they all came together.

They sang of peace, love and harmony and holding hands.

I don’t know that any genre of music has ever taken a blow like country music took. I wrote in an earlier post about how amazing the response was from the fans at the Las Vegas shooting, how they fearlessly rescued and cared for one another. Surely Jesus was among them.

Carrie Underwood began the monologue by acknowledging the tragedies that have struck the country music family this year. She then said,”So tonight, we’re going to do what families do: come together, pray together, cry together and sing together too.”

What would our world look like if all of our families did that?

Later in the show, she sang a tribute to all of the fallen and the song chosen was an old hymn; “Softly Tenderly Jesus is Calling.”

As a society, we like to use terms like, people of faith, or believers. We don’t talk about Jesus nearly as much as we talk about the church and all of its failings. We tend to equate the church with Jesus. We forget that it’s made up of broken people. Jesus is perfect.

The Bible tells us there is power in Jesus’ name.

As I watched Carrie Underwood singing the hymn I sang in church as a child, and all of the audience standing up in silence as she sang, “Ye who are weary come home,” I was reminded of the hope we have as Christians.

Yes, this past year has been rocked by tragedy all over our country and our world, yet as always, Jesus is calling us home. He’s calling us to rest in Him and walk with Him while on this side of eternity and then invites us to stay with Him forever on the other side.

This year’s award show reminded me that no matter what, if we walk with Jesus, hope wins. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Wearing the Cloak of Peace

Posted on by Wendy
“Be still and know that I am God.”

A little boy who was not feeling well, came into the school clinic last week. When our nurse took his temperature, she found that he was running a fairly high fever. His teacher went and retrieved his backpack and his parents were called to pick him up.

The nurse asked him if he wanted to lie down on the clinic cot and if he wanted a blanket. He didn’t miss a beat when he told her he had one in his backpack. Sure, enough he did. He pulled it out and covered up with it and slept peacefully until his daddy arrived.

The nurse had to physically wake him up.

I thought about that little guy long after he went home. I thought about how he had all he needed to be comfortable until his help came. I thought about how he remembered that he had it and how he wasn’t at all dismayed or worried about his circumstances. He had complete faith that all would be well.

I thought about how often we run into all kinds of problems in our lives, things that can steal our peace.

We have financial troubles and physical problems. We have relationship issues and marital problems. We have worries about our kids and problems at work. We sometimes even have troubles at church.

All of these worldly issues can lead to a load of worries if we allow them to. If we focus on those worries long enough, they can lead to physical issues like headaches, stomach problems, depression, anxiety, or even worse.

But, as Christians, we are called to walk a different path. We are called to clothe ourselves in the peace that comes from knowing Christ; just like that little guy’s blanket, from head to toe.

We are called to remember that there is a plan for us, and that we are loved, and that no matter what comes against us, God is with us. His ways are not our ways. He doesn’t simply react to what the world throws at us. He’s already there and planning for our defense, long before the first punch is delivered.

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you will have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

On this side of eternity, we are constantly bombarded with peace stealers. The key is remembering to stay focused on the Peace Giver. A sick little boy reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Beyond Kindergarten Faith

Posted on by Wendy
How mature is your faith?

I work in the front office of an elementary school. The clinic is located right behind my desk, so there’s a fairly steady stream of visitors most days. There’s rarely anything particularly noteworthy, just things like bumps, bruises, sore throats and stomach aches.

But, a week or so ago, a little boy in kindergarten, came in crying. He was yelling, “I throwed up on the playground!” But, he wasn’t sad; he was furious. After he screamed it the third time, I had to turn my head, so he wouldn’t see me chuckle. I mean this child was completely outraged that he had been sick on the playground.

How dare his body treat him in such a way! Our sweet nurse calmed him down in minutes. As soon as he took a breath, he was fine. He was given something to drink. His mama was called and he went home. The next time I saw him, he was completely back to normal.

That little kindergartner’s outrage stayed on my mind long after his clinic visit. I guess it was an outward manifestation of how adults feel when bad things happen to us.

As Christians, when we get bad news or a bad diagnosis, what’s our first impulse? How do we tend to react? Do we immediately go to God in prayer and ask for strength and courage? Do we acknowledge to Him that we know He’s at work in all of our circumstances, not just the good ones? Does knowing He’s in charge give us a sense of peace no matter what we are facing?

Or….do we tend to shake our fists in outrage when when tragedy strikes? Do we question God? Do we ask why? Do we decide we have been abandoned? Do we find ourselves completely indignant that our lives aren’t filled with sunny days and perfection?

Is our faith mature enough to trust in God’s plan for our lives or do we have that kindergarten faith where we believe if we always do our part, bad things will never happen?

The Bible tells us that, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope.” Romans 5:3-4

Rejoicing in suffering is a difficult concept to grasp. I must confess that I’m more likely to react like that kindergartner in the face of tragedy.

Grace, gently reminds me that I am called to a deeper trust and obedience. Experience has taught me that God is always with me and His ways and plans are better than my own.

A kindergartner reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Call to Flourish

Posted on by Wendy
When we listen to God’s voice, we become unstoppable.

Last spring, someone gave me a hanging basket with several different kinds of plants, planted together. I love growing things and I really appreciated the gift, but I simply didn’t have anywhere to hang it. After thinking about it, I took the basket apart and replanted everything in a raised box in the backyard.

I wasn’t very familiar with the plants and I wasn’t sure how they would do in the spot they were planted. In the back of my mind, I was going to replant each one separately, in its own large pot. But, summer got busy and I forgot.

It rained a lot in June and the little plants took off. They loved their new large space and they thrived right where I planted them. They quadrupled in size. They couldn’t have possibly done that if I had left them confined to their original small pot.

Those plants got me to thinking about what happens when we allow ourselves to be confined. So often, we tend to listen to the voices of people, or the voices of our past, instead of listening to God’s voice.

We let those voices of doubt and fear confine us to a tiny spot, when God has so much more for us. It’s true that we can sometimes do okay being confined, but we cannot flourish.

God wants us to flourish with His plans for us. He wants us to lean in, listen and trust and when He tells us to take that next step or giant leap, He wants us to do it. He might be calling us to simply stick our toe in or He might be calling us to jump off the high dive.

Either way, when we stay in His will and follow His plans, we are in for a beautiful, wild ride.

That ride, that journey, simply can’t happen if we remain paralyzed by things like fear and doubt.

A flourishing group of plants reminded me to carefully listen and then be willing to act. Perhaps you needed reminding too. Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂