He’s Always Working

May we never forget that God is always at work.
May we never forget that God is always at work.

Yesterday at church, a representative from Gideons International came and spoke. He’s a friend of our pastor’s and he comes every year. He always has an inspirational story to tell and this year was no different.

One evening in 1898, there were two traveling businessmen who were out on the road. He pointed out that back in that time, most business required lots of travel because there was no internet or e-mail. On this particular night, one of the men checked into a motel. Sometime later, another man came looking for a room, but was told there were none.

I’m sure he must have been frustrated and discouraged, away from home, weary from work and travel and nowhere to rest. Can you relate?

The person at the front desk asked the man if he was willing to share a room with another traveler who had checked in for the night. The man agreed.

Can you imagine a scenario like that these days? Can you imagine two perfect strangers agreeing to share a room for the evening? Can you imagine a motel employee even asking?

We got absolutely no back story on the conversation or emotions of those two men that evening. My writer’s mind races with the possibilities. Were they annoyed? Were they uncomfortable? Was the first man gracious? Was the second grateful? Were either the least bit frightened? Personally, sleeping in the room with a complete stranger would terrify me.

But, we do get some information, as it turns out, the important information. As the two men got ready for bed, they learned that they were both Christians, something that people at the time, must have been more open about. They decided to do their nightly devotion together and they both felt that God was calling them to do something more.

They prayed about it and Gideons International was eventually born from that chance meeting that evening. They felt strongly about getting God’s Word into the hands of as many people as possible and decided that hotels were a great start. They felt that once people actually read the Word, the Holy Spirit would be activated and lives would be transformed.

They spoke to different Christian groups and churches in the years to come about placing Bibles in various places. In 1908, some churches got behind funding the hotel idea. Between 1899 and 1971, a hundred million Bibles had been handed out or placed.

In 2015, they hit the two billion mark. Let’s pause a moment and let that number sink in.

Two strangers just happened to share a room together one evening. They just happened to pray together and they just happened to have a dream together of sharing God’s Word with as many people as possible.

They got to see some of that dream accomplished, but God kept on realizing that dream and in 116 years, two billion Bibles had been passed out to people on the street, to college campuses, prisons and to soldiers in the military. They were also placed in hotel rooms and hospitals, not only in this country, but around the world too.

I love this story because we get to see God at work. These men were not placed together by coincidence. It was part of God’s plan. He was at work then in the lives of those men. He is at work now in your life and in mine.

This story reminds me to not get frustrated and to keep my eyes open when life looks bleak. It reminds me to trust God. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

Courageous Faith

Courageous faith can change lives.
Courageous faith can change lives.

In my current Bible study, I’m reading the book of Joshua. It’s one of those Old Testament books full of action and easy to teach to the VBS crowd and the teens. There are lots of miracles in it.

What caught my attention this time, was the very first chapter, where God is about to have Joshua lead the Isrealites to the Promised Land. At last, after forty years of wandering, there is light at the end of the tunnel. In verse six, God tells Joshua to be courageous and then in verse seven, He tells him to be very courageous and reminds him to obey the law.

Then in verse nine God says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Three times God tells Joshua to be courageous, seems like He was trying to make a point.

Skip ahead to chapter two and we find Rahab the prostitute. That’s her title at this point in the story, but Rahab has decided to stop living in fear and to make a change. Rahab tells the Israelite spies that her people’s “courage has failed,” and “their hearts are melting in fear,” because “the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” Joshua 2:11b

Rahab decided that she knew who the real God was and she decided to help His Israelite spies and then she boldly asked them to save not only her, but her entire family. They agreed.

When Jericho fell, the Israelites kept their promise to Rahab, the way God always keeps His promises to those who are faithful.

Think about that for a moment. One woman, and not even a revered woman, a prostitute, found the courage to acknowledge God and put her faith in Him and because of her courage, her entire family was saved.

Rahab went on to have a son named Boaz. Boaz married Ruth and they had a son named Obed, who had a son named Jesse, who had a son named David, yes that David, King David. So, yes, Rahab is in the lineage of Jesus, not too bad for a prostitute who decided to change her ways.

Rahab’s decision to choose God, secured her place in history. She chose courage and not fear. She chose faith.

I find some parallels with Rahab’s time in history and our own. There’s so much fear right now. As Rahab put it, there are hearts that are melting in fear, fear of the election, fear of terrorism, fear of violence, lots of fear.

I see it on the news everyday. I see it on Facebook everyday. The Book of Joshua reminds us that God’s people are not to live in fear. Joshua was told to be courageous and have faith. Rahab chose to be courageous and have faith.

Their faith not only got them through very dark times, it also lead to much brighter times ahead. Perhaps there’s some wisdom in their story for all of us.

Maybe we all need a little more courageous faith these days.

A morning Bible study reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

Fall Reflections

God's amazing artsitry
God’s amazing artistry

Even thought it’s late October here in Georgia, most of our leaves are stubbornly hanging onto the trees. Most of them in my yard are still green too, but as I look around, I have begun to notice that there are many on the ground as well. But, the ones on the ground are brown. It’s like they went from green to brown without turning the brilliant color that they always do. They skipped the beautiful part.

As I was scrolling through some pictures the other day, the one above caught my eye. I really love that picture. The brightly colored leaves reflecting in the water, capture some of God’s greatest creativity. Because of the way light works, we get to see the brilliance twice, once looking directly at the trees and then again in the reflection.

My sweet mama took that photo and felt inspired to send it to me. I was so glad she did.

As I was enjoying that photo and feeling a little cheated that my trees don’t look like that this year, I was reminded that there are likely several reasons for that. For one, Georgia has had record high temperatures this fall. It’s been regularly in the eighties. It doesn’t feel like fall. Then there’s the fact that we are in extreme drought. I’m no tree expert, but I suspect that the lack of rain, may have something to so with the leaf color.

But, the fact is, we are still in the season of fall. Even though it’s hot and dry, even though it doesn’t feel like fall, or look like fall, it’s still fall. The leaves will eventually drop and it will turn colder. Thanksgiving is on the way despite the way the landscape looks at the moment.

Haven’t we all found ourselves in a dry season like this one? Haven’t we all found ourselves longing for some cool and refreshing air? Haven’t we found ourselves longing for some beauty and color when everything seemed drab and brown?

Even in those dry times, if we look back carefully, we can see that God was at work even when it didn’t feel like it at the time. Those times can serve as a reminder to us when we find ourselves there again, that God is in fact at work in the background. Even though our skies may not be emblazoned with beauty, there are still glimpses of hope if we are willing to actively seek it.

The Bible tells us that: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5b

The brilliance of those leaves reflected in the pond, comes from the light provided by the sun, the light created by God. The picture reminds me that even in seasons of drought, seasons of beauty are always on the way. This journey on this side of heaven will always be filled with both.

If we find ourselves in a time of drought this fall, we can hold onto the hope that Thanksgiving and reasons to give thanks, are still on the horizon, even when we can’t feel them or see them. That’s called faith. God is at work and we never walk alone.

A photograph reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

 

Exactly What We Need

Sometimes hope shows up when we least expect it.
Sometimes hope shows up when we least expect it.

A couple of days ago, when I got home from work, I let my dogs out and took a few minutes to enjoy the quiet. I was the first one home so it was really quiet. I sat down for a minute and checked my Facebook feed. The first post I saw was a post about the upcoming election and how America is doomed.

So much for the peace. It seems like everyone on Facebook has something to say about the election and yet everyone is tired of hearing everyone talk about it. Do you see the pattern of chaos here?

I’m tired of hearing about it. I’m tired of thinking about it.

But, the very next thing that popped up on my feed was an article from the Christian Post and it was written by Max Lucado, one of my favorite authors. I took the time to read it.

It was like a breath of fresh air reminding me that it doesn’t matter who our president is, God is still sovereign. He is still in charge. He’s in charge today. He will be in charge on November 8th and He will be in charge on November 9th, too.

Lucado also listed Biblical kings who were not Godly people, but God used them just the same. He then backed it up with scripture. My favorite one was: “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases.” Proverbs 21:1

Yep, that one is from one of the books of wisdom.

As I took a deep breath and shared the post, I felt restored. Lucado didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, but God sent me those words at exactly the time I needed to read them. My peace was restored.

I was reminded that God is in control and for me to have any anxiety about the upcoming election, shows my doubts about His control. As I thought about it that evening, I was also reminded that God’s timing is so amazing. The Lucado post showing up right after one more election post, was no coincidence. He always gives us what we need when we need it.

The following morning, there was a note on my desk from my coworker. She had gone to the playground to search for a lost pedometer that a grandparent had called about. The note informed me that she didn’t find it, but she did find a quarter and she taped it to the note.

I laughed about it and shared it with Ivy before our morning prayer. We prayed for strength and peace and to see God and to be God for the people around us.

As the day began and people began to come into the office, one of the teachers came in who had been having a horrible morning. Her child had forgotten her snack and her lunch and they hadย a hard time getting out of the house, period. She was frazzled and she hadn’t eaten breakfast and was going to get a bag of chips, but was a quarter short.

And there it was, shining on my desk, taped to a note. Ivy and I smiled at each other as I handed the teacher the quarter that was meant for her. God knew the day before, what she would need that morning.

He always knows and He always provides. Whatever road you find yourself traveling on today, don’t lose faith. Hold onto hope. Watch for God. Wait for God. He’s in control and He will show up at exactly the right time with whatever it is you need.

A quarter taped to a note reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

We Are Not God

Dogs can't understand why humans do what we do because they are not humans.
Dogs can’t understand why humans do what we do because they are not humans.

We have two dogs at our house, Piper and Sandy. I love them both dearly. They are around eight and ten years old we think. They both came to us as full grown strays. They arrived at different stages in our lives with very different personalities. One is large and one is smaller. One is male and one is female. One has long hair and one has short hair.

I love them differently, but equally, because they are different, but they don’t always accept that fact. They tend to get jealous of one another and jockey for my affection. I can’t really explain my feelings for them to them because they are dogs.

Sandy has seemed to had some stiffness in his joints lately, so we bought him some glucosamine tablets. They are chewable and we give him one every morning. They seem to keep more comfortable. He’s able to run up and down the stairs more easily. He needs them.

Piper doesn’t need them. She’s smaller and younger and her joints are fine. But, when Piper sees us give Sandy a tablet, she thinks it’s a treat and she gets jealous. In her eyes, he’s getting something special that she’s not getting. I can’t explain it to her because she’s a dog.

My Piper and Sandy situation has really weighed on my mind over the past few days. I wonder if that’s how God sometimes feels about us. He loves us as equally, but we are different, so He shows us in different ways. We often don’t understand because we are not God. We are humans.

He also gives us different things at different times because it’s something we need at the time. To those of us looking at someone else’s blessings, we can perceive that, that person always gets more or better than we do and we get jealous. We may wonder why we don’t get those extra blessings. In our focus on other people and their gifts, we can lose sight of the fact that we may appear the same way to others looking at us.

Either way, we often don’t understand because we are not God. We are human.

The Bible tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

We forget though, don’t we? We think we know best. We think we know what we need more than God does. We become jealous like Piper is of Sandy’s glucosamine tablets.

But, when we lean into scripture, the Holy Spirit will whisper in our ears that we are loved. We are treasured and our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need. Not only that, but He will provide it at exactly the right time. Learning to believe that is called faith and it’s something we can all use a little more of these days.

We are not God. My dogs reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Trust and Obey

Obedience to God, changes everything.
Obedience to God, changes everything.

Our Old Testament reading in church last week, was on Naaman. I have always appreciated that story and found myself reading through it again. It’s found in 2 Kings 5.

Naaman was a valiant warrior and the Bible says that through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram. We might want to take note here that Aram was not Israel. The Bible is clear that God doesn’t only control the destinies of His people; He controls the destinies of all nations. That’s a fact that as people of God, we might want to hold close at the present moment.

Also, take notice that, the Bible says through him, the Lord had given victory. God has always been in the business of using people to have His plans accomplished.

But, Naaman had a problem. He had leprosy. A servant girl, who was a captive from Israel, told her mistress, Naaman’s wife, that there was a prophet in Israel, Elisha, who could cure him.

I wonder if that lowly servant girl had any idea what part her faith would play in Biblical history. Her faith, her courageous testimony, encouraged Naaman to go and seek the man of God. There are no small parts in Kingdom building.

Naaman went, all puffed up, I suspect, bearing gifts. He was a proud warrior, after all; surely Elisha would be so thankful for the gifts, that he would be honored to cure him. Naaman certainly was not a picture of humility, a trait sorely missing in our own world too.

Elisha did not rush out to greet him. He sent a messenger to tell him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River and he would be cleansed.

Naaman was insulted. How dare Elisha not come out and meet him! He wanted Elisha to wave his hands over his skin and heal him. Naaman wanted to be healed in the way that he chose.

But, God’s ways and man’s ways are rarely the same. God does not serve man. Man is called to serve God. God was willing to heal Naaman just as God is willing to heal us, but it’s rarely with the snap of fingers. Healing takes time and often effort on our own part and oh yeah, obedience.

Elisha told Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan and he was so angry about the instructions, that he almost walked away sick. How often do we do the same? How often do we have the promise of healing within our grasp if we will only humble ourselves and obey God?

How often do we choose to walk away because of our own pride and stubbornness?

Naaman almost missed it. He stomped away angry, but his servants intervened. God had placed faithful people in his life, even though he didn’t have the faith required; the servants did.

Naaman grudgingly did it God’s way and he was immediately healed. Even though he wasn’t happy about it, he did eventually follow Elisha’s instructions.

Do we find ourselves, like Naaman, grudgingly following God’s instructions or do we find ourselves not obeying at all? Do we find ourselves with faithful friends who can encourage us to get on the right path when we are willfully following our own way?

Naaman’s story has so much to teach us about ourselves. It teaches us about the dangers of pride and about the rewards of humility and obedience. It teaches us about the value of faithful friends. It teaches us about the love and patience of our God. It teaches us to trust. It teaches us faith.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

Answered Prayers

Prayer works. It's the only thing that really does.
Prayer works. It’s the only thing that really does.

On September the 10th, I wrote about my friend, our school nurse, Ivy. I shared that she has ALS and that she was on medical leave. I shared that she’s a woman of very strong faith, a true prayer warrior. I wrote about her sharing with me that she believes that she will be healed.

I asked my readers to please pray for Ivy. I reminded the other prayer warriors who pass through here that we do not fight against flesh and blood enemies, but against the unseen ones who wish to harm us. We are spiritual beings as well as physical ones.

Since that original post, 2,676 people have read it in 19 countries and I’m happy to report that it’s working.

Ivy is back at work doing what she loves, healing and sharing kindness and love with the children who come to the clinic. She is the first person I see each day in the office and she always greets me with a smile. We still begin our day with a quick prayer, before we turn on the lights.

I am learning so much from her and I am blessed to know her. I am constantly amazed and inspired by the regular flow of ย parents who stop in the office and tell her they are praying for her. Our prayer warrior has the same response every time. “Thank-so much!” she always says with a smile. It’s the only thing that really works.

Earlier this week, she shared with me that she has movement in her feet that she didn’t have a few weeks ago. I was so excited for her and we shared in a prayer of thanks. ALS is degenerative. It doesn’t get better.

But, it seems God has other plans for Ivy. He is not after all, bound by any human understanding.

I share all of this with you now for a couple of reasons. First of all, I want to ask you to continue to pray for Ivy and for God to continue to show Himself through her and to heal her. But, I also want to encourage you to really try to wrap your brain around and embrace the phenomenal power that God’s people have in prayer.

It works. It will work in your life, in your relationships, in your situation. As Ivy says, it’s the only thing that really does.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

Mustard Seed Perspective

When we look at the actual size of a mustard seed, it changes everything.
When we look at the actual size of a mustard seed, it changes everything.

Our sermon last Sunday, was about Jesus and the mustard seed faith discussion found in Luke. I have always enjoyed that part of scripture because I knew that mustard seeds are small, but a few years ago, for a middle school Sunday school class, I actually went out and bought some mustard seeds so the kids could see them.

I’ll have to admit that I was stunned. Those seeds are seriously tiny and Jesus talks about them in more than one instance.

In Luke 17, Jesus tells the disciples that if they had faith even as tiny as a mustard seed, they could tell a mulberry tree to uproot itself and throw itself into the sea and it would. That seems like an extravagant gesture.

But, our pastor pointed out the verses before it where Jesus tells the disciples to forgive their brothers if they ask for forgiveness and repent, even if they do it seven times in a day.

The mulberry tree begins to look a little bit easier, doesn’t it?

Forgiving someone repeatedly, goes against our human nature. Forgiving someone one time is hard enough, twice is even more difficult, but at some point, our go to, is to write them off and be done with them and to remain angry.

And therein lies the problem. Carrying around anger and unforgiveness damages our souls. It weighs down our hearts. It separates us from God. It also leads to a host of physical problems from anxiety, to high blood pressure, to stomach issues.

Walking away from people who wish us harm, is perfectly fine, but our souls need for us to forgive.

How is that possible when someone has wronged us over and over?

Jesus says if we have the faith as tiny as a mustard seed, that will be enough. Refer to the picture of the mustard seed and the penny.

If we have just the tiniest bit of faith, Jesus can do the rest. If Jesus is within us and we pray about forgiveness with open hearts, the Holy Spirit will make a way.

So, our excuses of not being strong enough to forgive, don’t work because it’s not about us. It’s about Jesus and He says with God all things are possible and He says that we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to succeed in what He asks us to do.

Sometimes the next step is to ask ourselves if we believe Jesus is true to His word. If the answer is yes, then we know we have all we need to move forward.

A tiny mustard seed reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

Watching for the Flags

The flags on the stairs give us a warning of where we shouldn't step.
The flags on the stairs gave us a warning of where we shouldn’t step.

On Sunday after church, my family decided to go for a walk at the Botanical Gardens. We all had individual projects to work on, but the weather was so wonderful, that it felt wrong for us not to get out an enjoy it.

We are big believers that God has His fingerprints all over nature and for us, enjoying Creation as a family, is a form of worship.

We meandered a while by a creek that eventually lead us to the river. We walked along the river for a while, taking photos and breathing in the cooler fall air. We eventually followed a trail that lead us back up to civilization. There were lots of flowerbeds and some sculptures and fountains. Some areas had lots of steps.

The last steps that we headed up, had yellow flags in some places. Those flags warned us not to step in those areas because the bricks were loose and a fall could happen that could lead to injury.

My daughter and her daddy had the discussion about what would happen if one were to step on those steps anyway and fall. Could that person sue? My hubby told her he didn’t think you could sue the state of Georgia.

I thought about those flags and that conversation long after our little hike.

I thought about how nice it would be if we had little caution flags in real life, warning us of the places where we should not tread.

Almost as soon as I thought it, a little voice in my head reminded me that we do have those warnings.

When we are in regular prayer, and we read our Bible, the Holy Spirit is really good at warning us of the places we should not go and about the decisions we should not make.

When I think back on my own life and some of my own biggest mistakes, I knew on some level, that they were wrong before I made them. But, I made them anyway. Sometimes the consequences were disastrous.

And as I found myself in a pit of my own making, was it right for me to blame God? After all, I had been warned.

Ummm, no.

What about as a society and as a country, do we get those flags? Of course we do. God is not a Sunday God. His rules and plans don’t just apply to us on Sundays sitting in the church pews. They apply to our everyday lives as well.

When we make decisions contrary to His teachings and there are consequences, do we have the right to be angry? Can we sue God?

It’s so easy to “lean on our own understanding.” After all, we tend to believe that we know best.

But, the Bible tells us differently. We are warned not to do certain things. There are flags.

Sometimes we don’t understand why, but trust and obedience are part of our faith, no matter how difficult that may be at times. We can choose to avoid the flags or not.

I’m learning in my own walk, to watch for those flags. Some stairs in need of repair, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚

River Rock Wisdom

Those beautifully smooth river rocks, took years to become that way.
Those beautifully smooth river rocks, took years to become that way.

On a recent hike in the mountains, my son discovered a pile of river rocks stacked up on a boulder. It was very unexpected, in the midst of all of the wilderness and nature at its best. But, there it was. Clearly, man and nature had intersected.

I love rocks. I love that they often tell a story with their layers. I love that some of them catch the light. I love that some of them have beautiful colors. They represent history for me. When I hold one, I am in awe of the hundreds of years that it took to form it.

I am particularly fond of river rocks. They tend to be perfectly round and smooth to the touch and I enjoy picking them up out of the water and holding them in my hand. They remind me of being in process.

River rocks are beautifully smooth because they have been shaped by water rushing over them for years and years. All of the sharp edges have been slowly worn away over time. What is eventually left behind is a perfectly formed, round rock.

River rocks remind me of our human struggle. Most of us have all types of sharp edges and when life gets hard and pours over us, we can stand tall and grow bitter. We can hold onto anger, pain and resentment and our edges can grow even sharper.

But, there is another way. We can bend. When life gets hard and it always does, when tragedy strikes, and it sometimes will, we can get on our knees and raise our hands to heaven. We can pray for peace. We can pray for strength. We can lean into Jesus and let amazing grace wash over us like a river washing over those rocks.

And as time goes by and our faith grows, we can lose those edges as we let go of all of those things we were never meant to carry in the first place. Our hearts can become smooth and beautiful like those river rocks. We can become a sight to behold and something that draws others to us, just like those stacked rocks my son found.

But, we have to remember that the process takes time. As long as we are on this side of heaven, we are in progress. We have a choice to make. We can allow life’s circumstances to make us sharp and hurtful to those around us or we can choose to allow God to use those to mold us into something different, something better, something unique and beautiful.

We always have a choice. Faith, is a choice.

Some river rocks reminded me.ย Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy ๐Ÿ™‚