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.

Honoring God with Sick Days

Posted on by Wendy
We all get sick sometimes. How we handle sickness makes all of the difference.
We all get sick sometimes. How we handle sickness, makes all of the difference.

I was sick a couple of weeks ago and finally gave in and went to see my doctor. It was a sinus infection. I knew it was. I knew I needed an antibiotic. I had known for a couple of days, but I kept putting it off. I just didn’t have time to be sick. I felt so bad by the time I went, I had to come home and crash on the couch where I lamented about my physical human weakness.

Why did I have to be sick? I was just so busy. If I were a stronger person, I could just power through it. As I was beating myself up, I felt like God whispered to me. “You are rarely sick. You have been blessed with very good health. For you to expect to never be sick, would be for you to expect to be greater than human. You are not.”

He was right of course. I’m ashamed to admit that I can throw a “not fair” tantrum that rivals a toddler’s when my to-do list gets piled up and I’m out of commission. I act as if there’s ever a really good time to get sick, maybe the Tuesday after my kids leave home? Let’s face it; there is no good time.

When our bodies get sick, and they will from time-to-time, on this side of heaven, we really are honoring God, when we slow down to heal. Our physical bodies are a gift, a temple, so to speak, and when we take care of ourselves when we are sick, we are thanking God for the gift of our physical bodies and doing our part to restore them to full capacity.

When we just keep going on a fraction of our best physically, we can’t possibly do our very best to serve. I think we owe it to ourselves and to our Maker to make the best effort to heal. This may involve a doctor visit and a nap. While a nap may seem the complete opposite of true worship, perhaps in certain seasons, it’s one and the same.

My son was sick last week. This kid normally gets perfect attendance at school every year. After I gave him several over the counter medications and some coffee and he still couldn’t get off the couch, I knew he was sick. When I told him he would have to see the doctor, he told me that was fine and went back to sleep.

This is one of those times when kids instinctively, get it right. When they are sick, they rest. They don’t feel a deep desire to go to school and get it done. They realize that life will go on, even if they check out for a day. They lose this wisdom by high school, but they do seem to be born with it.

The Bible tells us that when we get to heaven that, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Until then, we will have some sick days. I’m going to try to be more patient with my humanity the next time I get sick and honor God by taking time to rest and heal. What about you? How do you do with sick days? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

What God Plants

Posted on by Wendy
This pretty purple plant blooms year after year reminding me of the beauty in God's plan.
This pretty purple plant blooms year after year reminding me of the beauty in God’s plan.

Every year about this time, this plant with dainty little purple flowers blooms underneath my oak tree. My hubby asks me every year what it is. I mean it’s always so lush and bushy and it fills in a blank space. It’s hard to believe that I didn’t plant it or in no way do I tend to it.

I have the same answer for him every year. “I have no idea.” I haven’t even tried to look it up. I just let it serve as a reminder to me every spring, that God has a plan and I am usually clueless about what it is, but it’s beautiful like this little plant. It grows in complete shade, yet blooms anyway. I can’t tell you the countless dollars I’ve spent on every variety of hydrangea trying to get them to bloom under those trees. There’s just not enough sun. But this little guy, blooms faithfully with little light and no care.

This moss is thriving on a rock.
This moss is thriving on a rock.

This moss is thriving on a rock. How does it get its nutrients? Rocks aren’t living things; yet this moss is almost covering it. Now, I’m sure some geologist could explain the scientific reasons behind the growth, but here’s the deal; if you have ever tried to get something to grow, you know it takes work and nurture, water and fertilizer. When something grows and thrives completely on its own and it’s beautiful, that makes me take notice.

Sometimes God plants situations and people in our lives that simply thrive for no good reason. We don’t necessarily try to make them work. They just do.

Have you ever had a co-worker that is your complete opposite? I mean you may disagree on everything from politics to pizza toppings, but somehow you work beautifully together. Sometimes, you may even forge a strong friendship with this person which would normally be against all odds.

Sometimes neighbors can be like that. You wouldn’t choose them as friends. Maybe there’s an age difference or lifestyle difference, but yet, you somehow become friends.

There are times in my life when I have found the people who annoy me the most have been put in my path to teach me some kind of lesson about myself. They are sometimes not comfortable lessons and I may not have chosen to learn them on my own, but when confronted, I had to sink or swim. In the end, something beautiful came out of it.

God’s ways are mysterious and very different from ours. The Bible says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,”says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8

If we are able to accept and maybe even embrace, (I know this is much easier said than done.), that He has a plan and it’s good, then maybe we can take a second look at the annoying co-worker, the strange new neighbor or anyone that we wouldn’t normally choose to hang out with and ask ourselves what this person may be trying to teach us about ourselves or what should we be teaching them?

Who knows, maybe something beautiful will take root and bloom. I think it’s worth a try. What do you think about what God plants? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Letting Go of the Hard Stuff

Posted on by Wendy
Some of the snow from last week stubbornly refused to melt.
Some of the snow from last week stubbornly refused to melt.

As I was walking yesterday and thanking God for the gorgeous weather and the reprieve from this horrendous winter, some snow caught my eye. It was in the high fifties yesterday. There shouldn’t have been any snow left, but there was. Under closer examination, I realized that the snow was in the shade and the sun was unable to shine on it and so it remained.

God often communicates with me through nature and that stubborn snow whirled around in my thoughts for the rest of the day. Our hearts can sometimes be icy. When we accept the love and grace of Jesus, they are warmed and become vibrant. But sometimes we choose to keep certain parts shaded and away from the all forgiving light of Christ.

Things like guilt stay high on that list. You know what I’m talking about. We give our hearts to Jesus and we do everything we’re supposed to. We pray, read our Bibles and go to church. But we still feel like we are not good enough for complete forgiveness because of something we did in our past. So we keep that little part of our heart out of the forgiving light. It stays icy.

Another example is our worries. We will profess to know that God loves us beyond a shadow of a doubt, but we worry that He won’t provide for us. Will we have enough money? Will we have enough to eat?

I struggle with worries about my kids. I worry about mean kids. I worry about their future. I worry about their safety.

This thought pattern doesn’t come from God. It comes from Satan. If we give all of our hearts to God, even the guilty parts, the worries and there are many other examples, then we are free to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. We are free to live in peace and joy. Satan is not big on peace, joy or forgiveness. They are fruits of the Holy Spirit and he will always directly oppose that fruit.

This is where the Bible can be very helpful. If God is capable of having the ravens feed Elijah, if He is capable of  having the walls of Jericho crumble with a horn blast and a shout, if He is capable of feeding five thousand with a couple of fish and five loaves of bread, if Jesus walked on water, can we truly believe that He can’t provide for His believers? Do we really believe that He isn’t willing or capable of forgiving  or healing whatever we are carrying around?

We always have a choice of whether we are going to listen to the voice of God or the lies of Satan. One choice gives us freedom to be all we were created to be. The other leaves us with icy spots. I say, let’s get rid of all of the shade and choose the light. Let’s choose God. What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

You Already Have What You Need to Serve

Posted on by Wendy
This guy is doing what he's called to do, soak up the sun!
This guy is doing what he’s called to do, soak up the sun!

I have often heard people talking about having no idea of what God has called them to do and I have also heard people express the fear that if they draw closer to God and really listen, then He will call them to be a missionary in Africa. Most folks are not interested in doing that, so what do they do?

They keep God at an arm’s length. Sure, they will attend church on Sunday and maybe even Sunday school, but that’s as close as they are willing to get. Everyone remembers the Jonah story and if we are really honest with ourselves, no one wants to go to Ninevah. (It was located in what is now Iraq.) Still don’t want to go, right?

By the way, I feel the same way. I have no interest in doing missionary work abroad, but that’s because I haven’t been called to do that. Have you ever listened to missionaries talk about the work they do? Their eyes sparkle and come alive as they talk about living in huts and eating only rice. Why do you think they are so passionate about what they do?

Because, they are doing what they have been called to do. Most of us aren’t called to travel far and wide to spread the love of Jesus on a regular basis. Most of us are called to spread the Good News right where we are, where we work, where we live, where our children attend school. We have already been planted where we are supposed to be.

Think about it this way. What do apple trees produce? Apples, right? Does God ever call an apple tree to produce pears? No, because He personally designed it to produce apples. That’s what He wants it to produce.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 139, that we were “knit together in our mother’s womb.” The Knitter had a plan from the beginning. We already have what we need to answer our call to serve. We all have certain gifts and talents; when they are combined with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we have unique abilities to fulfill our calling. (our unique calling) You can find a list of them in 1 Corinthians 12.

No two people are the same, so no two people are called to serve in the exact same way, at the exact same place, at the exact same  time. That is part of God’s master plan.

Take a look around and see how you are already serving. You may be doing exactly what you are called to do. If you don’t think you are, pray for guidance. You are probably not that far from where you need to be, and if you are, you probably know that somewhere deep inside. He calls you to be uniquely you and no one else. He calls you to be passionate about Him.

The point is, fear not; draw closer to God. He will point you in the direction you need to go and it’s probably not Ninevah.  Don’t you want to find out?

Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day.

Wendy 🙂

Be Brave Enough to Hope

Posted on by Wendy

 

Hope is a gift from God.
Hope is a gift from God.

I recently saw the movie, “Hope Floats.” I’ve always loved that movie, because I’m a sucker for a story where someone gets knocked down through no fault of their own and not only picks themselves back up, but discovers or rediscovers who they were truly meant to be.

Hasn’t that happened to all of us? At one time or another, we get knocked flat. It can be anything from a sudden job loss to the loss of a spouse through death or divorce, to an unexpected health diagnosis. Where do we go from there? Do we stay on the ground or do we get up and stand?

At the end of the movie, Sandra Bullock has an awesome line. “Mama always said, beginnings are scary; endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up and it will too…”

It’s not surprising that these wise words would come from a mama. Mama’s are notoriously wise. What is hope exactly? I’m not talking about a wish type of hope. We can say things like “I hope I win the lottery.” That’s really just a shallow wish. True hope, Biblical hope, God-given hope, runs much deeper.

Hope in the Bible is an indication of certainty. Having hope means you have a strong and confident expectation. A Google search shows that the word hope appears in the NIV version of the Bible 174 times. That tells me that hope is an important concept to God. Therefore, it should be an important concept to us.

Maybe it’s so important because it’s tied so closely to faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” and Corinthians 13:13 tells us, “Three things will last forever-faith, hope and love-and the greatest of these is love.”

Hope is one of those things that’s never-ending, so we should never give up hope. It’s tied in with faith and it’s tied in with God’s love for us through Jesus.

So, why do I love a movie about hope? It’s because it’s my story. It’s your story. Hope is a precious commodity given freely to us from God. We must cherish it and bask in it. And from time-to-time when we lose it, we should seek reminders from Him and from the Bible. We can also seek it from other believers. He will renew our hope if we ask.

We should also try to remember to share it with others who seem to be running short. That’s the love part of it. It all ties in.

If you are running low on hope today, reach out for it. Seek it. If you have plenty, be sure to share, remembering that we all are a piece in God’s huge puzzle and every part counts. What are your thoughts on hope? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

The Back Story

Posted on by Wendy
You wouldn't know, just by looking at the picture how deep this spring is.
You wouldn’t know, just by looking at the picture how deep this spring is.

A friend recently introduced me to a daily Bible reading blog called, www.#shereadstruth.com If you are looking for a way to read the Bible daily and have a meaningful message to accompany it, I highly recommend it. Right now, they are doing a series on fresh starts and they have found passages throughout the Bible to show God giving His people a fresh start.

Today, their passage was Acts 9:1-19 and their discussion was on the conversion of Saul to Paul. This is a fabulous example of a fresh start. I mean, this guy went from hunting and killing Christians to preaching about Christ and writing the majority of the New Testament.

But, there’s an unsung hero in this story. His name is Ananias. The scripture says he was a disciple living in Damascus. I picture this guy, minding his own business and kind of lying low. He’s a believer, but it’s dangerous to be a believer and then he has a vision.

Jesus calls his name. Ananias answers him. Jesus then instructs him to go to the house where Saul of Tarsus is and heal him by restoring his sight.  Ananias says, (and I paraphrase),”Umm, Lord are you sure about this? This guy has been killing and arresting your people left and right.” And I’ll bet he was thinking, “Take that, Saul! You reap what you sow. Bullies everywhere, take note!”

But, Jesus says, “Go!” He has chosen Saul to be the person who will carry his message to the Gentiles and their kings and to the Jews.

Did Ananias argue? Did he try to reason? Did he ignore this calling and lean on his own understanding? Nope. Verse seventeen tells us he went and found Saul. And if that wasn’t enough; here’s the coolest part; He puts his hands on him and says: “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:17

It wasn’t a grudgingly delivered message, like we find with Jonah. Ananias wasn’t angry that Jesus decided to use Saul. Jesus called. Ananias answered and not only did he heal Saul, he called him brother and baptized him.

Saul goes on to be Paul and we know his story, but Paul would have remained blind and huddling in a corner if Ananias hadn’t answered his call. Ananias was faithful, obedient and brave. He trusted Jesus and that trust and obedience enabled  Paul to complete his all-important journey.

There are no unimportant or non-essential pieces in God’s plan. Every single person has a part to play. Every part matters. Just because you probably didn’t know Ananias before you read this, makes him no less important in the big story. There’s always a back story. No one ever gets where they are without help from someone else.

If you ever wonder if what you are doing matters, rest assured; if you are answering Jesus’ call, it matters. You matter. So, keep on going my friend. Keep doing what you do. You’re making Jesus proud. What do you think about Ananias? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Trust the Potter

Posted on by Wendy
The newest version of the all important scientific calculator.
The newest version of the all important scientific calculator.

My high school freshman came home after her first day of Algebra 1, (Although it’s no longer called that; it’s now called Coordinate Algebra. Doesn’t that sound more rigorous?), and announced that she needed a scientific calculator. Her teacher told her that it was a good investment because they would use it all through high school.

I smiled as I remembered back to math during my high school days. My math teacher had said the same thing, and she was right. I did use it all four years of high school. Being a journalism major, I never used it again, thank goodness! And I can’t tell you for the life of me, what good tangent and cotangent are, but I digress.

Her calculator is a lot snazzier than the TI35, I had, but it serves the same function. The calculator got me to thinking about the things that we require for certain periods in our lives that are totally necessary at the time, but we will never use again afterwards. The first things I thought of were baby things, like cribs, high chairs and car seats. When your child is ten, you can’t get rid of that stuff fast enough, but when they are infants, they are a must have.

There are school supplies like crayons and glue sticks that elementary school kids need, but high schoolers have no use for crayons. Our lives are always changing. Nothing ever stays the same. We are in constant motion like the earth we live on. Our needs change as we change.From babies to seniors, we change and grow.

God is often depicted in the Bible as a potter. “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

I like the idea of Him molding and making me, but I have come to look at myself as more of a Play- Doh consistency than true clay and I think that’s a good thing. When a potter makes a cup or a bowl, he puts it in a kiln and bakes it into a hard, permanent shape. It will forever be a cup or a bowl.

However, I think that God calls most of us to do different things during our lifetimes. There are those of course, that know early on that they were called to do one thing and they do it well for a lifetime. But, many of us are called to do many different things during the many different seasons of our lives. Those tasks may not always look the same as we don’t look the same.

As we grow and mature and change, what we are called to do often changes too. We may go from being a saucer to a pitcher. I think the key is to stay flexible. Listen for His voice and remember that whether Play- Doh or clay, only the potter decides the final shape, not the medium being shaped. So, we should let go of our desire to control and see what He come up with. We are likely to be amazed. What do you think? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

It’s Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself

Posted on by Wendy
Where would you like to go?
Where would you like to go?

I have been hearing the term, reinvention a lot lately. Maybe it’s because the economy has been so bad for so long, that many people have had to reinvent their careers and themselves. The depth of  beauty and prosperity that can rise from ashes, never fails to amaze me.

I remember when Mount St. Helens erupted and the pictures that were plastered everywhere of the devastation. Pictures of the area now, are beautiful and pristine. You would never know what it looked like thirty years ago. Scientists say that wildfires are actually good for the forest. They clear out undergrowth and make them healthier in the long run.I’m sure the little woodland animals would disagree with that statement. They don’t know what scientists know.

Change is often hard, but forced change due to circumstances completely out of our control is particularly difficult and downright frightening. However, I have read many success stories of people who have lost their jobs and finally followed some long dormant dream because they had nowhere else to turn. These people are thrilled that they took that scary leap of faith, even if it was forced upon them.

We are never too old to follow a dream or reinvent ourselves. Moses was 80 years old when he became the leader of the Israelites and confronted Pharaoh. He tended sheep until that point. That wouldn’t seem to have been an occupation to help him build leadership skills. God thought otherwise.

Then there’s Paul, the king of reinvention. Not only did he persecute the new Christians; he had them killed. He was convinced this new church was wrong. He made it his mission in life to try to stamp out Christianity. You would think this would be the last person on earth to decide to preach the Good News far and wide. You would think this would be the last person on earth to start new churches and to write the majority of the New Testament. God thought otherwise. Paul’s perspective changed and he spent the rest of his days telling anyone who would listen to him about Jesus, even from prison.

The Bible is full of these examples of reinvention. It may be a new term for us, but it’s long been a concept of God’s. If you woke up this morning, then today holds new possibilities for you. As long as we are living and breathing, God is not done with us.

So the question is, where would you like to go? What would you like to do? Is there an idea or dream in the back of your mind or deep inside your heart that you have always held onto, but never nurtured? If it’s been there for a long time, maybe there’s a reason.

If it’s something that you can do to serve God, hand it over to Him and see what happens. I think God loves those kinds of dreams the best, the ones we thought could never happen, because those dreams are the ones only He can make happen and pursuing them takes faith.

Just be prepared, because when you say to Him, “Please use me;” you are likely in for a wild ride. God always takes the scenic route.

What have you been holding back? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Traveling Light

Posted on by Wendy
Wherever you are going, travel with a light heart.
Wherever you are going, travel with a light heart.

Today is the first day of Thanksgiving Break for my kids. They are out of school for an entire week this year. This long break has given many families the chance to travel for the holiday. In fact, the day before Thanksgiving is supposed to be the busiest traveling day of the year.

I have never been one to pack lightly. I always over pack, thinking of all kinds of contingencies, from weather changes to every possible medical need my family may have. I mean, I pack Advil and Pepto-Bismol and Dramamine and Benadryl. I pack four or five pairs of shoes and many changes of undergarments.

Why do I pack all of this stuff? Well, first of all, I’ll blame my sweet mama. She is a notorious over packer, much to the dismay of my dad. He always claimed that we looked like the Clampett’s traveling up and down the road when I was growing up.

However, if I look deeper, it has to do with my need to be ready for anything. It’s a type of control. Do I really need all of that stuff for just a few days away from home?

When Jesus sent his disciples out, he told them to carry no money bag, knapsack or sandals with them. In other words, he told them to travel light. I wonder what the deeper meaning of that command may have been.

What kinds of things do we carry around in our hearts on this life journey? Just like the airlines charge for extra baggage these days, there’s a price we pay for carrying around negative baggage in our hearts.

The beginning of the holiday season is a perfect time to do a heart check because if we are carrying around that extra baggage, it can often be forced to come out at family get togethers when tensions can sometimes run high. So, now is a good time for us to seriously ask ourselves, if we are angry with anyone, (especially a family member), or are we carrying around a long time hurt or resentment towards anyone? Do we have unmet needs for approval from family or loved ones?

After some soul-searching, we need to prayerfully and intentionally give this baggage to God and ask for healing and peace. If we need to forgive, we can ask God for help. But, keep in mind, once we hand these things over, we have to leave them there and not try to pick them back up. It’s a no take backs deal.

Then, we can move forward into this season of thanksgiving with a heart that has room for love and joy and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. We will have a heart that is no longer burdened with unnecessary baggage and then we make sure to keep it that way. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything that you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

I’m going to try to travel with a light heart this season. Then, maybe I’ll work on the physical luggage. 🙂  Anyone care to join me? Feel free to comment.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

We Are Like Sailboats.

Posted on by Wendy
This little sailboat has to rely on wind and current to get where it's going.
This little sailboat has to rely on wind and current to get where it’s going.

I have always like boats and being on the water. There’s nothing quite like having the wind blow through your hair when you are riding on a boat. Now, when I say I like boats, I mean boats with motors and steering wheels. I like to know that my captain is in complete control of where we are going. Being at the mercy of the wind doesn’t sound like much fun to me.

Sailboats aren’t like that. There is no motor. They have to rely on wind and current to get them where they are going. I find that kind of frightening. I mean, who knows where I might end up? Sure, a good captain knows how to steer the vessel, but even the best ones have to depend on the wind.

But, there are people who just love sailboats. They find sailing to be the ultimate adventure. I suppose if I were to be completely honest with myself, we are a lot more like sailboats than motor boats. Our lives are often at the mercy of forces that are beyond our control whether we like it or not.

We can do a lot of the steering, but sometimes the currents just pull us in a direction that we don’t really want to go. Sometimes it gets stormy and the skies get dark. Sometimes, there is no wind at all and we just have to drift. How do we handle that? Do we fight it and attempt to sail against the current or try to insist on our own will and sail when there’s no current?

This is where I think it’s important to remember that we worship the One who created the seas and He has the power over the currents and winds in our lives. “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.” Psalm 107:29

Yes, the seas of life will get rough from time to time and at other times, we feel like we have been stuck in the same spot for so long, that the winds will never pick up again. But, this is where we have to have some faith.

If there’s a storm blowing around us, we have a lifeline in Jesus. He will help us stay afloat during the storms and grow our faith and make us stronger than we ever were before. We just need to ask for strength and He will provide.

If we are drifting in a sea of endless monotony, we should again take heart, knowing that God has a plan and different timing than our own. He’s taking a season for us to rest and reflect and grow. But, don’t get too comfortable; if you are really praying for some action, it’s coming, so get ready to hang on. Life with Jesus is never boring!

I’m still not sure that I love sailboats, but I can certainly relate to them. How about you? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂