Category: Watching for God

God is all around us. All we have to do is look for Him. If we seek Him, we will find Him at times in the most unlikely places.

A Message from a Zinnia

Posted on by Wendy
When the days are dark and chaotic, a little light can make all of the difference.

 

It’s been raining and overcast for days and days here in the Peach State. While I’m sure that we will be praying for some of this rain in July and August, right now, in late May, my garden has had too much. I’m losing some tomatoes to blossom end rot and fighting with some pests that come from everything staying wet. What we really need is some sunshine.

Then, there’s my mood. My sincere condolences go out to folks who live in places that don’t get much sun. For me, long stretches of gray skies make this glass half-full girl convert to a bit of a grouch. I always find so many God glimpses in my garden, little bits of encouragement that I like to pass on, but when there’s non-stop rain, they are harder to see.

Yesterday, as I trudged through the tall wet grass, that needs mowing if it ever get dry enough, I spied a bright pink zinnia, standing tall among the climbing bean vines. I rushed right over for a closer look. Although I have planted zinnias all over the garden. I didn’t plant that one and I have marveled at its tenacity as it fought for light against some very aggressive vines. Its perseverance had at last paid off and and its bright pink petals beckoned like a light house amongst all of the green foliage and against the dreary gray sky.

I’m not sure how it was able to succeed where it was or how it could bloom with so little sun, yet there it was and its bright pink petals made me smile. I felt my half-empty glass begin to fill as I snapped a photo.

While I don’t think most of us can agree on much of anything these days; we can agree that those dark skies reflect that we are living in some dark times. Most people seem to stay on the edge of angry, fearful and upset. It can even feel pointless to try to shine the light of Christ into a world that seems so hostile to the message, but perhaps we should ask ourselves, are the days any darker than when Jesus, himself shared the Good News?

I suppose every generation in some way believes that they hold the claim to greatest challenges, so I guess that doesn’t make us any different. What I know for certain, is that God still holds everything in His hands and with that knowledge I feel called to join that bright pink zinnia and point boldly to heaven.

A lone zinnia reminded me to shine my light even when the days are dark. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

In Awe of God’s Planning

Posted on by Wendy
God is ALWAYS at work!

 

Back in the early spring, I spied a flower in my compost pile. It was an anemone. They grow from something called corms which look like a tiny octopus. When I decided to plant them a couple of years ago, I took great care in following directions to make them sprout. I soaked them in water overnight and planted them in good rich soil. I bought frost cloth to cover them when the temps dipped below freezing.

It had been a long hard winter for me resulting from deep grief. I hadn’t posted anything on social media in months, but when that anemone caught my eye, in the middle of all of the thrown away material, I was mesmerized. I hadn’t done anything to protect it or encourage it’s growth. I must have actually pulled it up the summer before when it got too hot for them to bloom and tossed it in the compost pile.

All of the literature said they wouldn’t bloom the next year, but it turns out that God is not confined by conventional wisdom.

I felt led to post it, but I found myself not writing a long reflection to post as I would have in the past, but instead a photo with a caption, that read, “And then sometimes when you least expect it, new life and fresh hope appear.”

I hoped that the few words of encouragement that I felt God speaking to me would encourage someone else who needed to read them.

At the time, it was all I had to give.

A few days later, James, an old friend from middle school who grew up to be a pastor, messaged me on Facebook. He told me that the flower might make a good “Graceful Gaines,” devotion. He basically went on to say that people are in desperate need of encouragement these days. I thanked him for his kind words.

I gave a lot of thought to his message over the next few weeks. Sometimes, it really blows my mind when I think about God’s planning. I remember sitting at a table in homeroom with James talking about the pencil and paper cart and I don’t think I have seen him since. Yet, God reconnected us on Facebook a few years back when he and his wife were at a church in south Georgia.

God knew when I was in 7th grade, over 40 years ago, that He was going to grow that boy into a pastor. God knew  then that He would plant in me a seed for writing and sharing glimpses of Him to encourage others.  God even knew then, that I would now be suffering from loss and He knew then that He was going to make that flower grow to catch my attention. God knew then that He would use a social media platform that hadn’t even been invented yet, for that boy from my homeroom class to reach out and encourage me.

I find it both awe inspiring and humbling when I look back and see that God has always held me in His hands, even when I was completely unaware of His presence. A message from a childhood friend reminded me that God is truly always at work. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Encouragement for the Climb

Posted on by Wendy
Keep going! The views will be worth the climb.

 

On a recent trip to Yosemite National Park, my daughter and I hiked to the top of Vernal Falls. My sister told me ahead of time that the view from the top was breathtaking and that we couldn’t miss it. She had hiked it several times before and she assured us it was well worth the climb. The travel books called it a moderate hike and I’m in fairly decent shape, so I wasn’t concerned.

It wasn’t long into our climb when it occurred to me that my sister was in her early 20’s when she climbed to the top, and I am in my 50’s, but we kept going. It also wasn’t long into our climb when I wondered who the person was who decided it was a moderate hike. I mean, it was almost like a ladder at certain spots, but we kept going.

At one point, the people around us stopped to put on raincoats and ponchos and then continued their journey. I began to wonder if this “moderate” hike was truly worth the view. It was cool and we were clearly going to get wet, (which my sister had failed to mention), but we kept going.

Then we got out first views of the rainbows that were created from all of the water that was splashing from the falls. It was amazing and yes, totally worth getting wet to see, but the climb continued.  We would stop and rest and get a drink of water and then we would continue and those fellow travelers on that trail with us did the same. It was an encouraging group with lots of smiles and patience for people moving at all paces. It was as if everyone knew we were all heading to the same spectacular place and the destination would be worth every step of the journey to get there, no matter how long it took.

I’ll have to admit that when we got really close to the top, I seriously considered giving up. The stairs were wet and the climb was vertical. Every landing seemed to lead to more steps. I ended up behind a couple going very slowly. The woman was using a walking stick the man walked close behind her encouraging her. Almost every step, he said to her, “You’ve got this Gail, just one more step.”

I have no idea who they were or what Gail’s story was, but when my daughter, who is in her 20’s,  zipped past them, I walked behind them for a bit. I suspect that that man had no idea how much I appreciated his encouragement or how much I needed to hear it at the time, but by encouraging her, he was also encouraging me.

I asked another traveler how much further and she assured me that we were way to close to stop.

My sister was right. The view at the top was amazing. The climb had been worth every grueling step. We rested for a while in the bright sunshine with all of the other travelers who had made the climb before we headed back down.

That hike reminded me that as Christians, we are all travelers here.  Sometimes the journey can be incredibly difficult. Sometimes we need to stop and rest, but we are called to both encourage one another and to keep going, one step at a time. Because the views where we are going will be spectacular.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Tree Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
This majestic sequoia has been singed by fire, yet it still stands tall and points to God.

 

After the sudden loss of my husband, when my head was still spinning and I barely had the energy to get out of bed, I had a deep urge to go and see the giant sequoias in California. I had always wanted to see them and I had become acutely aware of how short life here on earth can be, but it was more than that.

I felt a persistent nudge to plan to see them on my birthday. It was six months away and it would give me something to look forward to, since at the time, getting out of bed every morning was almost more than I could handle. I mentioned it to a few friends and they encouraged me to go. I mentioned it to my daughter and my sister and they wanted to join me.

My sister said that I really needed to see the waterfalls in Yosemite as well. So, we made a plan including a surprise plane ticket for my mama as a Christmas gift and we went to Yosemite at the end of April.

I obsessed about the weather the week before we left and I asked God to please bless us with sunny days. I literally prayed, “I know this is a stupid prayer, but please bless our trip with good weather.” The weather channel called for rain, but since I worship the God who creates weather, He is in no way confined by a weather forecast and He didn’t find my prayer to be stupid. The weather was excellent.

On our first day, we climbed the mist trail. It was a tough climb. The stairs were steep and wet, but when we arrived at the first lookout where rainbows sprung up everywhere, when the mist met the sun, I began to sob. Six months earlier, the Holy Spirit planted a seed in my broken heart to seek out the wonder in Creation and God met me there to put on a show. The sound of the water crashing was almost deafening and the barrage of rainbows was absolutely glorious.

I could feel His presence and I gave an immediate prayer of thanks for the wonder.

The following day we went to Mariposa Grove. I had wanted to see those ancient sequoias since a social studies lesson in elementary school. There was something spiritual about trees over 1,000 years old, but I knew that those waterfalls would be hard to top.

I was not surprised when God met me in the quiet grove of those mighty trees. He wasn’t loud and splashy, but the majesty was the same. When I gazed at trees that were too big to fit in a camera shot, trees that two people couldn’t join hands and fit around, trees that had been singed by fire, but still stood tall and pointed to God, I felt a deep kinship with them.

They were scarred, yet they still  had a story to tell. I imagine that most of us who have lived long enough, have scars of some sort, but those trees reminded me that as long as we are breathing, God is not finished with us. They reminded me to stand tall and allow our stories to point to Him because in the end, He will work in all things for the good of those who love Him.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

The Ultimate Water

Posted on by Wendy
Wherever we may be on the journey, God will never stop providing what we need to grow.

My hubby and I built raised beds back in the winter. We wanted to try to grow more of our own food and we wanted them to be at a height where my parents could enjoy working in them without having to bend over too far and risk injuring themselves. They still aren’t finished, but we planted anyway. We plan to install drip irrigation and ordered all of the components. Unfortunately, we have not had the time to install it.

But, God has been so good to us during this season of transition and we have had one of the wettest and coolest summers we can remember. We haven’t been required to do too much watering because of all of the rain and yet, we have been blessed with abundance. We have been cutting lettuce and picking cherry tomatoes to eat in our salads all summer. Daddy and I share stories almost daily, of the new growth we witness.

Our latest find has been tiny watermelons. The vines have been all over the place, but they are finally bearing some melons.

Our garden, even unfinished, has been a blessing.

When we have had to water, my Daddy has set up the perfect sprinkler system. He figured out just where to place it to hit most all of the beds without having to readjust much.

Last week, the typical Georgia summer appeared. It’s been dry and we have hit temperatures in the 90’s. As I was walking through the garden a couple of days ago, after work, I was alarmed to see that everything looked wilted, especially the watermelon vines.

Since Daddy had plans for the day, I set out a plan to get everything watered early the next morning. First, I realized I needed a 2nd hose. After I finally got the water going, I found that the boxes in the back weren’t getting water. When I moved the sprinkler, I still found dry spots. But, I was determined to get the much needed water on all of those wilted plants that were depending on me.

As I struggled with the hose, I was reminded that God does the same for us. When we belong to Him and are doing His work, He sends us what we need. Sometimes it’s more encouragement and blessings than we could ever hope for and sometimes we end up feeling a little wilted, but even then, He will keep reaching out to us until we have what we need to continue to grow.

After all, He sent us the ultimate living water, when He sent us Jesus. His love and provision never fails.

My garden reminds me that God will always send us what we need to thrive doing His work and that we will never be truly complete on this side of eternity. That has always been part of the plan. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

For my regular readers, I apologize for my sporadic posts. I started a new job in June and my husband and I are trying to move. I have not had much white space to write. I hope to be more settled soon!

Living with Prayerful Gratitude

Posted on by Wendy
We should never underestimate the power of prayerful gratitude.

Recently, my hubby and I, let our dogs out to run in their new home. They are used to being in a fenced in yard in a suburb, but now they have many acres in the country. Naturally, they love the freedom. It’s truly a delight to watch them run and usually, they come right back when we call. A few weeks ago, they didn’t.

We were in the middle of a serious renovation project, trying to get it completed by the time my new job started and they went missing. We stopped working and started looking for them and calling. We called and called and at some point, we split up. He went one way and I went the other.

Finally, they came running from where I was calling and I yelled to my husband that I found them.

We went back to work.

Last weekend, we were having our morning coffee and talking about our stress in this current season. We reminded each other that we know that God is with us because of all of the prayer involved in our plans and the affirmations He has continuously sent along the way.

My hubby asked me if I remembered the day when our dogs went missing. Of course I remembered.

He went on to tell me a part of the story that I didn’t know.

He said he went up towards the road to look for our pups fearful that they might have been hit by a car. He ended up in the small orchard of fruit trees that we planted in the fall. He said he stopped to look at them and was amazed at how green and healthy they all were. We planted eight and all were flourishing beyond anything we could have imagined. He said he stopped calling the dogs and said a prayer of thanks.

He said he told God that those thriving fruit trees could have only come from His blessing and humbly admitted that there was nothing in his own power that could have made them thrive the way they have and he thanked Him for providing. He then confessed that he had a lot of work to do and asked God to help us find our dogs.

He said almost immediately, I yelled that I had found them.

As he shared a previously unknown part of the story, my eyes filled with tears. I was reminded that God is always listening even when we don’t think He is. I was reminded of the power of a praying spouse, or friend or any brother or sister in Christ. I was reminded of the power of giving thanks maybe not for all circumstances, but in all circumstances. There is always something to be thankful for.

Our morning discussion gave me the encouragement I needed and reminded me of the power and peace that come from prayerful gratitude. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Finding God in the Storm

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the rainy seasons are when we can see God most clearly.

Last week on our way back home from my parents’ house, I was following my hubby’s truck. I was a little amused at the route he decided to take that day because he usually chooses a different way. I got stopped at a light when we turned and slow car got between us. I’ll have to admit I was a little annoyed and on top of that, the sky above had turned ominously dark.

I completely lost sight of my husband, but I drove on, enjoying the music on the radio hoping the rain would hold out. When I reached the busy four way stop that we go through all of the time, my car suddenly lost all power and stopped. I tried to restart it, but to no avail. I grabbed my phone and called my hubby and told him what had happened.

As I waited for him to come back, a young man pulled up in a truck beside me and asked if I needed help. I told him my car had died and my husband was on the way. The first drops of rain began to fall when he asked if I wanted him to push me off of the road. I thanked him and put it in neutral. As he pushed, another man across the road asked if he could assist. When I was safely off of the road, I thanked him again and he was on his way.

It began to pour down rain at this point and a lady in a different car stopped and asked me if I needed any help. I thanked her and told her help was on the way.

My hubby arrived and we called a tow truck. He retrieved everything from my car and we went home.

While no one wants to have car trouble, the entire experience left me feeling God’s presence. As Christians, we know that we will have our fair share of storms and difficulties, but the Bible promises us that we never have to endure them alone. From the moment my car stopped, I was offered help, not from one person, but from three.

The car trouble allowed me to see the goodness that still resides in most people, even thought the media would have us believe differently these days. I will probably never know who the guy was that moved my car safely from the road, but I know who placed him there at that exact moment and I said a prayer of thanks for him that night.

Having car trouble in the rain reminded me that we truly never walk alone. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Call to Community

Posted on by Wendy
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

In the past week, I have read and heard several different devotions and sermons that focused on the Road to Emmaus account found in Luke 24:13-35. I have learned to pay attention when the same scripture crosses my path within a short period of time because God often uses His Word to communicate with us. So, when my hubby casually mentioned that the same scripture was the topic in his men’s prayer group, I knew I needed to sit down and prayerfully read the account again.

There’s so much to learn in those twenty-two verses.

I think it’s noteworthy that when two followers are discussing Jesus, He joins them. They weren’t in a place of worship. There was nothing formal. They were simply discussing Jesus, the crucifixion and the accounts of the resurrection.

Of course, Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

We can always trust Jesus to keep His promises.

I also love that when Jesus was going to depart and they asked Him to stay, He stayed. These men were in shock and disbelief over what they had seen and what they had heard, yet they were wholeheartedly seeking Jesus. When we humbly seek Jesus with open hearts, He will always be there.

Even when we can’t see Him, He is there.

But, I suppose what spoke to me most, was what happened in the breaking of the bread.

The text says, “Jesus took bread, gave thanks and began to give it to them.” Luke 24:32

When we sit down at a table to fill our physical need, but intentionally remember to give thanks to the One who ultimately provided it, we are openly acknowledging that we are both physical and spiritual beings. When we ask God to bless what we are about to eat, we take it a step further.

We live in an ongoing tension on this side of eternity. It’s easy to recognize the physical. It’s right in front of us. But, acknowledging our spiritual needs takes effort and discipline.

Jesus didn’t have to give thanks for that bread; He is part of the Trinity, but He chose to give thanks, probably so those two men would always remember to do the same.

Verse 31 tells us that when He gave them the bread, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.

Even though Jesus left them right after they realized who He was, those two men returned at once to tell the other disciples that they too, had seen the risen Christ. Keep in mind, it was a seven mile trip, so that was 14 miles for them in a single day. They couldn’t wait to share what they had learned.

Maybe we need to be reminded of the importance of breaking bread with other believers. Community is so important.

Scripture has a way of meeting us where we are. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Fig Tree Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy
We always have the choice between mourning for what was or celebrating what is.

About a month ago, we had some unseasonably warm weather. Everything started blooming. Then, we were slammed with a cold snap. For four nights, my hubby and I covered our tender hydrangeas. Unfortunately, we couldn’t cover our fig tree. It’s really big, but also very established and we felt like it would be ok.

It had already put out some nice big leaves. While the hydrangeas that we were able to cover had little brown spots on the ends of their leaves showing some damage, the fig leaves turned completely brown and withered. The hydrangeas bounced back fairly quickly, but our fig tree showed no sign of life for a long time.

I began to worry about it a little bit. Had the cold snap killed that mature tree?

Finally, I saw some signs of life, a few little green nodes. It was slow, but it finally started coming back. I removed most of the dead leaves, but a few were too high for me to reach. As I was examining it this week, I was amazed at all of the new green growth bursting around what looked completely dead. I had allowed myself to become discouraged because I couldn’t see signs of life.

But, that fig tree, with its established, deep root system, was at work beneath the surface. Life was still there and regeneration was going on even though I couldn’t see it.

As I looked at the withered leaves still hanging on the branches among the new bright green ones, I was reminded how easily we can get discouraged in our own cold and dark seasons. We too, sometimes believe that our prayers aren’t heard or that growth, regeneration and redemption aren’t possible.

But, God sometimes starts at our roots and the important, hard work that goes on, happens on the inside. That work and growth sometimes take a lot longer than we think it should. We wonder if change will ever occur, but then it does and life bursts forth, just like those tender brand new leaves.

I could mourn what was lost when I think how big the original leaves would have been without the cold snap.

Looking back and mourning what could have been is always a choice.

But, as I marvel at a tree that looked completely lifeless a couple of weeks ago, I choose to celebrate its life and new growth, so very thankful that it made it through a dark time. It reminds me that I should do the same during my own dark times. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

He is Still in the Boulder Moving Business

Posted on by Wendy
He is still in the boulder moving business.

I recently watched an Easter service where the pastor showed a picture of what the boulder probably looked like that sealed Jesus’ tomb. It was massive. Most internet searches say it would have weighed somewhere between one and two tons.

That photo sprang to mind when I later read Mark 16: 1-3: “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

I marvel at their faith. They loved Jesus. They wanted to serve Him in the best way they knew how, which was anointing His body. They got up first thing in the morning, got what they had together and went to serve. There was no physical way they could move that stone, but they went anyway.

They brought what they had. They showed up and had faith God would too.

Their faith was rewarded.

“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” Mark 16:4

Their stubborn desire to serve Jesus with the gifts that they had, gave them a front row seat to the greatest miracle ever bestowed on humankind. In Mark’s Gospel, they were the first to witness an empty tomb.

How often do we make excuses for not being able to serve? We claim that we don’t have enough time, talent, or money. Sometimes we don’t set out on a particular mission because we don’t think we can make a difference. It’s a dark world we live in. Just turn on the news. Can a handful of believers change anything? Is there even a point in trying? Should we just stay at home and pray for Jesus to return?

These three women give us our answer.

We serve a living God who is still in the stone moving business. He moved that boulder on the first Easter morning and He is still moving boulders.

Our job is not to doubt our abilities or focus on our lack of resources. Our job is to bring what we have and serve, no matter how big or small the mission may seem, remembering in God’s hands nothing is impossible. Three determined women reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊