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.

The Redemption Business

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus sees way past where we are and where we’ve been. He sees our potential.

My son is moving into his first college house in August. He was in a dorm last year and so it was completely furnished. The house he is moving into is not, so he needs some furniture for his bedroom. When his sister moved into her first house a couple of years ago, I refinished furniture that had belonged to my grandparents that was sitting in my parents’ barn.

Quite honestly, I didn’t think there was any furniture left in that barn. My mama casually mentioned that she thought the pink furniture was still down there. I laughed. That furniture had been hers when she was a little girl. I really didn’t see how I could make the pink furniture work for my 19 year old son. But, we went and took a look anyway. It was in surprisingly good shape for furniture over 50 years old.

It was covered in grime. A mouse had moved into the night stand, but it had potential. It was solid. It took lots of scrubbing and disinfectant; the night stand was really gross; but I felt excitement building when we loaded it up in the truck.

I love to redo furniture. We live in a world where just about everything it seems, is disposable and our landfills are a testament to that fact. But, our disposable mindset can spill over into our personal lives too. Our relationships have even become disposable. If things get tough, we toss them out and look for someone new. How did people become disposable?

In the disposable world we live in, there’s something almost spiritual for me, when I can give brand new life to something that has been tossed to the side. I can scrub off grime, evict the mice and paint or stain. I can add shiny new hardware and something that was considered beyond redemption, becomes redeemed.

As followers of Jesus, I suppose many of us can relate to the old furniture. Jesus sometimes finds us when we are a complete mess, tossed in a corner, covered in the grime of our sin with little to offer to the world. But, our Savior who once nicknamed the man who would deny Him three times, “Petra,” of all things, which means the rock, sees our potential, just as He saw Peter’s. He sees what we can become. His love for us and our future with Him is in no way tied to where we are or where we’ve been.

When we reach for Him, He cleans us off and turns us into something new and exquisite and teaches us to use gifts we didn’t even know we had to serve Him and share the Good News with a world that desperately needs to hear it.

Some old, grimy, pink furniture, reminded me that if we are breathing, Jesus has plans for us. We are not disposable to Him; we are loved. The redemption business is His business. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Faith of Planting

Posted on by Wendy
All of the harvest matters to God regardless of the size.

This week, I harvested my first batch of blueberries for the year. There weren’t very many, but once I got the first ripe ones, there were more everyday. I only have one bush, but it’s so full of fruit that it’s leaning to the side.

Growing things always teaches me so much about my faith walk and blueberries are no exception.

It takes a certain amount of faith to plant anything in a hole in the ground and expect it to grow. There are so many factors that can stop any type of growth, from weather that’s too cold to birds and other animals that can destroy what we have planted.

But, even after I take the leap of faith to plant, there’s more to do. If I want to have lots of fruit, I have to take the time to water it and feed it with the right kind of fertilizer. Some years, nature provides plenty of rain and I have to do less on my end. In drought years, I have to work extra hard just to keep my plant alive.

Some years, no matter what I do, I have very little fruit and in other years, there are more blueberries than I know what to do with.

When I first see the blooms in the spring, it’s always a a sign of hope for the fruit to come, but I also know that the blooms are vulnerable and a late freeze can kill a lot of them. When I finally have fruit, I have to wait patiently before I pick it. Any fruit picked too early is sour.

When the time finally comes to harvest, I have to be very vigilant because I often miss some of the ripe fruit on my first time around the bush. I have to look underneath and at the very top and sometimes even after I have been around the bush several times, I will still find one I missed.

Our faith walk can be a lot like growing blueberries. When we walk closely with Jesus, we are often asked to step out in faith and plant something that may or may not grow, but despite our fears, we are called to plant anyway. Sometimes what we plant grows seemingly on its own and other times, it requires lots of prayer and work on our part. Like my blueberry bush, sometimes what we plant produces an abundance of fruit and sometimes it produces very little.

But, we need to remember that God’s economy is different than our own. He’s interested in all of our hard work and all the fruit that grows because of it, no matter the size of the crop. As Christians, we are all called to plant and then we let God do the rest. A new blueberry crop reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Business of Bridge Building

Posted on by Wendy
The cross is the ultimate bridge.

On June 17, 2015, I was participating in a Salkehatchie mission camp in South Carolina. That ministry is run by the South Carolina UMC. There are 46 camps and over 2,000 campers who participate throughout the summer all over the state. Salkehatchie is faith in action. Youth and adult volunteers head out to rural, low-income communities to repair their homes, build new relationships and become the hands and feet of Christ.

That year, my camp was working on two houses, one was owned by a white couple and one was owned by a black man. Everyone on both of our teams was white. I don’t think race ever occurred to any of us. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors and we were trying to do that. In the evenings we were fed dinner by different local churches, some predominately white and some predominately black, and we all fellowshipped, worshipped and prayed together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

It was a wonderful feeling, building bridges between groups of people where so many vast canyons have existed.

But, to our horror, on the evening of June 17th, an evil man went into a Bible study being held at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston and shot nine people in cold blood in hopes of starting a race war.

As the entire country reeled in shock, the family members of the victim did the unthinkable. They forgave him. There were prayer vigils and fundraisers and on June 21st, there was a rally in Charleston and tens of thousands of people of all ethnicities, crossed Ravenel Bridge together.

Satan gave it his best shot, but he lost that round.

When I looked at twenty different versions of Genesis 1:27, they all say about the same thing. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Not one single version mentions skin color. That means we are ALL created in His image and are to be respected and treated equally.

I used to ask the middle schoolers in my Sunday school class if they believed God made mistakes. They would all readily answer no. I challenged them to remember that when they were at school away from church, interacting with people who were different than they were in some way.

The events of this past week and the cold blooded killing of both George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have left our country in turmoil. It has become painfully clear that America has a race issue, but I have to wonder if the root of the problem runs much deeper. Do we have a soul issue?

People who walk closely with Jesus have two great commands: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

It is not possible to obey Jesus, walk in faith and to hate people because of their skin color. When Jesus willingly died on the cross, He created the perfect bridge. The cross is our bridge from life here on earth to eternity.

If as Christians we truly believe that God created all people, then we have to believe that He loves all people and that we are called to love all people. We too, should be in the bridge building business. Make no mistake, we are against a powerful destructive force. Satan will attempt to shatter any attempts for God’s people to unify as one. Love, forgiveness and hope have never been on his agenda.

As I write this today, I am heartbroken like all other people of faith. I’ve cried tears and said prayers for the victims and their families, and for the good people in law enforcement, and for my Black friends, and for people who have been injured and lost their livelihoods in the aftermath. I’ve prayed for healing and restoration. I’ve prayed that God will break my heart for what breaks His and that He will help me search my own heart for any poison that should be removed.

I don’t know where we go from here. But, I do know, if we hope to win this spiritual war, we have to start on our knees. We have to remember that God is in the bridge building business. Jesus is the proof. Perhaps we all need reminding.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Making a Difference

Posted on by Wendy
We made a difference for this one.

Our 20 year old daughter, just adopted a pup from a nearby animal shelter. When we arrived to look at the adoptables, it was both overwhelming and heartbreaking. It was a really big shelter and it had been closed down for the pandemic so no dogs had been adopted for many weeks. It was almost completely full. The dogs were well cared for and their stalls were clean and the place smelled clean, but walking by stall after stall was really sad.

Some of the pups that we walked by, would come right up to us; some would cower in the corner; some would bark at us. There was a lot of noise. But, there was one that caught my daughter’s eye and she asked to see him. We took him outside and spent some time with him. He was anxious for attention and affection and she knew that he was the one.

She completed the paperwork and a week later, Marshall was hers.

I thought a lot about the other pups long after we left. I thought about how it wasn’t possible for me to help all of them and how easy it is to get overwhelmed in a world with so much need, especially in the current Covid-19 situation we find ourselves in. Sometimes we feel it’s all too much and we can’t help with all of the need anyway, so we just do nothing. But, the truth is doing anything is better that doing nothing.

We can always simply text a friend or neighbor who we know is struggling with loneliness, anxiety, fear or just simply too much on their plate, or better yet, we can call them. It’s amazing that we rarely use the machines we call telephones to actually talk anymore. I recently read that letter writing has seen a surge. When was the last time I wrote a letter? We can post something positive on social media and share some hope. We can make a donation to an organization that is helping others and remember to donate to our local church even if we aren’t attending physically.

Most importantly, we can remember to pray and ask God for guidance. He can use every one of His people during this time to share His light, love and glory. He is not limited by this pandemic nor is He limited by our imagination or lack of resources. When we put what we have to offer in His hands, it will always be more than enough.

No, we couldn’t save all of the pups at the shelter, but Marshall got a brand new life and for him, it was enough. A trip to an animal shelter reminded me that the world will always be a place full of need and noise, but we can always make some kind of difference. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too!

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Call to Extend Grace

Posted on by Wendy

Our words can spread darkness or light. We have a choice.

Last week, we ordered groceries from Walmart. We often ordered groceries before the pandemic hit because I really don’t like going to Walmart. I often end up getting frustrated while I’m there for a number of reasons ranging from them being out of the items I went for, to them blocking the aisle for the online shoppers, to there never being enough cash registers open, to all of the screaming kids.

But, I’ll have to admit in my everyday quest to watch for God in the world around me, I’ve seen Him there more than once. I’ve encountered Him in a child singing, “Jesus Loves Me,” and an elderly person on a scooter who couldn’t reach an item, and in a cashier who I’ve discussed prayer with while checking out.

I’ve been given the opportunity to extend grace while shopping there; I suspect most of us have. But, sometimes that can be a tough call to answer.

This time when I ordered our groceries, I was trying to follow the stay-at-home rules which had me waiting all the way til Saturday for groceries ordered on Tuesday night. They also had a very limited selection on items that I normally buy there and some things weren’t available at all. I was determined to take it all in stride. We had plenty to eat, maybe not exactly what we wanted, but plenty.

On Saturday, I got a text that my groceries were ready for pick up. My hubby and I got in the car and headed to pick them up, but the app to inform them we were on the way wouldn’t work. It has always worked in the past. I knew that was not a good omen of things to come and I could feel some frustration begin to seep in. When we arrived, I called the posted number to tell them we had arrived. The woman on the phoned informed me our order was not ready.

“But, you texted me that it was,” I protested.
“We can get it ready,” she replied.

Now, I was really frustrated, but another lady came out into the parking lot and we decided to talk to her. She was very young and wearing a mask. She asked me three times what my ten digit order number was as other cars began to fill the spaces around us and my heart went out to her. There appeared to be only two people working bringing the groceries out. She looked exhausted.

She went back inside and returned with our groceries. My hubby commented how busy they were and she told him that he had no idea. I let her words sink in. She was absolutely right. I imagine she had a lot of frustrated customers who weren’t very kind to her over a situation completely out of her control.

When she finished unloading, she hurried back to the building, but I yelled out a thank you to her and she turned around and acknowledged it. It seemed like it meant a lot to her and I felt incredibly humbled. Had she been thanked all day?

This pandemic has us all on edge and bone weary, but that doesn’t give us an excuse to be unkind. We can choose how we use our words both spoken and written, and yes, social media counts. Are we using words that show patience, kindness, love and peace as the Holy Spirit would direct us or are we giving into fear and anger? Are we spreading light or stirring the pot?

As Christians, we are called to extend grace because amazing grace has been extended to us. Now more than ever, we have the opportunity to be the Church. A trip to Walmart reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Reminder to Celebrate

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we must choose to celebrate in spite of the chaos.

When my kids were little, I often marveled at how God used them to speak to me. Sometimes the most profound wisdom would come from their little mouths and I was always amazed. Now they are college students and I sometimes forget that He can still use them.

This year, due to Covid-19, there would be no attending Easter church services. I planned for us to just watch one on television in our pajamas with a cup of coffee, like we have been doing for the past few weeks. But, my college age daughter had different ideas.

She said that Easter is a big deal. She felt like we should get dressed up just like we were attending a church service and she felt like we should have a big Easter meal like we always do with deviled eggs and the good dishes. I had to admit she caught me by surprise, but I felt like she was right.

Why do we dress up on Easter and who do we dress up for? Why do we celebrate? While it’s definitely wonderful to worship and fellowship with other Christians, they shouldn’t be the motivation why we do what we do. Easter is a big feast day for Christians. It’s our holiest of days. Shouldn’t we have our feast even if it was just with our family?

We planned our menu and in the process were able to support some local restaurants that are desperately trying to keep afloat right now. We cooked some dishes and ordered some dishes and got to work together on our meal as a family.

When my daughter suggested that we watch the live stream of the church she has been attending, we agreed. We believe in the Church Universal and we don’t believe that one denomination is superior to another. We got up and got dressed and were blessed by the sermon. The pastor was young and energetic and we could see why she liked him.

We took family pictures after the service, like we always have. I wanted to remember this year where everything was so different in many ways, yet the same in others. I wanted to document our blessings amidst chaos.

Long after our meal, I thought about this year’s Easter celebration. I thought about how God has always used my children to speak to me. I saw it so often when they were little and I guess I thought maybe since they are no longer little, He would no longer use them. I can’t imagine why I would think that.

This year, He used my grown up daughter to remind me that when we have a reason to celebrate, we should pull out all the stops and celebrate. It doesn’t really matter what our circumstances are and Easter is a huge reason to celebrate, for Christians, it’s the biggest.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Finding His Provision

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

We have a place in our yard where we have talked about putting in a fish pond for years. We had one at our last house and really enjoyed it, but we never got around to taking the time and doing the work it took to put one in when we moved. We’ve been here for fifteen years now and it seemed like one of those projects that was simply never going to happen. The kids grew up and went off to school and we all just had better things to do.

That was until Covid-19 put us under a mandatory quarantine. The kids came home from college in March instead of May. Internships and part-time jobs were off the table. All of a sudden, we had time on our hands and the desire to add a spot where we could sit in the shade, watch goldfish swim and hear the soothing gurgle of a waterfall.

My daughter and my hubby dug the hole together and ordered the items needed and Saturday morning, my daughter and I went to gather some rocks from the edge of our property. When we got ready to go outside, I found myself grumbling aloud about the overcast skies. I wondered why we couldn’t have a sunny day to do our work.

As we began to use our shovels to dig around, we found some really big rocks. Some of them took both of us to lift and we had to call my hubby to help us with a couple. We worked up quite a sweat. As we dug and pulled and lifted, a soft breeze blew. Before I could stop myself, I found myself commenting to my daughter, how hot it would have been if the sun had been out.

The moment I said the words, I felt both humbled and convicted. I wanted the sun to be out. I was tired of clouds and rain. As is often the case, I thought I knew what was best for me and equally as often, I was wrong. God had provided as He always does in His way, not mine and His way as always, was infinitely better.

I’ve helped roof houses before when I knew the clouds were a gift and gave thanks immediately for them. But, sometimes in valley seasons, we miss those gifts, God’s provision, even though it’s always there.

Covid-19 has us all walking in a valley season. Everyone is affected, old and young, rich and poor, all races, genders and nationalities. It’s easy to miss the gifts and provision when we listen to the news and become filled with despair and panic.

But, when we focus on Jesus and trust in His love and grace, no matter the season, we will see His provision. An overcast Saturday reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Mandatory Season of Lent

Posted on by Wendy
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love drives out fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” 1 John 4:18 NLT

Last week I began to take a daily walk during my lunch break. Covid-19 has me working from home, so I really have no excuse not to get out and walk. The people I work with all encourage us to get outside and take brain breaks away from all of the technology that pings, dings and vibrates all day long vying for my constant attention. Everyone seems to intrinsically know that nature is good for the soul.

Since this crisis has hit us at the same time spring has, there has literally been new discoveries everyday. I have been amazed at how pink buds appear seemingly overnight on a tree that was barren the day before and then wowed again at the blossoms that burst forth so quickly after. I’ve seen wisteria vines go from dormant, to a few blossoms, to dozens of clusters in days and the fragrance they release is a small wonder all its own.

As I was praying and giving thanks for the beauty, I found myself almost overwhelmed at God’s timing. If Covid-19 would have shown itself during the winter, most of us would have had to remain locked up indoors and for those of us in the Deep South, our winter included an unprecedented amount of rain. It was a miserable winter. We all grumbled about it. I even blogged about it.

But, those showers, as incessant as they were, have led to a beautiful spring. Would we have appreciated our beautiful and warm weather if we hadn’t endured that rain?

It also struck me that we are in the midst of Lent, a period of time when Christians are called to draw closer to Jesus by asking ourselves what it is that keeps us away from Him. It’s a time of self-reflection when we are supposed to put down those idols that we put before our relationship with Jesus.

If I’m honest, there are years when I have wholeheartedly participated in Lent and there are years when I have not. But, this year, it seems that Lent has been forcibly thrust upon us. We are living in a time of fear, chaos, panic and uncertainty. Our economy is in a free fall. We are confined to our homes with our families and isolated from other people and just about everything worldly. We are barraged with hourly messages of doom from the media.

Maybe now is the time for us to prayerfully ask, what has kept us from God and what He wants to teach us. Since we have had to put down just about everything we have held tightly in our hands, maybe now is the time to refocus and rededicate our lives to the higher purpose to which we have been called. Maybe in doing that, we can become part of a revival that our nation and even our world, has never seen before.

A walk reminded me that people who keep their focus fixed on Jesus can’t help, but become people of love and light and people of love and light, spread hope faster than any virus can ever spread desolation and fear. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Honoring the Greatest Two Commandments

Posted on by Wendy
The azaleas reminded me that God has a plan and is not surprised by this pandemic or anything else.

I don’t usually post on Mondays, but today I felt led to. I am astounded at how quickly our world is changing. Every 24 hours the news is a little more grim. What weeks ago, was a virus called Covid-19, that I had never heard of, in an area of China I had never even heard of, has now crossed our borders. At this writing, 46 states, including mine, and the District of Columbia all have reported cases.

Unfortunately, panic has ensued. There’s not a drop of hand sanitizer to be found anywhere and for some bizarre reason, toilet paper has become scarce.

We have been told not to panic. Some 80 percent of people will clear it with no problems if infected. But, the remaining 20 percent will get very sick or die. Our government has asked us to stay at home if possible, for two weeks. Schools and colleges have been cancelled. People have been asked to work from home if at all possible.

Yet, it seems to me, that most everyone seems to believe that they are included in that 80 percent, even though the twenty percent includes anyone over 60, which is over 60.7 million, anyone with underlying health conditions like diabetes and emphysema and people who are obese, which is 70 million, not to mention anyone on chemotherapy. That’s a lot of at risk people.

Last week at my office, the question that arose over and over from my younger co-workers was if any of us older folks remembered a time this surreal. The answer most often repeated was the days after 911. Those of us who lived through that dark time remember it well. The difference is that we all came together, even Congress (for a time, if you can believe that). We reached out to our neighbors. We were all Americans and we shared concern for one another.

Our nation turned back to God and the churches were full, for a time.

I also have vivid memories of the Ebola outbreak in 2014. I even wrote about it. With a 50 percent death rate for all exposed, it was terrifying. I remember asking my readers to pray and a scripture came to mind.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Our nation once again, turned back to God, for a time.

The Ebola outbreak was halted. I’ve no doubt that was due to Divine intervention.

As I was walking today and I observed that the earth was coming back to life, bursting forth in bloom, I was reminded that God is not surprised by any of this. He’s at work and He expects us to be as well. First of all, we all need to pray for intervention and we need to remember that we are not now nor have we ever been in control of our lives.

We need to acknowledge Who is.

Then perhaps we should ask ourselves how we can help that 20 percent. Can we deliver groceries or meds to them, so they can stay at home? Can we call them on the phone so they don’t feel so isolated? Can we stay at home as much as possible ourselves to avoid becoming carriers?

How can we effectively “Love our neighbor?”

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

Panic has never solved anything. The Bible repeatedly tells us not to fear, but apathy isn’t the way to go either. Maybe we could all dig deep and reach for empathy and remember that God is in control. Those of us who belong to Him need not fear.

Our most recent global crises reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Gifts of Light

Posted on by Wendy

Sunset
Perhaps we are made to crave light both physically and spiritually.

I recently started a new job where I work in a downtown in a small city. As in most downtown areas, there’s lots of pedestrian traffic. Most people, myself included, have to park our cars and walk to wherever we are going. It rained my first four days of work. Most people either carried an umbrella or huddled underneath a raincoat. No one made eye contact. People seemed to be looking down or zoning out as they trudged to wherever they were going.

Even inside the building where I work, the topic of rain randomly popped up in most people’s conversations. We all needed some light.

But, on Friday, the sun came out. The transformation was amazing. I actually took a walk during my lunch break.

There were tons of people out. Folks seemed to have a bounce in their step. I smiled and made eye contact with people and they smiled back. The sun seemed to have made all of the difference. Even on my drive home, people behaved a little better on the road. They were less aggressive and more patient.

On Saturday, I had errands to do and I was shocked at how many people were out. I live in a college town and the college is on spring break so I didn’t expect much traffic. When I grumbled to my hubby about it, he reminded me that it was the first warm sunny day we had in a while and people were more inclined to get out and get things done.

He was right of course. Errands that would have been complete drudgery in the rain, became no big deal in the pretty warm weather.

As I was sitting in church on Sunday and the sun was coming through the windows, a Biblical reminder popped into my head. In Genesis, God’s very first words in the Bible were, “Let there be light.”

It goes on to say, “God saw that the light was good.”

It got me to thinking that maybe we are drawn to the light because God created it and it’s good. It seems to effect our mood and even our actions. Maybe that’s by design.

John 1:4 talks about Jesus and says, “In him was the light of men.” This light is a light for our souls.

So, God designed us to physically and spiritually crave light and He has provided us with both.

After the sermon, as my hubby and I walked to our car and I could feel the warmth on my face and in my heart, I said a prayer of thanks for both.

A sunny Sunday reminded me that God loves us and knows what we need even before we do. But, then, He always has. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂