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.

Fruit Tree Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
God can use every bit of our stories.

My Daddy grew up farming. He was one of eight children and they barely got by. I’ve often heard him tell stories of the hard work he and his siblings did, out in the hot Georgia sun, plowing the fields with a mule. They ended up moving into town when he was in high school and his farming days were behind him. He joined the Navy and went on to follow several different career paths.

I suspect if you would have asked him when he was growing up if he ever had any intention of farming again, he would have laughed. Yet, he has always loved to grow things. He grows tomatoes every summer. I’ve seen him grow everything from figs and strawberries to cabbage and blueberries and always successfully.

Recently, my hubby and I wanted to plant some fruit trees. We planted in the fall when they all looked like sticks. There was no sign of life. Daddy told us how to plant them and how important it was to put straw around them. He warned us about the deer and while we knew he was right, we thought we had more time. We were wrong. The deer ate the very first leaf off of one of our fledgling apple trees. We heeded his advice and put some wire around them to protect them. He added pie pans to make noise in the wind.

The deer have left them alone.

When he asked me if we wanted him to fertilize them, I told him I would defer to his knowledge. He went ahead and fertilized them.

Last weekend, after a cold snap, I was delighted to see that our little orchard, which several months ago, showed no sign of life, was teeming with leaves and I was so very thankful for his guidance.

He told me that we could plant our tomatoes after Good Friday. I have no doubt, they too, will flourish.

I often marvel at how God uses our life experiences to help guide others along the way.

Daddy didn’t know it at the time, but he was learning valuable lessons in that Georgia heat of his youth, lessons that he now can pass on to his children and grandchildren.

In God’s economy, nothing is wasted.

So, take heart my friend. Whatever circumstance or situation that you find yourself in today, whether good or bad, exciting or mundane, beautiful or incredibly ugly, put it in God’s hands and let Him use it. In His hands we can find restoration, redemption and a peace that passeth all understanding. Some thriving fruit trees reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

The Power of Prayer and Praise

Posted on by Wendy
Prayer and praise together are powerful.

I’m participating in an online Bible study on the books of Chronicles. They are the history of God’s relationship with His people. There are examples of both good and bad kings and lots of examples of the downright failure of humankind to stay faithful to God. King Jehoshaphat was one of the good kings and the account of one of his battles in 2 Chronicles, really stood out to me.

Some of his enemies had decided to fight him for no good reason and he went to God to beg for His intervention. He first praised God’s mightiness and faithfulness, by listing the many ways God had saved them before. Next, he openly acknowledged that they were powerless against the great armies that were coming against them. He said they don’t know what to do so they were asking God for help.

God answered the king through a prophet, “This is what the Lord says to you: Don’t be afraid or discouraged by this great army because the battle isn’t yours. It belongs to God! 16 March out against them tomorrow. Since they will be coming through the Ziz pass, meet them at the end of the valley that opens into the Jeruel wilderness. 17 You don’t need to fight this battle. Just take your places, stand ready, and watch how the Lord, who is with you, will deliver you, Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid or discouraged! Go out tomorrow and face them. The Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:15-17

My favorite part was what happened next. They decided to trust God.

“21 After consulting with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed musicians to play for the Lord, praising his majestic holiness. They were to march out before the warriors, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord because his faithful love lasts forever!” 22 As they broke into joyful song and praise, the Lord launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites, the Moabites, and those from Mount Seir who were invading Judah, so that they were defeated.” 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

Since they trusted that God would provide, they went out singing and praising Him with both their voices and instruments. They didn’t even lift a sword.

The account made me ask myself about my own prayer and trust. When I take something to God in prayer, do I drop my anxiety and trust Him? Do I truly believe that He will deliver me like He has countless times before?

Later in the week, I needed to have a hard conversation. As I was praying about it, a song came on the radio about fighting on our knees. I could totally relate. But then, “I’ve Got Joy,” by CeCe Winans came on and I found myself singing to the top of my lungs. “I’ve got joy in the struggle. I’ve got peace in the storm…I’ve got joy cause I’ve got Jesus.”

I felt at perfect peace when I had that conversation. I was not the least bit surprised when it went well.

A biblical king reminded me to never forget the power of both prayer and praise. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Reflections on an Early Spring

Posted on by Wendy
“This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

We have been blessed with some amazingly early spring weather this past week. It’s only February and it’s been sunny and in the 70’s. As southerners, we have a tendency to talk about the weather anyway. I suppose it’s in our DNA which stems from our agrarian roots. This week it seems everyone is talking about the weather. Almost everyone I know grows something, even if it’s just flowering trees in their yards or daffodil bulbs and I know lots of people who grow more extensively.

I have a friend who was lamenting about his blueberry bushes and this early spring weather. He is concerned that a cold snap will kill all of the tender buds. I have another friend who just shakes her head and acknowledges that she’s enjoying the weather, but doesn’t think for a moment it’s a good thing.

Then I talk to college students who are absolutely delighted. They are wearing shorts and enjoying every minute. They seem to give very little thought to the fact that it may not last.

As I was taking a lunch time walk and admiring all of the buds and blooms, it occurred to me that spring time is a thin season. Creation bursts into bloom and it’s difficult not to see and feel God in the world around me.

I’ve always known about thin places.

Thin places are those places like mountaintops, the ocean, or rushing waterfalls where creation is so breathtaking that you just can’t help but feel close to the God that made it all.

I never thought about thin seasons.

Yet, springtime clearly is one. It’s a season that makes me feel that God is near, continuing to delight in creating beauty simply because He can. That thought fills my soul.

This is one of those times where I’m going to learn from the younger generation. I am completely aware that it’s early this year. I am completely aware that a cold snap would be bad. Even so, I am going to choose to bask in the warmth and enjoy every moment of this season whatever it brings.

Some warm days in February reminded me that I have no idea or control over what is coming, but I worship the One who does and that is enough. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

The Power of the Word

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes God speaks in unexpected ways.

Last weekend, my son, who is away at college, came home for a visit. I hadn’t seen him since the Christmas break so I was happy to have him home. He will graduate in May and this mama is acutely aware that after graduation, he will likely be working and his visits may be few and far between. I intentionally soaked up every minute with him.

When he left on Sunday, I had a ton of housework that needed to be done, but I felt a deep nudge to rest. I have been burning the candle at both ends lately and so I heeded that call.

On Monday morning I woke up refreshed, but when I stood at my kitchen sink and began to think of all of the chores that had gone undone and what needed to be done, I began to doubt my decision. I sighed when I sat down to read my morning devotion as I saw a tiny cobweb in the corner.

But, then I read the first bit of scripture in my devotion. It was from Deuteronomy, Chapter 5. It was about Sabbath rest. I chuckled as I read verse 14 that stated “Do not do any work.”

I always stand amazed at the way God speaks through His word. Sometimes we read with heavy issues on our minds. Sometimes we go searching for answers. If we are honest, we sometimes read our Bibles to check off a box.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter why we read our Bibles, we just need to commit to reading them because it’s truly more about obedience than motivation.

The Holy Spirit gets ignited in both big and small ways when we read and study scripture. We sometimes  find answers and affirmation we didn’t even know we were seeking and sometimes, if we pay close attention, He will quietly whisper that a decision we made, even a seemingly trivial one, was a good one, which was exactly what I needed.

A Monday morning devotion reminded me that reading even the shortest of scripture passages can soothe a weary soul and remind us that God loves us enough to care about even the tiniest of details. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Daffodil Reminders

Posted on by Wendy
The days may be dark now, but spring is coming.

I am not a fan of winter. I don’t like cold weather. I typically have no energy in January and February. All I really want to do is sleep. One year, I was so winter tired, I had my thyroid checked because I knew I must have had a physical issue. My thyroid was fine. I’m just not a winter person.

Everything in nature appears dead during the winter. Add in all of the rain we tend to get and the world becomes downright dreary. I am well aware that the rain is good in the long run. I am also aware that winter is part of the seasons that God put into place from the very beginning.

Winter has a purpose even if I don’t enjoy it.

One day this week I was driving into work, running a little late and annoyed at the gray skies above. We were expecting rain for the remainder of the week.

I had been praying that God would show Himself in a way I could reflect back to others. When I arrived,  I took a different path than I normally take when I came upon a patch of daffodils. They looked so bright and cheerful against the gloom. They pointed almost defiantly to better days ahead and even though I was running late, I stopped to take a picture.

I’ll have to admit my spirit felt a little lighter as I said a prayer of thanks for the God wink.

At lunch, for the first time in days, the sun was out and it was warm and so I took a walk through campus. I was delighted to see a tree full of pink blooms standing out against all the other bare trees. As I continued on my way, I caught small glimpses here and there of the coming spring.

In some cases I had to seek them out, but each time I saw one, I felt encouraged. This dark season would not last forever.

The rain is supposed to move back in tonight and last for another couple of days. This weekend’s forecast calls for more cold weather. Winter is not done with us yet, but it won’t last forever.

In life, our winter seasons never last forever either. Even during our darkest times, there are always glimpses of hope if we dare to look hard enough for them. If we seek, we shall find.

God is always with us even when it appears that He is not. Spring will always come. A patch of daffodils reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Reading the Bible Expectantly

Posted on by Wendy
When we read the Bible expectantly, beautiful things can happen.

I recently heard a pastor speak about how we read the Bible. He asked if we read it because we are supposed to or do we read it because we want to draw closer to God. He suggested that most of us do both and admitted to doing so himself. He then challenged us to start reading it expectantly. He said if we want God to communicate with us, we need to intentionally read His word, not just skim over it to check a box.

I was intrigued by this concept. What does expectantly look like? When I pray about something or for someone, do I expect an answer?  Are both my heart and hands open for the blessings I hope for?

As I pondered the idea of expectantly, I decided to start keeping a pen and paper handy when I read my morning devotion. If I am reading expectantly, then I would think I would receive information worth writing down.

I was not disappointed.

I took a few days and wrote down the verses that spoke to me. I had been praying about some life changes and my focus word for the year is trust. As I read back over what I wrote, here’s what I found.

“See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

He (Jesus) replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

I just had to smile as I read what I had written and then I felt a little convicted. A little nudge reminded me that trust wasn’t just meant for think of when making future plans.

A couple of weeks earlier, I was driving to work in the rain. The rain quickly turned into a flash flood. It was dark and each time I drove through standing water, it would splash all the way up to my windows. I drove to work at a snail’s pace in a white knuckled panic and I was in tears when I arrived, so very thankful for my safety.

Thinking back on the experience, I now wonder if I was ever truly in danger. The God I trust with my future is the same God who kept me safe in that particular storm and the same God who has held me close during all the storms I have weathered. That thought filled me with a deep sense of peace.

Reading the Bible expectantly reminded me to trust that God holds me close yesterday, today and tomorrow. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Finding the Joy and Wonder of Christmas

Posted on by Wendy
“Oh come let us adore Him!”

This year, my family gathered for Thanksgiving at my parents’ house. I learned that the close by city of Macon, was having an “Extravaganza of Lights,” in their downtown which began on Black Friday.

My family loves a Christmas light display, so we couldn’t resist.

I’ll have to admit that I was a little skeptical of what we would find. It was put on by a church and it was free, even the parking. I suppose I have become so accustomed to having to pay for everything, especially parking, that I couldn’t imagine what a free light display would look like.

Nevertheless, we piled into the car and headed over to Macon as it got dark. The streets were crowded with people, but we were able to find a free parking space. When we got out, we could hear someone over a speaker discussing the lights and preparation and we started towards it, when a gentleman stopped us and told us we should, “Wait for it,” as he pointed to a tree next to him.

We looked around and every single tree was wrapped in unlit lights. There were other people just standing in place as well.

Not wanting to miss anything, we waited.

The man on the speaker finished talking and then he said he was going to say a word of prayer.

I was a little stunned. Christmas has become so commercialized and secular, a prayer? On main street America?

I bowed my head and when he finished, an orchestra started playing a traditional Christmas song and the landscape sprang to life. With the flip of a switch, I became a child again, basking in the magic and wonder of Christmas that we were never meant to outgrow.

The display spread out over five city blocks. Every block had different colors and displays and they all were synchronized to the music. Not only could I see the joy on the face of every man, woman and child who I passed by, I could feel the joy in the air.

I felt like I was walking around in a Hallmark movie.

Afterwards, when I was back at work, I was telling a friend about it and she said, “It sounds a little like heaven, with the music, lights, praise and joy.”

I hadn’t thought about it that way, but I supposed it did. Maybe that was the reason I had to fight tears the entire time we were there.

Although Christmas is meant to be the celebration of when Heaven came to earth, we sometimes lose that along the way, yet our hearts were made to long for more.

Our hearts were made to long for Jesus.

Someday, when we get to heaven, our days will be filled with light, joy and songs, but until then, may we all remember that Jesus is the reason for the season and take time to bask in the knowledge that He is with us even now.

That truth alone, should fill the season with both joy and wonder. A Christmas light show reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Choosing to See Through the Lens of Thankfulness

Posted on by Wendy
When we take the time to look, we usually find that blessings flow freely.

As Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, we are living through historic levels of inflation and economic uncertainty. Last year, we were still living with the multi-year threat of a seemingly never-ending international pandemic. Some people were still afraid to travel. Social media was still overrun with arguments about wearing masks or not and I won’t even mention the ongoing political arguments.

Many families chose not to gather and break bread over fear or anger or both.

Fear and anger are great dividers.

We all hoped this year would be better. While the pandemic threat has subsided for most, flu is running rampant and now, so is inflation.

The country is just as divided on how to fix the economy as we were on how to handle the pandemic.

At street level, there’s a lot to complain about and the situation looks rather hopeless, yet those of us who hold dual citizenship with heaven and earth are called to take a different view. We are called to remember that life on earth will always be a mix of calm and chaos and if we spend our days longing for better ones, then we will always miss the many blessings that are daily rained down upon us.

We are called to remember that we are travelers here and our King is not the least bit concerned about the economy or the flu.

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, people of faith, have the opportunity to show a dark world what Christian living is supposed to look like. We can live and act in such a way that draws others to Jesus. That includes our social media presence.

The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

We can choose to share our blessings with others both physically and virtually. We can choose to share Jesus.

We are called to love one another. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

While fear and anger are great dividers, the fruit of the Holy Spirit fills us with powerful tools of reconciliation like peace, patience, joy, love kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.

Jesus’ last supper with His disciples reminds me of the importance of breaking bread together. Thanksgiving reminds me that despite what the world tells us, there is always much to be thankful for. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Be The Church

Posted on by Wendy
The Church was never meant to be a building.

One of my favorite pastors always ends his sermons by saying, “Go be the church.” That doesn’t seem like a particularly innovative or groundbreaking statement unless you really think about it.

As Americans, we tend to go to church. If I were to ask you about church, my question would likely be, “Where do you go to church?” Church has become a place. It’s a building with carpet, windows, electricity, and water. It’s a place to congregate and worship.

When we think about being the church, what does that look like?

I have a co-worker who is a woman of deep faith and she and I bear witness to one another often about God working in our lives. This week, she sent me a sermon she wrote, years ago, when she was working in a prison ministry. She didn’t go to seminary. As far as I know, she has no special Biblical training, but the Holy Spirit was clearly at work, because her message was absolutely awesome, timely and it touched my soul, not to mention she was sharing it with women who were in jail.

She clearly knows how to be the church.

I have a cousin, who is also a woman of devout faith, who has suffered deep tragedy and loss in her life. Yet, almost every day, she boldly posts on social media a beautiful picture of something growing in her garden along with an intricate story that anchors it to Jesus.

She knows what it means to be the church.

I have a friend who is a sheep farmer. I haven’t seen her in couple of years now, but almost daily, she posts pictures from her farm on social media. Sometimes there are Bible verses. Sometimes there are short inspirational stories, but always they are a reflection of the God who she worships.

She also knows what it means to be the church.

On Election Day, I sent my mom a blog post I read about intentionally making a choice to add fuel to the dumpster fire of politics and social media or becoming a fire extinguisher. She shared the post to her Facebook page.

She knows what it means to be the church.

As we enter into a season of thanks alongside a season of runoffs, some Godly women in my life, have reminded me that as Christians, the call to be the church is every bit as important as the call to go to church. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do to.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

 

Lessons from a Scuppernong Vine

Posted on by Wendy
We never know what kinds of fruit may come from the seeds we plant.

Last weekend, my hubby, my mama, and I decided to take a look at some old scuppernong vines that my grandmother planted over fifty years ago. They were a complete overgrown mess. They hadn’t been touched or tended in at least twenty years. The original trellis was on the ground.

Trees had grown up around the trellis and the vines received very little sun. Briars had grown up into the vines along with both sweet gum and pine trees.

The entire situation looked irredeemable. Could there possibly be any life in the middle of that dead mess?

My Daddy, who was working on another project, looked over the fence at us and said, “Lois planted those. They were the sweetest, golden berries you ever tasted.”

Could my grandmother’s planting work still be viable after all these years of neglect?

We began to search for life among the rubble.

My hubby noticed right away that there were scuppernong vines climbing the surrounding trees. Vines have to come from a root. We started cutting and tossing.

To our happy surprise, when we cleared the debris from the top, we found many mother vines rooted deeply in the ground. When we snipped a little closer to the roots, we could see they were very much alive.

We marked them with pink flag tape and began cutting and tossing everything that hindered their growth. My hubby grabbed a chainsaw and took down some trees that were blocking the sun.

It was a lot of hard work as we searched, cut, raked, and hauled. We all had scratches from the briars, but in the end, we had the promise of a fruitful life restored.

The following day, Mama woke with the desire to check on the other vines my grandmother had planted. These were the bigger ones where we often found the most fruit when I was a kid. Again, we found the same situation. There were brambles, briars and trees, but when we cut and removed what wasn’t supposed to be there, we found plenty of living, rooted vines. Delighted, we tagged them as well.

We will soon put in new trellises with strong cables to support those old, but living vines. We will install some type of watering system and we will wait and hope.

As children of God, we are all in the planting business. Sometimes we get to see what we plant on this side of Eternity and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes what we plant lives long after we are gone, but, that is not for us to decide. All we can do, is plant as much as we can while we are here and trust God to do the rest.

Some old scuppernong vines reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy