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.

Dormant not Dead

Posted on by Wendy
My neighborhood trees appear dead right now.
My neighborhood trees appear dead right now.

On a recent walk in my neighborhood, I noticed that all of the trees look dead. There are no leaves and nothing green on the vast majority of them. It’s still winter time and I know that they aren’t really dead; they are simply dormant during this season.

When conditions get right, with warmer days and more sun, they will burst into life. Those stark, lifeless looking trees got me to thinking about other things in life that we think are dead, but are really just dormant.

Sometimes we have relationships that we think are way past repair and are surely dead. We may have dreams that we thought died long ago. Sometimes our faith itself can feel lifeless and dead for any number of reasons ranging from our own apathy or neglect, to a huge tragedy of some sort.

But, when Jesus enters the picture, everything changes.

I am reminded of a story in the Gospel of Luke. In Chapter 8, a man approached Jesus to ask him to heal his sick daughter. Jesus got caught up in the crowd and was delayed. Someone sent word to the father that his daughter had died and told him, “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Luke 8:49b

This had to have been devastating news. But, here’s the awesome part. “Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe and she will be healed.'” Luke 8:50

Think about it a minute. Jesus overheard this news. I picture him reaching towards this panicked father telling him not to be afraid and to believe. I picture him reaching for us in the same way when we desperately need redemption for something in our lives that we believe is dead.

When they arrived at the house and everyone was crying, Jesus told them that the child was not dead, only sleeping. Do you know how they reacted? They laughed at Jesus. He was undeterred. He took the girl’s mother and father and three of his disciples and went to her bed side. He reached for her hand and told her to get up and she did.

I’m not sure we do much better today than the crowd did. We are modern people of science, statistics, and numbers. We like facts and figures. We like sure things and we demand proof. We often leave little room for faith in our lives.

But, the truth is when Jesus says something is sleeping and not dead, then it can be redeemed. Our job is not to question how, but to believe, like that father did.

Lent is an ideal time to search our lives for relationships, dreams or anything that we may have thought was dead, but believe that Jesus may have a different plan. People may laugh at us. They laughed at Jesus too, but we can pray about those things and we may be pleasantly surprised.

It's possible that the things we thought were dead, were merely dormant.
It’s possible that the things we thought were dead, are merely dormant.

There may be some situations that are ready to burst to life when we introduce the Son.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

When the World is Foggy

Posted on by Wendy
When our world gets shrouded in fog, we don't have to fear. We can just slow down and trust.
When our world gets shrouded in fog, we don’t have to fear. We can just slow down and trust.

Yesterday morning, our area was under a fog warning. Every radio station was talking about it. The Weather Channel App, had a warning about it. My thirteen-year-old son finally asked, during our commute to school, “What’s the big deal about the fog?”

His artist mind thought it was cool to look at and I agreed with him. I explained to him that the problem with fog is that people don’t like to slow down. We don’t like to plan ahead and leave home early. We don’t like to be inconvenienced in any way. So, we leave for work at the same time and travel at the same speed, even though we can’t see clearly, and we crash.

That explanation seemed to satisfy him. When I returned home, I got my camera to try to capture some of the foggy images around me. They really were quite beautiful and the fog and its beauty as well as its inconveniences, continued to play out in my head.

Faith and fog seem to be close cousins to me. Both are a beautiful. Both require us to slow down and watch and sometimes wait. Both can cover all the imperfections in the world around us. Fog covers them physically while faith covers them spiritually. They both force us to keep moving ahead towards our destination slowly, even when we can barely see what lies ahead.

A few months ago, my hubby and I were having a really tough week. It was one thing after another. In desperation, I sent an e-mail to our pastor, asking him for prayer. I loved his response so much that I wrote it down.

“We can never travel though enemy darkness beyond the headlights shown by Christ. Deep breath of Holy Spirit. Next step. Just the next step. He is with you.” Dick Hoard

I immediately felt better. I think his message is perfect for foggy times too. There are simply times in our lives when we can’t see a thing. Our world is shrouded in fog. Whether we decide to let that fog be frightening like the fog used in a scary movie or more enchanting like fog used at a prom, is up to us.

We can slow down, breathe in the Holy Spirit and take one step at a time, staying within the headlights shown by Christ, resting in the knowledge that we are loved and there is a plan, or we can panic and hit the gas and take our chances.

Maybe Lent is an ideal time to think about the foggy areas of our lives. Where do we need to slow down and let Christ shine His light? I find that when we ask, He will show up and His light never dims.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Smiling in the Rain

Posted on by Wendy
Vacuuming this little pin up turned my day around.
Vacuuming up this little pin turned my day around.

It seems like it’s been raining here in Georgia forever. It’s been a very wet winter. My mama says she thinks we’re going to mold. Yesterday began wet and dreary. I had two teens that decided they would pick that particular morning to argue with each other and me and to complain incessantly about life in general.

I’m well aware that is perfectly normal behavior for kids that age, but their attitude along with the weather was on this normally optimistic gal’s very last nerve. Furthermore, I really needed to vacuum, (think over a week), but my hubby was supposed to work on our vacuum cleaner and hadn’t gotten around to it.

I know this all sounds like whining and truthfully, it is. I have so much to be thankful for. We are all well, and have plenty to eat, and a house to live in, and electricity, and hot water, and, and, and… But, I sometimes forget and I get lost in my own little pity party and moment of despair. Maybe you do too?

I sat down on the kitchen floor and disassembled the vacuum cleaner myself. It wasn’t necessarily something I couldn’t do, just something I didn’t want to do. I finally got it back together and up and running. I vacuumed and prayed. I find that God often shows up in the seemingly mundane.

I prayed about the crummy weather and my matching mood. I prayed about my kids and for guidance from God in guiding them. I prayed for God to show Himself, acknowledging that sometimes He doesn’t.

As I prayed, a scenario came to mind. Sometimes I feel like God is like a parent teaching a child to ride a bike without the training wheels. He runs along behind us, holding onto the seat. We pedal gleefully knowing He is there. But, at some point, He lets go because we have learned to ride on our own. He knows we can do it and He’s never far away.

In the beginning of our faith walk, we become frightened much more easily, and like the child on the bike with no training wheels, we may bobble and fall. He will always be there to help us up.

But, I think His goal may be for us to be able to walk in faith and not to need constant reassurance from Him. We learn to do that from Christian community, prayer time and reading the Bible regularly. That’s how we become strong. That’s how we help others along the way.

As the scenario worked itself out in my mind, during my prayer time, I felt much better. I knew a blog post had been born. Suddenly, the vacuum cleaner sucked up something big, under my daughter’s bed. Wearily, I turned it off and checked the receptacle.

In it was a smiley face pin and immediately a song from youth group camp fires, popped into my mind. “Smile! Don’t you know God loves you? Come to think of it, I love you too. Take the time to smile at someone else, before you’re through, someone will be smiling back at you! Bom! Bom! Bom!” Then it goes faster.

That song always makes me smile and so did that pen. There’s some simple wisdom there. God loves us and in the end, that’s all that really matters. Maybe you needed a reminder today too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Seeking Answers

Posted on by Wendy
How often do we miss the answers to our prayers because we are too distracted to see them?
How often do we miss the answers to our prayers because we are too distracted to see them?

I have recently been struggling with how involved I want to be in a particular outreach of my church. It takes me out of my comfort zone and quite frankly, it’s called a comfort zone for a reason. Now, I’m not one who makes it my business to wrestle with God. I understand people who do and for many, their faith grows as a result.

But, I’ve always been more of a people pleaser, so when God calls, I’m typically on board. But, in this particular instance, I couldn’t really discern whether I was being nudged by God or pushed by people. If it was a God calling, I was willing to follow, however reluctantly, but if it was a people thing, I was planning on bowing out.

I was really praying about it on the first walk I was able to take in weeks, due to our recent stretch of horrible weather. I returned home with no solid answers, but then I checked my phone and I smiled and gave a prayer of thanks, not for answering a prayer to leave me in my comfort zone, alas, but for answering a prayer for direction.

The night before, while perusing Pinterest, I pinned a quote from Ann Voskamp that said, “You can’t be a world changer until you serve. And you can’t serve until your break free of your comfort zone.” It had a picture of a weathered door.

I don’t know why I pinned it. It just spoke to me at the moment. But, when I returned from my walk and prayer time, my phone informed me that someone on Pinterest had pinned my pin and when I clicked it, Ann’s message popped up.

There was my answer. It may not have been the one I was most comfortable with, but it was my answer.

As Believers, when we really look for God in the world around us, He’s everywhere and why wouldn’t He be? When we pray for answers, do we expect them? Do we actively look for them or do we hope for a text message explaining it all in detail? Maybe we hope for the burning bush answers.

I find that God most often answers prayers in quiet subtle ways, that could easily be missed if we weren’t paying attention. I wonder how many answers I’ve missed along the way because I wasn’t looking or fully alert. How often have I missed out on God communicating with me because I was too busy or distracted? Perhaps you struggle with this too?

During this Lenten season, I’m intentionally taking time to slow down and listen. I’m trying not to miss the subtle that would easily be missed in the rush of life. When we pray, we should expect answers, but maybe we are expected to actively watch for them. I’m going to try harder to be a better watcher and listener. Care to join me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Seek and Show

Posted on by Wendy
Lent is the ideal time to remember to seek the Divine in the world around us as well as to represent it.
Lent is the ideal time to remember to seek the Divine in the world around us as well as to represent it.

Yesterday, I was talking with a friend of mine who happens to be a counselor, about my post that day. It was the one about talking to the lady in Wal-Mart. She made the comment that people are really lonely these days and need to connect more.

I told her that I connected with people fairly regularly when I go to Wal-Mart and I had actually written about it a few times. She told me that she thought a lot of “God stuff” went on there. Of course, being the curious individual that I am, I pressed her for more information.

She said she was in the produce section one day and was in a bit of a slump with her faith. She said a woman walked up to her and asked her if could she give her something. She replied, “yes.”

The woman handed her a New Testament. Is the hair standing up on the back of your neck?

The Gideons are men. She wasn’t with them. She wasn’t standing on the corner with a pile of Bibles to hand out. She sought out my friend. Why? Did the Holy Spirit nudge her?

It was just what was needed a that moment. Isn’t God amazing that way? The more I thought about it, the more intrigued I became. Maybe angels hang out Wal-Mart. The Bible tells us, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained strangers without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

Where would Jesus hang out if he was walking around in 2015? He didn’t hang out with the rich people on his first trip here, or the most educated people, or the religious people. He didn’t spend a lot of time with people who we might consider the cream of the crop.

When I really think about it, Wal-Mart would be a very likely place to encounter the Son of God. There are all types of people there. There are lonely people there. There are struggling people there. There are angry people there. There are frustrated people there. There are old and young and lots of children there. There are several different languages spoken at my location. One can encounter John Q. Humanity there.

I’m not sure we would find Jesus at Sax. I guess my point is, I think that Jesus would most likely be where people need him the most. Wal-Mart seems as likely a place as any. I often see a great need there. I think Jesus often shows up in the mundane. Maybe angels do too.

Either way, Lent seems to be the ideal time to be more on the look out for the Divine among us as we do our best to represent it to the world around us. Wherever we go, we always have the opportunity to seek and show.

What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Finding God in the Everyday

Posted on by Wendy
When we honestly seek God, He turns up just about everywhere.
When we honestly seek God, He turns up just about everywhere.

I had to run into Wal-Mart yesterday. I was dreading it. I always dread going to Wal-Mart because there’s no parking, and the people aren’t usually very nice, and there are never enough checkout lines open. To add to it, we were expecting anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of snow which is a huge deal in Georgia. I braced myself for chaos.

When I pulled into the lot, the parking wasn’t too bad. The inside wasn’t too bad either. I was cheered. I was looking for a specific lotion for my son’s eczema flare-up and there was a well dressed, older lady in the same section. She tapped me on the shoulder and asked me what face lotion I used.

We had a short conversation about how she had just moved into assisted living and that she usually bought her skin products at department stores in the mall and she just had no idea what to buy. I showed her the product I use and she told me she needed one for morning and night. She was incredibly spry and I was quite surprised that she needed assisted living.

We chatted a few minutes about her grandchildren and then she thanked me and told me I had done my good deed for the day. I assured her that I was happy to help her and we said goodbye.

The encounter played in my mind throughout my day. It required very little of my time to talk with that sweet woman, but that small amount of time seemed to have made a big difference to her. It kind of bothers me that we have become so busy and self-consumed that stopping to talk to a fellow human being is considered a “good deed.”

I can think of many actions I consider worthy of the title, but polite conversation with strangers is not one of them. I have often thought that being distracted in general, is one of the biggest adversaries of our spiritual life. Running around from the time we wake up until the time we go to bed also leaves very little time for human relationships.

As Christians, we are called to love one another. How can we love others if we are too busy to make eye contact or to speak to each other? Talking to each other should be the norm, not the exception. I’m going to try really hard to remember that.

I really need to stop dreading going to Wal-Mart too. God has used my visits there on quite a few occasions when He wants to teach me something. But, then again, when you look for God, He’s everywhere, even at Wal-Mart.

Where will you find Him today?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Rushing the Seasons

Posted on by Wendy
When we bloom in the right season, things work out beautifully.
When we bloom in the right season, things turn out beautifully.

When I took a walk yesterday, I saw a clump of daffodils completely in bloom. I would normally be cheered to see them. They are always an early announcement that spring is close by. Unfortunately, it’s only February 12th. It’s supposed to be in the twenties this weekend and then only a high in the forties for a few days. Sadly, I don’t think those daffodils will survive. They weren’t made for winter weather.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m always ready for spring. I am not a fan of winter. I can’t stand being cold and all of the layers and coats required for me to be warm are just a huge inconvenience. I was telling someone the other day about how I was longing for spring. Never mind the fact that our winter has been incredibly mild this year. I’m ready for the next season.

Those daffodils got me to thinking about what happens when we rush into the next season, before we fully finish our current one. We too, can get frostbitten like those tender blooms.

Think about it, when we are in a dark season of mourning or loss and we don’t allow ourselves the full amount of time it takes to heal, we sometimes do things like rush into a new relationship, or a new job, or impulsively sell our house, or get a new dog; (this list is close to endless.) We often find that as time passes, we regret those decisions and we most likely would not have made them, had we given ourselves some time and space to finish the dark season completely.

No one likes a dark season, but to get past it, we have to let it fully run it’s course and allow God to heal us. We have to wait.

Sometimes a season of growth is equally frustrating. We are ready to get going and do big things, but God wants to grow us more before we move. When we get impatient and move before we should, we often falter or fail at what we were attempting. God’s timing is different from ours. Waiting takes obedience, but it also builds faith.

I’ve always loved the Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. “There’s a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

The early daffodils are a reminder that we really need to appreciate and respect our current season, whatever it is. We don’t have to like it, but we need to completely finish it before we can move confidently healed and prepared for the next. God will let us know when it’s time and grace and faith will sustain us along the way.

Because when we wait on God, we are never disappointed. He always has big things planned.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Life Lessons from a Couple of Papillons

Posted on by Wendy
When we watch for God in the everyday, He always has something to teach us.
When we watch for God in the everyday, He always has something to teach us.

I am looking after my parents’ dogs for a few days while they take a vacation. The little darlings are poster children for high-strung. They bark constantly. They have to be fed twice a day with special food. The little one has to be hand fed most of the time or he won’t eat and they have to be leash walked rain or shine, even when it snows.

My parents love their dogs and I love my parents, so I look after them with a joyful heart, (most of the time), when they ask me to, which really isn’t that often.

My daily prayer is always that God will show Himself to me in some way, in the world around me. It’s often surprising where He shows up, but this time, it was through those two little dogs.

First of all, the smallest one, Levi, only wants to be in my lap. He would rather sit in my lap and be right by my side than eat. He wants constant contact, which can be quite annoying, but then it struck me the other day how God would love for us to pursue Him like that. What if our goal in life was constant contact with Him? What if we wanted nothing more that to be at His side? What if we put that contact and closeness before everything else in our lives, including food? What would our world look like?

I’ve been turning that little nugget over in my head for days now and have marveled at the very real concept that God placed right in front of me, thanking Him for the lesson and asking Him for more.

Well, you know what they say, careful what you ask for…. I was leash walking them at 6:00 AM, yesterday morning, inside our fence because their safety, due to their size, is a huge concern for me. We had an 80% chance of rain, which was no surprise. We always have rain when I’m dog sitting. It wasn’t raining yet and I felt like I had won the Lotto. Then I heard them.

There were coyotes nearby. They were howling and yipping at the tops of their lungs. I froze. Were we safe inside the fence? Could the coyotes hear us? Would they try to get to us? How far away were they? I expected the pups to freak out and bark. Nope. They went on about their business as I silently prayed for our safety. They finished and we quickly went into the house.

Those two little dogs never flinched. They never missed a beat, seemingly oblivious to the danger that was close by. Isn’t that how we are supposed to trust God? The Bible tells us over and over that we are not to fear worldly predators. We are supposed to pray and focus on our all-powerful God and know that He’s going to take care of us. He has a plan. We are loved and treasured and we need not fear. Our job is to have faith.

Once again, I learned a valuable lesson from those little dogs, reminding me once again that He is everywhere, always available to speak to us. The question is, are we willing to listen?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Being a Blessing Draws Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
Working with someone who tried to look at people the way God does, is truly a blessing.
Working with someone who tries to look at people the way God does, is truly a blessing.

I have this awesome part-time job at a dress shop downtown. I happened to walk in there at the end of the summer looking for a homecoming dress for my daughter and I instantly loved it. The owner, Frances, is what I would describe as bubbly times ten. She met us at the door and welcomed us. She then went on to say that the store had a platform of girls and self-esteem and they stood strong on anti-bullying. She also said that no one who walks through her doors is allowed to speak negatively about themselves and if she heard negative words, whoever said them would be placed in a time out until they could say three positive things about themselves.

I loved her instantly and I loved her boutique. She had formal wear of all kinds, homecoming, prom, ladies wear, bridal gowns and tuxedos. She had brand new items and consignment items as well as vintage dresses. It was such a fun and uplifting place, I hated to leave. My daughter found a dress. I friended Frances on Facebook.

I did a little sewing for her because that’s all I know how to do and then I started working in the store when she needed the help. Watching her work has been amazing. I think she truly sees women through the eyes of God. She can pick out something beautiful in every woman or girl who walks through the door and she points it out. Most ladies leave with a pep in their step and holding their head a little higher than when they arrived.

Frances is a strong Christian. I knew it when I met her, long before we discussed it. I could see Jesus in the way she treats people.  She seems to innately seek out the good in people and try to be a blessing to them. She in turn, gets blessed by them. It’s a beautiful cycle to watch.

Last week when I was in the store, a bride came in. She was discouraged. She was on a budget and had been unable to find anything. She was self-conscious about her weight. She wasn’t a size 6, but since the average size of an American woman is 14, she shouldn’t have been. Frances got to work and it wasn’t long until our bride was glowing. We all knew the moment that she put on the perfect gown. She was stunning.

Her gorgeous blue eyes danced with joy. She didn’t want to take it off. So we chatted a while and took some pictures with her in her dress as Frances picked out the perfect dress for her mama to wear. She shared with me some pictures of her wedding decorations. Then she floored me.

They are doing their wedding reception in a rustic barn. But, the ceremony is going to be in front of a simple wooden cross. I was so moved I got teary. I told her if she and her soon to be hubby will keep God in the center of their marriage, they will always be happy and their marriage will be blessed. Then she got teary as she told me she thought she would never get married because whenever she tried talking to someone she was dating about God, they weren’t interested and she wasn’t budging on her faith.

Then, God sent her this man. He loves God too. I was thrilled for this stranger who I felt had become my friend. When she and her mom left the shop, they  were two beautiful women with two beautiful dresses and I felt blessed beyond words. I think they did too.

Watching for God in the people and the world around me never fails to amaze me and bless me. Care to join me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Spirituality of Slowing Down

Posted on by Wendy
Spending any amount of time in Creation makes it difficult not to be thankful to the One who crated it.
Spending any amount of time in Creation makes it difficult not give thanks to the One who created it.

Sunday  was a yucky day here by all accounts. It rained all day long. It was cold and dreary and there were even some tornadoes in the area. Monday started off dreary as well. But, then suddenly, the clouds parted and the sun came out and it was beautiful. I felt drawn to go and take a walk, which is a good thing because I hadn’t done cardio in over a week.

I’m definitely a walker, not a runner. I run between mailboxes to get my heart rate up, but I walk more than run. My exercise time has become as much a spiritual time for me as physical. I pray when I walk as I bask in God’s Creation. It’s very difficult not to be thankful when I feel the warm sun on my face or a cool breeze when I’m hot, or when I see the leaves changing colors and birds searching for worms on the ground. Creation always makes me thankful and it leaves me in awe.

If I were to run instead of walk, I would miss it. If I were to listen to music in my ipod, I would miss it. My hubby has one of those Fitbits. It counts his steps and tells him how quickly he ran a mile. People take to Facebook and record their times. There are even apps where people can compete with each other on how fast they ran and how much ground they covered. I can’t imagine why.

We love to compete. It seems to be somehow wired within us. We can’t exercise for pleasure. There has to be a winner. But, I don’t think that’s God’s way. I think we are supposed to stay fit. Our bodies are a temple. I think friendly competition is no big deal and running races for fun is fine. But, if every time we leave our house to exercise, we are trying to beat our last time or someone else’s doing that activity, I think we may have missed an opportunity to worship.

We are busy people. I often hear people say they don’t have time to read the Bible or they don’t have time to pray or to exercise. But, there is a way to combine some of those things. I feel like whenever we are outside, it’s a perfect time to talk to God and to listen for His voice. Maybe if we aren’t in such a rush, we may learn something or see Him in an unexpected way.

While I was walking on Monday, my neighbor from across the street, pulled over and chatted with me for a few minutes about Thanksgiving. Every conversation with her is a blessing. She is a light to me and my family. After the brief stop, she wished me a Happy Thanksgiving and drove away. She might not have stopped if I had been running. I’m glad she did.

When we slow down a little, not only do we see and hear things we might have missed otherwise, but we encourage others to seek us out and share. We encourage interaction and contact. We get the opportunity to let our light shine and allow others to shine theirs.

As this season gets ready to really get cranked up into turbo speed, I think it my be worth it to intentionally take some time to slow down. We may be surprised at what we learn.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy  🙂