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.

Obedience and Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
Obedience leads to beautiful blessings.
Obedience leads to beautiful blessings.

Last night our church improv group did a Sunday Night Live show. It was a variety show with short comedy skits and some music played in between. My family participated in one at Christmas time and we enjoyed it, but this one was an entire different story.

My hubby and kids worked together and wrote several of the skits for this one. We had a group of nine teenagers as well as adults. We had very few practices and many last-minute script changes. It was incredibly stressful. I found myself praying last week that God would calm my nerves and help me to see His plan through all of the chaos.

I had worked with young children and plays many times, but teens are an independent sort. Would they learn their lines? Would they even show up? Comedy is also a different animal than other plays. Would the show be funny?

Sunday morning came and one of our adult cast members had a fever. Would she be able to make the show?

Sunday afternoon everyone showed up on time. The rehearsal was horrible. We didn’t know our lines. We didn’t have the right props. We had technical difficulties. We all hoped to run through our show twice, but only had enough time to do it once.

Now I knew from every single play that I have ever worked with that a horrible rehearsal often leads to a beautiful performance. The other thing that we had going for us was that we had spent the past five months or so, learning to improvise, so when we flubbed our lines, we could often just work with each other. That’s what improv is.

But, probably the most awesome thing that God let me witness through the entire experience was a few minutes before the show started. The pastor wanted to round up the cast for a prayer, but when we went to find the kids, they were already joining hands for a group prayer of their own.

I was moved to tears. A group of teens pulling together on their own, to pray for a common goal is an awesome thing to witness. The adults joined the kids and one of the girls lead the prayer.

Of course, the show went beautifully. The audience laughed loudly at our shenanigans. The music was beautiful and the kids worked together like well oiled machinery.

God was there, just as I knew He would be. He was at work. He was at work as people laughed who desperately needed to laugh. He was at work as we all worked together. He was at work within the hearts of the teenagers who knew the importance of prayer. I’ve no doubt He was at work in countless other ways too.

As is usually the case, when I watch for God and I am obedient, even when it’s hard, He always shows Himself in unmistakable ways and I always end up feeling incredibly blessed. I’ll try to remember that the next time obedience seems hard.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Simply Saying Thanks

Posted on by Wendy
Taking time each day to look for all of the small gifts we have been given can lead to a thankful heart.
Taking time each day to look for all of the small gifts we have been given can lead to a thankful heart.

Have you ever had one of those days that was pretty close to perfect, where everything seemed to go right, every light in your path was green? I had a day like that yesterday. I was reminded of the television commercial that was out several years ago where it was a character named Bob’s day. He had a parking spot saved for him everywhere he went and their were literally signs on the road that said, “Yield to Bob.”

I have had a lot going on lately and have prayed a lot for answers and direction. It’s nothing super serious, but I have had some heavy conversations with God and I have patiently (most of the time), waited.

Yesterday was a really easy and laid back day with no chaos. It was beautiful outside and I was loving it. I went into CVS to pick up a few toiletry items for my family along with a prescription, and my bill was $52.00. I presented a few coupons and one was a 25% off card. The saleslady scanned them and was confused with what the cash register was reporting that I owed, so she called her manager who walked her through it. She told the cashier to hit the override button and my bill was .06. The stunned cashier smiled and asked if I would please pay in cash.

I obliged her and thanked her profusely. As I left the store, shaking my head, I climbed into my car and I thought about all of my prayers lately and at that moment, wasn’t really sure what to say. I had been given a great little surprise gift.

And then I knew what to say. I said a prayer of thanks.

I think that when I spend a lot of time praying about specific issues that I need to work out in one way or the other, I sometimes miss the little gifts that God sends me. That morning as I began my day with a walk, I prayed that God would show Himself to me. He did.

I’m glad I had the sense not only to recognize it, but to say thanks. I wonder how often I miss those everyday gifts because I’m so focused on something specific. Maybe you struggle with that too? God is ever-present in the lives of His children whether we recognize it or not.

We have an enemy who would love for us to believe that our prayers don’t matter and that we are alone. Those are lies.

Sometimes God’s presence is super subtle and sometimes it’s like a billboard, like yesterday was for me. Either way, He’s here and it brings great nourishment to our souls not only to remember that, but to acknowledge it and simply say thanks.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Get Growing

Posted on by Wendy
There's something profoundly spiritual about growing your own food.
There’s something profoundly spiritual about growing your own food.

This past weekend, I was struck by the gardening bug. My hubby and I, (mostly him), built raised beds last year, so I knew we would replant, but I hadn’t really been motivated yet. Plus, I was waiting to be sure that our cold winter was at last gone for good.

A visit to my parents’ house over spring break was especially motivating. My daddy had planted okra, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, onions and squash. He even grew a few things from seed. He had also planted an apple tree and a peach tree. Looks like retirement has brought out his inner farmer. He showed off his new plantings like a proud new papa.

I have to say that I completely get it. There’s something profoundly spiritual about growing things, especially things we can eat. When I dig up dirt and add compost and fertilizer, I feel like I get to assist in the miracle of life. When I see earth worms in the soil, I say a little prayer of thanks. They have a job to do and their presence is good for my plants.

When I finally get to place the tiny plants in the prepared soil, I can see right away that I have accomplished something. What once seemed completely barren, is teeming with new growth. And the little green plants are just the beginning. The beauty of growing vegetables is that it takes very little time before the first blooms appear.

I love to go outside in the mornings with a cup of coffee and see what happened overnight. The growth is sometimes astounding. Sometimes, a bloom transforms into a tiny vegetable literally overnight. I feel like it’s a tiny miracle of sorts. I mean, I can’t make a tomato; can you?

Then, the amount of veggies that can come from one tiny plant, that was no more than a couple of inches tall, is also amazing, when you think about it.

Gardening, even very small-scale gardening, brings me closer to God. It reminds me of the miracle of life. It reminds me of the gift of food. It reminds me of His infinite abilities and blessings.

If you don’t normally grow veggies in the summer, I encourage you to at least try a patio tomato. It will grow easily in a pot on a porch or deck and it’s such a fast process to watch it go from tiny green plant to fruit. (I’m told that tomatoes are a fruit, which makes no sense to me.)

Once upon a time, when the vast majority of the people in our country grew their own food, we all knew that we had to rely on God to feed us. We knew we needed to depend on Him. I don’t think that reliance has changed even though we don’t readily recognize it anymore.

Gardening is just a beautiful reminder of His love and grace. Maybe it’s time to get growing.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

God is with Us

Posted on by Wendy
When you look at a dogwood bloom, what do you see?
When you look at a dogwood bloom, what do you see?

As I was taking a walk and praying, I kept watch for a hawk. A hawk often flies across my path when I’m deep into a conversation with God. It’s simply happened way too many times for me to discount it as a coincidence. I have a dear friend that said when she was going through a time of struggle when raising her kids, God sent her Carolina Wrens to sing to her. She told me that her family thought she was crazy, but I knew that it was truth.

But, today God didn’t send a hawk. Today, as I was walking and praying and asking God to show Himself, I looked down and there, among the weeds on the side of the road, were the purple blooms of a viola. I first saw one and then as I walked, there they were interspersed in the overgrowth. There’s no way a person planted them. But, nature had some how put them there.

I smiled as I continued to pray and thanked Him for the beauty among the overgrown chaos. I was reminded that there’s always beauty within chaos. In our darkest times, there’s always grace. There’s a friend who stands by us or an unexpected call from someone we haven’t heard from in a while. There’s a meal that shows up on our doorstep or an unexpected card or check in the mail. Sometimes a new friendship begins in those dark times.

To the Christian who actively seeks the face of God, He is everywhere. To the non-believer, He is nowhere. There are so many things in our lives that can be chalked up to mere coincidences, but faith teaches us a different way. Faith teaches us that God created all of the animals, so He could certainly send a hawk across my path or wrens to my friend’s window. He can make things grow where they really shouldn’t be growing.

God’s way of showing His love for us is infinite. We are the ones who seek to limit its scope with our own preconceived notions and misconceptions.

As my walk came to an end, I came across a dogwood tree. Legend has it that Jesus was crucified on a dogwood tree. They used to grow huge like oaks. Because the trees were distressed at being used for such a cruel purpose, Jesus promised they would never again be large and strong enough to construct a cross.The blooms are in the shape of a cross, with two long petals and two short ones, and the ends are tinged red for Christ’s blood.

While it’s not likely that the legend is true; every spring around Easter, they serve as a beautiful reminder of God’s love for us and Jesus’ sacrifice. God could have made those trees look anyway He pleased. The believer sees a cross.

As we draw ever closer to Easter and the glory of the resurrection, I would love to encourage you to get outside and bask in Creation. Look for God in our world and remember that not only did He create the beauty around us, He is still with us. Just take a look.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

The Face of Jesus

Posted on by Wendy
Who knows how far a simple act of kindness will go?
Who knows how far a simple act of kindness will go?

I was subbing at a local elementary school yesterday in fifth grade. I was giving a math test. All of the kids were deep in concentration, when a little girl walked up to my desk. She said, “Can I ask you a weird question?”

I hesitantly answered, “yes.” You never know what you’re going to get with children; so there was absolutely no way of knowing what the question would be. I braced myself as she asked, “Will you braid my hair?”

A deep sigh of relief came from the substitute teacher; she went on to say that there had been something in her hair and when she tried to pull it out, it messed up her braid. Her hair was hanging in her face as she was trying to do her test and it was distracting her.

Truthfully, I was honored that she would even ask, delighted that she felt that comfortable. I sub because I enjoy the kids. It took all of two minutes to braid her hair and put her at ease again. I told her that her hair was beautiful just like she was and her smile bloomed like the spring time. I was instantly reminded of my prayer earlier that morning.

I always pray before I work in the school that God will allow me to see the face of Jesus in someone and that I will be the face of Jesus for someone. I knew instantly, that my prayer had been answered. That seemingly insignificant act of kindness produced a brilliant smile that made me know I was in the presence of God.

I can’t say that I was really surprised, because I often see Jesus in children. I have always told my own kids that children are Jesus’ favorite people, which always makes them smile and stand a little taller.

The math test will soon be forgotten, but I pray that the little girl will remember the substitute teacher who braided her hair and that maybe someday she will be able to feel like she saw the face of Jesus in me.

It’s impossible to know how far-reaching our little acts of kindness can be or if they even go anywhere. But, what if they do make a huge difference for just one person? As Christians, shouldn’t we try to be the hands and feet and face of Christ at every opportunity? What if God sent that child at that moment?

What if He sends someone across my path tomorrow? What if He sends someone across yours? Will I be watching and looking? Will you?

As we journey closer to Easter, perhaps we should make an effort to look for Jesus more intentionally. Perhaps we should be more intentional about representing him to the world around us. We don’t have to do anything huge, but simply reach out a helping hand when the opportunity presents itself. Who knows what kind of difference we can make?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

In Relentless Pursuit

Posted on by Wendy
What would our lives look like if we relentlessly pursued God with no fear?
What would our lives look like if we relentlessly pursued God with no fear?

Yesterday, my daughter had a tennis match. It was away. I loathe away matches. First of all, I am prone to getting lost. Secondly, once I make it there, few other parents from our team usually go and I have no one to sit with or talk to.

Well, yesterday I was prepared. I printed directions before I left the house and I had a very good idea of where I was going. To make my chances even better of not getting lost, I decided to go to the high school and follow the bus. There were three buses there, loading up three different sports teams. I asked my daughter which bus was hers and she told me.

When her team bus pulled out, I was right behind it. “Ha!” I said to no one in particular, I would not get lost this time. We headed to the stop sign and I was all set to make a left turn because I had my directions printed out right beside me. The bus turned right.

Uh, oh! Had I followed the wrong bus? I was concerned for a few miles, but then a girl from my daughter’s team turned around and waved at me. I was following the right bus, but where was it going?

When it went 50 miles per hour in a 35 zone, I said a prayer and stayed close. When it got on the loop and continued to change lanes, I stayed close. I followed more closely than I normally follow cars, but traffic got thick and I couldn’t lose the bus. At this point, I had no idea how to get to the school.

Somewhere on that hour plus drive, it struck me how relentless I was being about pursuing that bus. My child was on board and I stayed close like my life depended on it. I simply was completely unwilling to get separated.

Then I began to think about what my life would look like if I pursued God in the same relentless manner. What if I refused to become separated from Him at all costs? What if I was willing to go in a direction that I felt was completely wrong or at odds with my own printed out map? What if I was willing to trust that He would get me to the right destination at the right time if I just had enough faith? What if I just obeyed and went wherever He called?

What if all Christians felt that way?

We did end up getting to the school safely. It wasn’t the route I would have taken, but it got us there. I didn’t get lost. I am reminded that our Christian walk can be very much like that seemingly convoluted trip.

God knows where He’s going. He knows where He wants us to go. The question for us is simply, “Are we willing to follow even when the path doesn’t seem to make sense?” Our faith journey hangs on our answer to that question; because sticking close to Him and willingly following, is the only way we can get to His destination for us and His destination is infinitely better than anything we could even dream of.

Perhaps we should take this season of Lent and consider relentlessly following God.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

What Faith Can Do

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes when we feel the most helpless, God shows up.
Sometimes when we feel the most helpless, God shows up.

My family suffered a tragedy last weekend. Our beloved minivan of fourteen years, died. It was just a car, but it was special. My children were still in car seats when we bought it. My son was only three months old. It was right after the 9/11 attacks and I remember proudly displaying a flag on the back window.

It was a mom mobile and I drove it happily. It seated seven and I regularly hauled that many kids in it. It’s been camping many times and on road trips and vacations. It carried my sister’s wedding dress to Florida along with my mom and dad and all of my mom’s stuff. We were super packed on that trip.

I remember when the kids were in preschool, they all fought to ride in it. It was the cool car. Most women my age, traded for something much hipper when their kids got older, but not me. I loved the minivan and always volunteered to drive whenever I was needed, which was often, from things like tennis matches to youth group trips, to my daughter’s first homecoming dance.

I knew it was getting old, and soon my oldest will be driving, but I wasn’t ready to downsize yet. Unfortunately, the decision was made for me.

I fought tears all weekend over the loss. Not only because we don’t really have the money to buy a new one, but because it symbolizes the end of an era. My kids are growing up and soon we won’t need the minivan, and I find that very bittersweet.

As always, God has His hands in all of this. There’s a man at church who I love to kid around with every Sunday. He is in management at a local car dealership and apparently has helped just about everyone in the congregation to find a car. When I spoke with him on Sunday and asked him for help and then told him that I really hated to ask for help, He simply said, “Why? That’s what I do.”

I was so humbled. This is community. When I shared with members of my Improv group that our van had died, a member of my small group immediately turned around and asked if we needed a car because his wife was out of town for the week. This is community.

When I confessed how silly I felt about being sentimental about the loss of the van, another member of my small group told me it wasn’t silly at all. This is community.

I was driving down the road after church, in my daughter’s car and I was scanning channels and praying for some peace. A song came on called, “What Faith Can Do,” by Kutless. I had never heard it, but it’s older. The words were, “Don’t you give up now. The sun will soon be shining. You gotta face the clouds to find the silver lining.” The words really struck me and soothed my soul.

As I slowed to stop at the red light, I could hardly believe the letters on the tag in front of me. “B LEVE” I whispered a prayer of thanks as tears ran down my cheeks. Not only had He provided me with a loving caring church community, He also let me know that He is always close and always listening. We just have to look.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

P.S. If you want to hear that song, I’ve attached a link.

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 🙂