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.

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  🙂

 

A New Perspective

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes little detours can change our perspective.
Sometimes little detours can change our perspective.

My hubby went with our pastor and another gentleman, this week to meet with a man to discuss a summer mission trip. The small church we are attending, hasn’t had a huge interest in mission projects and with a staff of one and no one to head them up, they haven’t been a priority. When I sent our pastor an e-mail inquiring about the possibility of a youth summer mission trip, he replied that they had been praying about it for some time, but hadn’t had anyone willing to be in charge of it. He went one to ask the question, “I wonder where we would find such a person?”

I laughed out loud as I read it. I shared on another post recently, that I had been praying the prayer, “use me.” So far, it’s put me in a Christmas Cantata and in the church choir. Now, I’m looking into summer mission trips. I find it kind of interesting up to this point, that God hasn’t plugged me in doing anything that I already know how to do, but that’s usually what it’s like when you decide to walk with Jesus.

Of course, I roped my hubby in. He may not be praying the, “use me” prayer, but he’s getting used too. Thankfully, he doesn’t mind. I couldn’t make the trip on Monday, so he went. Turns out, there had been a total mis-communication, because we were very clear about staying within the United Sates to do mission work and preferably in the Southeast. We feel there are plenty of people right here who desperately need the help of the Christian community.

The man they met with had only done mission work outside of the country. He shared with them some of what he had done. He told the men that one of the trips he went on was ten thousand dollars per person, for the airfare and ten people went. As my husband was telling me this, I interrupted him saying something like, “Why didn’t they just send the people there, a hundred grand? I mean, what a waste of money to fly!”

He told me he thought the same thing, but he listened. Oops! That’s what I should be doing too. The man shared that while they did some physical work there, they also ran a Vacation Bible School program. The children and parents there had never seen anything like it. And the most touching part of all, was that they couldn’t believe that there were people out there who cared enough about their tiny poverty-stricken village, to fly around the world and tell them and show them about the love of Jesus,

I have to admit, I never thought of it that way. On the other side of the coin, the man they spoke with is looking for an opportunity to do something here in the United States, but he hasn’t found the opportunity, so he wrote down all of our men’s information.

In the end, I think we all got a new perspective. I still hope to take the teenagers as well as some adults, on a summer mission trip here at home. My daughter’s experience in South Carolina last year, on her first mission trip, was truly life changing. But, I’m going to look at these out of country youth trips in a different way too. I’ll definitely pray for the financial success of those attempting to go and I’ll contribute if I can. Who knows? I may go on one myself one day.

I think in the end, that little meeting this week, that seemed like a detour, may have been exactly what God had planned all along. He’s always full of surprises.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

P.S. If you are doing the Thanksgiving challenge, you should be on number 19 today! 🙂

Being Thankful is a Form of Worship

Posted on by Wendy
This little creek is beautiful in the fall.
This little creek is beautiful in the fall.

I had a million things to do that day. I had toilets to scrub and floors to vacuum. Still, I could feel God beckoning me outdoors. There was a cold front moving in and the temperatures were expected to drop drastically over the following days.

I had been planning to take some fall leaf photos, but I had planned to take them over the weekend. However, I knew if it was really cold, I would not likely go outside. I’m a Southern girl to the bone and if it’s less than sixty degrees outside, it’s too cold. But, this day, it was still in the seventies outside.

I finally turned off the vacuum cleaner and pushed it to the side and grabbed my camera. I’ve really been working hard on listening to God’s call and obeying it. I’ll admit, when I get busy or focused on doing something, it gets harder to hear and even harder to obey. But, I did.

As usual, I was rewarded for any act of obedience. My neighborhood is breathtaking this time of year. As much as I love the spring, fall runs a close race in the beauty of God’s creativity. When I go out with a camera to specifically look for the beauty, I’m so amazed at what I see. I’m also kind of ashamed at what I miss and take for granted in my daily rush.

You just can't appreciate the color of a single leaf from a car.
You just can’t appreciate the color of a single leaf from inside a car.

The beauty of a single leaf just can’t be appreciated from inside a car. I don’t really appreciate it when I’m taking a brisk walk or running either. No, there’s something about taking a camera and looking for the beauty, seeking out the beauty in the world around us. I felt like I could feel God whispering into my heart, “look at my Creation and appreciate it.” And I did and I do, I just sometimes forget to slow down and look.

God could have made leaves just turn brown and die and fall off, but instead, fall provides us with such a beautiful array of color. I think appreciating that creativity is an act of worship. I think remembering to thank God for the beauty is an act of worship. I think slowing down is an act of worship.

This season of fall passes quickly. In another month, the leaves will all be gone. The branches will be bare. It will be cold and the days will be long and dark. It won’t be long until we are all shivering and anxiously awaiting spring.

But, for now, maybe we could take a moment and really drink in the beauty of fall, the beauty that God has created in our lives, in this season, at this very moment and give thanks. While we are giving thanks for the beauty in nature, maybe we could look around and give thanks for all of the beauty in our lives at this very moment. I think maybe, that’s worship in it’s purest form.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Clearing Away the Underbrush

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes Creation takes my breath away.
Sometimes Creation takes my breath away.

My parents have a pond behind their house. I think it’s been there longer than the house has. My maternal grandmother was an avid fisherman and the pond was her baby. My siblings and I spent a fair amount of time there as kids. My brother actually did a lot of fishing there. But, over time, we grew up and moved out. Daddy was still working full-time and the pond had become very overgrown.

I tried to take my own kids fishing there over spring break a couple of years back and they couldn’t fish at all from the bank. They had to go out in the boat which is at least as old as I am, so that in itself, was a risky proposition.

But, recently, Daddy retired. He and Mama decided that they would like to enjoy the pond. They had someone come and clear the underbrush and they installed a dock. Now, they go down there almost everyday and bask in the creation that God has blessed them with. Daddy has also been doing a lot of fishing, so much so that he took my son for the first time in October.

They had quite a bountiful catch.
They had quite a bountiful catch.

A thirteen-year-old boy, fishing with his granddaddy, is a memory that’s hard to beat. My son will treasure that day for the rest of his life. I’m so thankful when my children have those kinds of experiences.

But, the pond is not new. It’s been there for close to fifty years now. What has changed? They cleared out the underbrush and made it a priority. My parents took something that had been neglected and overgrown over time and cleared off the scrub trees, and removed weeds taking it over from one end. They removed the obstacles that kept them from enjoying it.

Then they added a place, a dock, where they could sit and enjoy it and they are making enjoying it a priority.

How many things do we have in our lives like that pond? How many gifts have we been given that we have neglected because we are too busy? They can be physical things like our yards, or a pond or a porch or even a sunny room in our homes. They can also be pets that we could spend time walking. They can be friendships that we have let go. They can be marital relationships that we have taken for granted or a bicycle sitting and gathering dust in the garage.

We all have things and people in our lives that we tend to take for granted when life gets busy and hectic. We allow underbrush to grow up around things and people who should be a priority. We allow underbrush to grow up around our relationship with God too. That’s our nature. But, when I think about that pond and the total transformation that took place from clearing out underbrush and just adding a space to sit, I am reminded that we never have to look very far to see beauty and blessings.

Maybe it’s a good idea for us all to look around and see what needs clearing out and figure out a way  to clear it and then create a space to sit and enjoy it. Who knows what memories we can make by doing so?

How are you doing with life’s underbrush? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂