Category: Watching for God

A really beautiful phenomenon at the beach was the changing of the tides. This inlet was gorgeous at high tide. I wanted to get a picture of it every time we passed over it, which was a lot. It was different every time because the tide was different every time. People who live in this part of the country live their lives around the tides.

The fishing, shrimping and crabbing industries are heavily dependent on the tides. The kayak industry is as well. We rented kayaks one day on the trip. Paddling against the current is really hard, but going with it is tricky too because you can sail right past your intended destination.

It’s amazing that this is the same little inlet isn’t it? It went from gorgeous to ugly and muddy. Kayaks went down it earlier in the day. Now it’s barren; or is it?

My son and I went in for a closer look at low tide and were kind of surprised at what we found. It was teeming with life. There were tiny crabs everywhere, hundreds of them, ducking in and out of little holes. There was a giant conch shell walking around. I didn’t even know they had legs! There were water birds feasting on unseen critters near the rocks. What was seemingly an ugly wasteland was not. It actually had a beauty of its own.

I began to think of the tides in our lives. Sometimes they are high and the sailing is easy and smooth. We don’t hit bottom. We are surrounded by goodness and beauty.

But sometimes the tide is low. Life can look desolate. Maybe it’s due to sickness, death, the loss of a job, broken relationships or betrayal of trust. Sometimes we feel devoid of all that is good and growing, like this inlet looks from road.

But, upon closer inspection, it’s often during those times, that we feel closest to God. It’s during those times that friends come out of the woodwork to help us and show us love, to stand by us. It’s during those times that we experience the most growth.

Remember the story of the footprints in the sand, where the man asked God why during the worst times in his life there was only one set of footprints? He wanted to know why God abandoned him when times were the toughest. God gently replied, “That’s when I carried you.”

And so it is with the low tides of life. When things look bleakest, we need to take heart. There is work going on. There is life. We are loved more than we know and God has a plan even when we can’t see it. The tide will rise again and so will we. That is a promise from the One who created us.

Nothing is ever wasted and we are not alone even when the tide is low. That’s when we should seek God the most.

What do you think about life’s tides? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

When we first arrived in Hilton Head, we walked down to the dock at Harbor Town and were rewarded with a mama dolphin swimming with her calf. They were side-by-side and super close to us. Everyone around was ooohing and ahhing. I snapped and snapped, but I couldn’t get the shot. They would disappear almost as soon as they appeared. It was beautiful. You just have to take my word on it.

The next day when we arrived at the beach, there were two dolphins swimming, not a hundred yards from us.

I grabbed my camera again, and again, was unsuccessful at capturing them on film. It struck me, after a few tries that I was missing the wonder of it by trying to take a picture. This was a huge revelation.

I like to think of dolphins as the dogs of the ocean. People are fascinated by them and they seem to share the same fascination with us. There are stories of them saving people at sea after they fall overboard or are shipwrecked. People will pay hundreds of dollars for the chance to swim with them. Yet, here they were in all of their glory, swimming in the wild.

Adults and children alike, couldn’t take their eyes of them. When I gave up trying to “get the photo,” I too, was mesmerized by their close presence. They swam close by for a long time among the diving pelicans, before they finally swam away.

I pondered the whole, “photo-op idea,” for a good, long while after that. I love a good photo. I especially love candid shots and nature shots and I surround myself with many of both. But, sometimes I think we take, “taking pictures” way too far.

If we have to stop having fun on our trip every few hours to post that fun to Instagram or Facebook, then we might be taking photos to the extreme. That’s a regular conversation, I have with my teen daughter. Everyone else is having so much fun. It’s all over Instagram. My reply is always the same. If they were having THAT much fun, they wouldn’t have time to put it on Instagram. Trust me on this one.

Last summer, my kids, my sister and her kids and my mom, visited this really cool place called Noah’s Ark. They have a bear, a tiger and a lion all living in peace together. They are friends. It was a fabulous thing to see. I simply couldn’t get a good picture. Does that make it any less awesome?

I also have a vivid memory of this woman screaming at her kids and their friends about sitting still and smiling for a photo. I cringed at her tone and whispered to my sister, “I wonder what they will remember from this trip.”

My point is, we have become a heavily visual culture. Newspapers have gone by the wayside. They have tried to put the Bible on video. We don’t want to read an e-mail over five sentences long. We are obsessed with taking pictures. Every man, woman and child carries around a phone with a camera.

While there’s no harm in that on its face, I think it’s important to remember that life is really about our journey and our experiences. Pictures are great, but sometimes the memories are just as good without them, like those dolphins. When I was growing up, film was expensive. Mom took a lot of pictures, but not hundreds and hundreds. And you know what? My childhood memories are just as great.

We should strive to enjoy this moment, this day, whether or not we have the pictures to prove it was fun. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

My family just returned from a week long vacation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. This was a first for us. We are usually Florida people, but we were looking for something different this year. Now before you Gulf of Mexico purists start shaking your heads, I get it. The Atlantic is not nearly as pretty as the Gulf of Mexico. However, we discovered a natural beauty there, that is stunning in its own way.

Before going, I prayed that God would show himself to me on our trip. As usual, I found that when I earnestly pray with an open heart, for God to speak to me, He always does. There were so many ways that I experienced the beauty of His creation last week and I would like to share some of the life lessons that I learned with you.

First of all, I found it really appropriate that we were staying right across the street from a lighthouse. Lighthouses were built for two reasons, to aid in the navigation of ships, (in other words, here is safe harbor) and to warn of dangerous places, (in other words, there are dangerous rocks here; be careful!)

In spiritual terms, God is definitely a lighthouse for me. When I keep my eyes focused on Him, He will guide me and keep me safe. Seeing the lighthouse  was a pretty cool start for our trip.

Second of all, we spent the week on our bicycles. The place where we stayed was covered in bike trails. Whenever possible, we rode our bicycles. We biked to the beach, a few miles away. We biked to dinner. My hubby figures we rode close to a hundred miles over a week. I have no idea whether or not that is true, but it was flat and shady and everyone else was biking too.

There were older people. There were parents dragging carts with kids in tow. There were kids riding with training wheels. We saw families of ten or more and we saw singles. Large and small, everyone was on a bike. They even had three-wheeled bikes, trikes for grownups, I suppose. Everyone smiled and no one was in a hurry.

Here’s the coolest part, you see things on a bike that are impossible to see from a car.

I was lagging behind when I spotted him on a trail. I like to piddle when I pedal. My hubby and daughter had left me behind, but I called to my son as I burst out laughing and stopped to take a picture. Who knows who took the time to glue googly eyes on a tree, but it was hysterical. I love a little whimsy and there among the stately live oaks, stood a tree face. I was so thankful I was on a bike.

I thanked God for allowing me to see it. I pedaled on, thankful for this beautiful world that He created and ever watchful for more. I was not disappointed. When have you experienced whimsy in creation? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

I had the joy of visiting Wal-Mart a couple of days ago. I really hate going there. It’s always so crowded and honestly, I hate all of the negativity I see there. It seems like people come from miles around to bring their children there, so they can yell at them. I always see a lot of unhappy people in general, when I go.

However, when you need a bottle of sunscreen, some mascara and a bag of dog food, it really is the quickest and easiest choice. Yes, Target carries all of those things, but Wal-Mart was much closer. So, in I went. I was kind of short on time, as usual, I had a car rider line to go wait in, but I found myself on the dog accessories aisle, searching for a collar.

As is normally the case, nothing was very organized and the sizes were all mixed up. I was digging through the chaos without much luck, when an elderly lady touched my arm. She was digging through the dog harnesses and she was having trouble deciding which one would fit her dog.

I don’t know why, perhaps it was the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit, (remember kindness is one of the fruits.), but I stopped what I was doing and gave her my full attention. She was very soft-spoken and I had to lean in to hear her. I asked her what kind of dog she had. I was expecting some little mixed breed. She smiled and told me it was a Shih Tzu. At this point, I knew I was being a good spiritual listener and I leaned in a little closer.

You see, my parents had a Shih Tzu for years. She was the sweetest dog I have ever known. She loved everybody she met and had so much personality. She lived a good long life, but they lost her to cancer. They were devastated. Of course, God put an elderly woman across my path with that breed. I could almost feel Him whispering to me that I was doing just as He wanted.

We compared the harnesses and she told me her dog was three and that she was worried that using a regular collar with a leash, would strain her neck. I told her I would go with the medium one. I hope I told her right, because my dogs are always fat and I have to buy a size up. I assured her that Wal-Mart is really good about taking merchandise back.

We chatted a few more minutes and she thanked me. I was out of time to search for a collar for my dog, but it just wasn’t a big deal. As I turned to walk away, she touched my arm again, she had pulled out a rather large flip phone and she had a picture of her dog on it that she wanted to share. She was gorgeous and the lady beamed with pride at my reaction. We said goodbye and I left.

As much as I loathe going to Wal-Mart, (I won’t say it’s as bad as Ninevah, but I dread going), this isn’t the first time I’ve had the opportunity to reach out to someone while shopping there. The Bible tells us to look for Jesus in the faces of the people we come in contact with, the hungry, the lonely, the sick. Matthew 34-30

Perhaps I should start seeing visiting there as an opportunity rather than a chore. In slowing down and visiting with that woman and offering her my time, I felt blessed. I suppose it really is true that when we take the time to bless others, we get blessed ourselves. I’m trying to do a better job at listening, and listening to the often quiet voice of God, can be very difficult when we are always in a rush. I also try to watch for God in the world around me, and that day, I was rewarded with a glimpse.

As summer kicks off, I’m going to try to look around more and rush less. What about you? Have you ever encountered God in unlikely places? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

As I was preparing to write today’s post, I was praying for guidance. My family has had a really rough week. Tornadoes tore across the Southeast last night and we are expecting a second wave tonight. To top it off, I woke up with one of those throbbing sinus headaches that refuses to let go, no matter how many cups of coffee combined with Advil and suphedrine you throw at it.

I’ll have to admit that I was feeling kind of low and uninspired. The skies were a dull gray and I was looking out the window and praying for some kind of inspiration for today’s post. I read a book last summer called, “Wonderstruck, by Margaret Feinberg.” It’s about asking God to show you the wonder in life. I highly recommend it. Our world is full of wonder and I found myself praying for some.

Almost immediately, a Cardinal plopped down on my deck. Those birds always make me smile because my hubby and I have a running  joke about them. His grandmother always told him that when you see a Cardinal walking on the ground that, “money is coming.” So whenever we see them, we joke about money being on the way. They truly are beautiful birds and they always brighten my day.

Right after the Cardinal landed, an Indigo Bunting landed on the other side of the deck. These birds are much rarer in my area. They are a gorgeous, deep blue. They are one of those birds that make you really appreciate God’s fabulous creativity.

 

I was already feeling better when a Scarlet Tanager also landed on the deck. These birds are not only rare here, but very difficult to spot. They are a favorite of bird watchers because of their vibrant red color and the black on their wings, but they usually stay hidden high in the canopy of trees. They are also migratory for my area, so he was likely just passing through. But, he just happened to pass through and land on my deck with two other beautiful birds while I was praying for wonder?

 

I don’t think so. The Bible says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7. I wasn’t praying for riches or a new car. I was praying that God would show me His presence on this dreary day. He did and now I’m sharing it with you.

Look for the wonder of God’s handiwork in the world around you. It might not be a burning bush, so look carefully and quietly. If you can’t find it, pray about it. He will deliver something memorable. Just give it a try. When has God provided you with wonder? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

We had a cold snap last week. It was rather late in the spring and there were quite a few things blooming that sustained some damage. There were a lot of people who had decided to go ahead and put out their summer plants like Impatiens. Some people had even planted summer veggies. After all, it had been in the eighties the week before. Surely, they reasoned, spring had at last, sprung.

My granddaddy always said it was safe to plant after Easter, but we should always be prepared for one last cold snap before Easter. I never understood how that could apply to Easter in March and Easter in April, but that’s what he always said. Like the good southern girl that I am, I always try to take the advice of folks with gray hair, so I had not planted anything yet.

These azaleas, however, were already in bloom. They had blossomed under the early hot weather and were truly beautiful. When a cold front that dropped into the thirties, came screaming through, the delicate blossoms didn’t make it. It’s an established plant with very strong roots, so it survived, but it lost its blooms.

I think our lives can be affected by cold snaps too. Sometimes, we are cruising along and the weather is gorgeous. There’s not a cloud in sight and the temperatures are balmy and perfect. Then an unexpected cold snap comes screaming through. We lose a job or get a serious diagnosis or file for divorce or lose someone we love. Life is full of cold snaps.

The damage we sustain depends largely on the roots of our faith. If our roots run deep enough, our blooms may suffer, but our hearts and souls remain intact. We know that the snap will pass and that God holds us in His hands and beautiful weather will eventually return.

Then there were these azaleas. These azaleas grow under some oak trees. The trees provided protection for them and their blooms were untouched by the cold. The Bible can offer us spiritual protection during life’s cold snaps and even our blooms can continue to shine in adversity.

When we are like Impatiens or newly planted vegetables, it’s much harder to survive the cold snaps. Those plants are tender and new and we have to rush around and cover them with something physical when the temperatures drop. It’s a lot of work to even keep them alive, much less get them to thrive. They don’t have the deep roots or cover.

I want to strive to be like the azaleas under the trees, growing deep roots of faith and using the truth of the Bible for cover. I wan to be prepared for life’s cold snaps. Care to join me? What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

While I was recently working in the yard, I came across this dead rose-bush. I was relatively certain it was dead at the end of last summer. We just got too much rain, but I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, it had some life in it. It didn’t. It had been a housewarming gift from a close friend some nine years ago and I hated to lose it, but I knew it needed to go. The time had come.

As I attempted to dig it up, it became clear very quickly, that although the roots were dead, the thorns were still quite dangerous. I had to go and get some gloves in order to proceed.

This rose-bush really made me think about things or situations in our everyday lives that we have closed the door on. When we have painful issues in our past and we just let them die instead of digging them and discarding them in the trash, they can have the potential to inflict pain on the present.

When we make the decision to walk with Jesus and we ask for forgiveness for past sins, they are forgiven. Jesus does his part. But, sometimes the most difficult step in the forgiveness process, is forgiving ourselves. It can be painful to revisit past hurts or guilt, so sometimes instead of doing the hard work of healing, we just kind of let those things scab over and die in place.

But, here’s the problem with that plan, sometimes those issues may have thorns that can continue to harm us. We can replay past mistakes and bad choices over and over. We become self-focused and we lose sight of the redemptive grace that covers all of our sins, not just the easy ones.

When we become self-focused, we can’t be God-focused. Who wins then?

Sometimes I think it’s important to do a little self-inventory, looking for hurts, guilt, anger or shame we may be carrying around deep in our souls. We may not have any and if so, that’s fantastic. March onward Christian soldier!

But, if we are holding on to some kind of thorny emotion from our past, then we should really devote some prayer time to letting it go. We need to be willing to put it at the foot of the cross and leave it there, going out joyfully into the world knowing that nothing is too hard for God and He wants us to be free from past sins to walk into a future full of Him.

That’s something I can really get behind. What do you think about thorns from the past? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂