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.

Trusting the Path

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the roughest paths lead us to incredible destinations.

My family recently took a trip to the North Georgia Mountains. We have always enjoyed hiking together, so this time, I put my daughter in charge of finding us some trails. We settled on a couple of waterfalls and a swinging bridge which happened to be the longest one east of the Mississippi.

The trails she chose were part of the National Forest system. We had never hiked National Forest Trails, but were up for new adventure.

The first trail had a sign on the road that pointed us to a gravel road. We turned and drove a fairly short distance, but questioned ourselves the entire way. Was this gravel road the right path? We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Soon, we saw other cars parked and just a short hike later, we were delighted to find a beautiful waterfall. We were glad we stayed on the path even though it was rough.

The next day, we headed to the swinging bridge. Again, we saw the sign and again, we found ourselves on a gravel path, but this one was rougher and longer. It was five miles and we marveled at how long it seemed to take to travel such a short distance. I watched as my phone reported that we had only traveled a mile. I couldn’t recall ever taking so long to travel just a single mile.

This time, when our phone announced that we had arrived, there was only one car parked. Were we in the right place? A carved out sign pointed to a path to the bridge. The hike was longer than our first one, but we were so glad we did it. The bridge was was worth it and we took tons of pictures as we laughed at how much it moved as we walked across the rushing river below.

Our last planned hike was to another waterfall. This one was much taller than the first. This time, when we saw the sign to the gravel road, we didn’t question the path even though it was much rougher and longer than the first two and at some places, much narrower. There was a steep drop down to a stream on the passenger side. A couple of times, when when passed a car going the opposite direction, they would stop to let us by. When we arrived, there was no central place to park. We just had to find a spot that wouldn’t block the path for other travelers.

Our hike was much longer than the two before. When we began to wonder if we should have brought some water along, we passed by a couple heading back down. The woman smiled and told us that we were close and it was totally worth it. We appreciated the encouragement. When we got to the waterfall, we were all amazed at its majesty. We sat and stayed a while so glad that we kept going even when the path was long and rough.

I thought about our trip long after we returned home. I was reminded that sometimes the distance we have to go isn’t nearly as long as it feels like when the path is rough and we are often much closer than we think to what we are seeking. I was also reminded that the roughest journeys sometimes lead us to incredible destinations far beyond our own imagination. When we are walking in faith and Jesus points us to a path, staying on the path will always be worth it even when we doubt.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Piper Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
I’ve always believed that dogs are some of God’s best work.

It’s been a tough week for our family; we had to say goodbye to our beloved family pet, Piper. She was a rescue and an absolute gift from God. We watched her go from a frightened, skinny heartworm positive, throw away, to a healthy and bossy ruler of our roost. She became our family mascot and her antics will forever be a part of our family lore.

When my kids were little and asked me if dogs go to heaven, I had to answer them with an honest. “I don’t know.” The Bible doesn’t address that particular topic. But, I do believe they are some of God’s best work and the love and joy that they bring to our lives are definitely blessings that could only come from Him. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to find dogs in heaven.

Witnessing a rescue dog go from feeling unloved and unwanted, to blossoming and knowing they are a part of the family, is a beautiful sight to behold. It’s a little like what happens to us when we decide to lean into Jesus and accept all of the love and grace available to us. We were once throw aways, stuck behind bars of some sort, either literally or figuratively, who become part of the Kingdom. We too, become beloved, like our sweet Piper, rescued.

I will forever be grateful for the lessons she taught us and the joy she brought us. She reminded us that love can turn up in the most unexpected of places and faces and that we should always be on the lookout for it. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Call to Be a Blessing

Posted on by Wendy
A lady working at a bakery reminded me we are never too busy to be kind.

Last Saturday was my son’s birthday. I got up that morning and had breakfast and a cup of coffee and ran out to the grocery store to get him a chocolate chip cookie cake. That’s what he always requests for his birthday and I wanted to be sure his cookie cake was waiting for him when he came downstairs.

When I arrived at the store, I couldn’t locate one. I approached the bakery counter and an older lady was working. I stood there for a few minutes waiting for her to acknowledge me. When she finally did and I told her that I would like for her to write “Happy Birthday,” on a cookie cake, she said, “ok,” and kept working.

I was a little confused as I just stood there.

She finally informed me that the three on display on the counter, were all they had. One was covered in butterflies and flowers. The second had so many icing rings that only a small spot remained in the middle (definitely not enough space for a birthday message.) The final one had green icing flowers and black rings of icing around the edge. I sighed and picked that last one up and handed it to her.

When I spelled out my son’s name for her, she replied, “How else would you spell it?”

Sincerely, surprised at her continued rudeness, I pasted on a smile and told her that I usually put his full name on his birthday cakes and that people often want to leave off one of the t’s. She had no further comment and went to work.

She was taking a while, so I just browsed the many baked goods while I waited, determined not to let her demeanor ruin my day. For all I knew, she was in the middle of a big order, or didn’t feel well, or had received some bad news.

At some point, she surprised me again, when she informed me that she was making a new one for me.

When she handed me the new cookie cake, with blue and white icing, she looked bewildered at the tears that swam in my eyes as I thanked her. I checked out as quickly as I could and all but ran to my car before the floodgates opened and tears streamed unchecked down my face.

The lady at the bakery had no way of knowing that this mama was struggling a little with her baby turning twenty and no longer being a teenager.

She couldn’t have known what a tough year my son had endured. He made the decision to transfer colleges right before Covid hit, so he spent a lot of last year at a new school where he knew no one, alone in his room. She had no way of knowing how I had prayed for him all year or how much hope I had for him in the coming year.

She couldn’t have possibly known that my husband’s dad had passed when he was nineteen or that my husband’s brother had also passed when his son was nineteen, or how that family history had weighed heavily on my heart this past year.

The lady at the bakery had no way of knowing how blessed I felt that Saturday morning or how her act of kindness made my heart run over with thanks. I thanked God all the way home with that cookie cake, for His mercy, for His blessing and for the love He has shown my family and I thanked Him for the woman at the bakery who had a change of heart and decided to be a blessing to me that day. I will truly never forget it and I pray I will be reminded to the same for someone I don’t know.

A busy worker at a bakery reminded me to always take time to bless others because we never know what a simple act of kindness can mean. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Seeking God’s Water

Posted on by Wendy
God’s way is always the best way.

I was recently talking with my Daddy on the telephone and as Southerners tend to do, we ended up talking about the weather. We have had a dry spell over the past few weeks and we finally had a few much needed days of rain. I told him that I am always amazed at the results of rain.

I can meticulously water my plants and they will look ok, but just one good rain shower and they come alive. The color is more vibrant; they stand up straighter and they bloom or even produce fruit seemingly overnight.

Daddy just laughed and said, “Rain is God’s water.”

We chatted a while longer but, I thought about his comment long after we hung up. We often try to make situations in our lives work out the way we want them to. We spend lots of time planning and striving to do it our way and often we can make it work for a while, but when we ask for God’s direction and blessing first, and then wait on his will, things turn out much differently Like my plants after the rain, we go from striving and merely surviving to thriving.

But, we also have to remember that we will sometimes endure dry spells and even periods of drought. We sometimes pray for that spiritual water for so long that we wonder if it will ever come, yet if we remain faithful and wait on God, He always delivers.

We should always seek God’s water. It makes all the difference. A conversation with my Daddy reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Finding Joy in the Journey

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the shortest path isn’t always the best one.

I work at a large university and like all universities, parking is an issue. There’s just not enough of it.  I recently changed jobs at the university.

My last position was downtown. I was so excited to learn that I scored a spot in a lot right across the street from my building. It was so close! But, I quickly learned that being that close wasn’t necessarily a gift. The place where I had to cross the street was the spot where three streets converged. When I went to cross the street each morning, I had a long wait for the light to change. When it did change, almost as soon as I got in the crosswalk, the warning light began to blink and I had to rush to make it across before traffic began to move again.

It was a stressful start to each morning, no matter how short the distance was from my car to my desk.

When I accepted my new position, all of the lots next to my building were full. The closest parking spot for me was in a deck a fairly long way away. According to my Fitbit, it was right at 1,000 steps. I wasn’t super excited about the distance, but what I found was a delightful way to begin each day. The walk was though mature trees of all kinds. There were blooming flowers and chirping birds replaced the sounds of cars. A chipmunk or two ran across my path.

I quickly learned that the fastest way isn’t always the best way. There is beauty in the journey. That longer walk each morning helps me begin each day less stressed. It creates some space to be thankful and breathe. It reminds me to listen. It reminds me to watch for God and to enjoy the twists and turns along the path to where I am headed. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Prayer for Faith

Posted on by Wendy
Don’t miss a single blessing; there are so many!

A few days before a much anticipated celebratory weekend that included a trip to my parents’ house, a visit from my sister, a screening of my daughter’s film for her senior project, a low country boil to celebrate her college graduation, Mother’s Day and graduation, I discovered a lump that shouldn’t have been there.

There was a time in my life when I would likely have been devastated. I would have Googled every possible scenario and been unable to sleep. I would have probably spent lots of time begging God to make it go away. I would have sacrificed the blessings that God gifted me with by focusing on the unknown and not relying on my faith.

I did pray for intervention and healing, but I didn’t start there. This time I asked Jesus to give me peace remembering the verse,  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) I asked Jesus to help me stay focused on Him and not to allow my circumstances to steal my joy because I had so very much to be joyful about and I knew I would never again have those moments. I prayed that He would use whatever the outcome to glorify Him and then I prayed for healing.

Jesus answered my prayers. A deep peace settled over me. I had a wonderful weekend and celebrated to the fullest. I laughed a lot, ate great food, took lots of pictures and made memories that will stay with me forever. I felt nothing, but pure joy when I hugged my mama on Mother’s Day, and when my daughter unwrapped her graduation gifts and when she walked across the stage, officially becoming an adult.

I started a brand new job two days after graduation and I was still at peace when I met my new co-workers and settled into my new office. When the day came to get everything checked out, I met another woman in the waiting room and we discussed our faith and how we knew that everything would be ok, no matter the outcome. I knew that God had put her there.

Turned out, that the lump was nothing, completely benign and I said a prayer of thanks, not just for the outcome, but because of the peace that I felt during the entire ordeal and when I got into the car, the song, “I Will Praise You in the Storm,” was playing and I felt complete gratitude wash over me.

I was reminded that on this side of eternity, we will always have joy and pain mingled together. That’s a guarantee. What we decide to focus on, is up to us. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Lessons from a Hummingbird

Posted on by Wendy
God’s promises don’t change simply because we can’t see the end from somewhere in the middle.

One morning last week, as I tiptoed into the kitchen to get my morning coffee, a little red dot at the window caught my eye and I found myself grinning as I thanked God for the good morning from Him. I had been praying that He would show Himself that morning. We had been through a couple of dark and stormy days and I had been cooped up in the house.

A couple of weeks earlier, I spotted a lone hummingbird in my yard. I love those little bossy birds and when I see the first one of the season, it becomes official in my mind, that summer, my very favorite time of the year, is coming. I quickly went inside, pulled out my feeder and made the sugar water concoction that they enjoy and then I waited.

A week passed with no visitors. I dumped it out and refilled it. Another week passed with no birds. The rains came. And then, out of the corner of my eye, early that morning, I spotted one with his ruby red throat, taking a sip. He flew away the minute he saw me, but it was too late, hope bloomed and joy filled my heart.

God had been listening all along as He always does. Even as I made the nectar and then had to dump it and make more, God was at work, planning. He rewarded my faithfulness even as I grumbled about it, even as I doubted. Did I really even see the first one? Maybe I was mistaken.

How often do we do doubt what we know we are called to do, when we don’t get any results from our work? Do we doubt the calling? Did I really hear God right? Sometimes I pray really hard about something and when I get the answer, I proceed, but then things get rough and I don’t feel blessings raining down and I question. Maybe you do too? Then, I will pray hard for even more validation and I am sometimes met with silence.

Yet, how I proceed from that point makes all the difference. Do I continue to trust God or do I put my trust in my current circumstances and act accordingly? If I am honest, I have done both. Looking back, I wonder how many blessings I missed out on when I decided to trust my own judgement that has been clouded simply by what I see before me. I allow myself to forget that I am confined to the here and now. God is not.

Thankfully, God is always willing to give me second chances. He is faithful even when I am not. His mercies are new every morning. That particular morning I was reminded. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Call to Transform

Posted on by Wendy
May the true story of Easter transform our hearts and souls into the people we are called to be.

I have been seeing a lot of butterflies lately which is not unusual for spring time, but I have seen them enough to make a mental note. Then my mom sent a picture of one and I knew I was supposed to be paying attention.

I love the timeline of a butterfly. It starts off as a caterpillar, just a worm really, crawling around and looking for something to eat. You would have to make an effort to find most of them because they simply blend and if you did find one, you wouldn’t give it a second glance. You certainly wouldn’t be interested in a photo.

Then it wraps itself in a cocoon which is even a lowlier state than the caterpillar was. To the casual observer who knows no better, you would assume that it is dead. Why would you think otherwise? The business of transforming is often not pretty or fast. It takes time, patience and faith, something we often find ourselves short on, but nature has a way of reminding us to walk more closely with God and to align ourselves with His timing.

Easter weekend begins with Good Friday and the remembrance of the crucifixion. It’s certainly not pretty. It’s horrible, painful and bloody and necessary for salvation. We simply can’t get to Easter morning without going through Good Friday. Butterflies are not born as butterflies. They are transformed from what they were into something spectacular.

I am always tempted to skip over Good Friday. It’s hard. I can’t imagine what the people who truly loved Jesus must have thought on that Friday or the Saturday that followed. To them, all was lost. Saturday was probably as hard as Friday was, but God had a plan and on Sunday morning, the earth and all of its inhabitants were forever changed.

True redemption and grace were born when the disciples found an empty tomb. Jesus was not there because He was not dead and His resurrection has the power to transform us all. As we celebrate this Easter, may we feel the weight of Good Friday along with the joy of Easter and become the transformed people that Easter calls us to be. We may be born as caterpillars, but God wants us to be butterflies.

Happy Easter! He is risen!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Learning to Appreciate the Storms

Posted on by Wendy
“New seasons of life are often birthed in the midst of a storm.” Beth Warner

This past week has been a rough one for me. I will never completely understand how one solitary hour can create such havoc in my life. Last weekend we sprang our clocks forward sacrificing one hour of sleep, but gaining an hour of daylight.

I always look forward to the time change and what it represents. It’s like an official proclamation of spring. I love the longer days even though it takes me about a week to completely adjust to the change. Even though I always find myself tired and dragging, my fatigue is usually offset by longer days with more sunshine.

This year, the time change was followed by days of rain. It was dark outside as I sat at my kitchen table before work and it was cold, gray and pouring down rain on my way home. There were no walks after work. There was no extra daylight, just longer days that were dark and dreary.

On Thursday, when I headed to work, not only was it raining, but there was talk of severe weather. I was definitely already riding on the struggle bus as I trudged across the street, but when I got to my building and reached into the pocket of my raincoat to grab my mask, it was gone.

“Just great!” I grumbled.

I knew there was probably a spare in my purse, but my hands were full and it was raining. I pulled my jacket over my mouth and nose and darted in, hoping no one would see me and once again, cursing Covid. When I got to my desk, I was able to dig out a mask, which was a good thing because I suppose I wouldn’t have been able to go to the restroom all day without one.

As I sat there, waiting for my computer to boot up, frustrated, annoyed and quite frankly, overwhelmed, I received a notification from Facebook. Now, I have no idea why Facebook seems to randomly let me know when different people have posted, and I often ignore the buzzing phone, but a gentle nudge told me to take a look, so I did.

Beth, a friend of mine who is a farmer, and makes it her mission to see God in every place and every circumstance, had posted a picture of a chicken on a fence under the same dreary skies I was experiencing and grumbling about. Yet, she saw something different.

Her caption was, “Watching the skies, listening for the howling winds, ducking the rainstorms, praying against tornadoes…Springtime is not just about pretty blossoms, newborn lambs and balmy weather. New seasons of life are often birthed in the midst of a storm.”

She was right of course and her wise words sank deep into my weary soul. I sat there for a moment, thinking of all the forces that were in play for me to see that post at exactly that time and I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God, so much so that I felt led to share.

A social media post from a friend reminded me that new beginnings often come from stormy seasons. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

 

 

Finding Hope in Remote Places

Posted on by Wendy
Remote places are where Jesus does some of His best work.

I recently read the account of Jesus feeding the 4,000 found in Mark Chapter 8. It’s a familiar story that most Christians know. But, this time, I caught a new detail. In verse two, Jesus tells the disciples that he has compassion for the crowds because they had already been with him for three days and hadn’t eaten anything. He was concerned that they would collapse from hunger if he sent them away.

The disciples asked Jesus, “Where in this remote place can anyone get enough to feed them?” Mark 8:4

They were looking at Jesus’ capabilities on a strictly human level even after all of the miracles they had already witnessed. They were in a remote place, far way from any type of assistance in the disciples’ eyes, so how could they possibly provide for these hungry people?

Of course, they couldn’t, but He could. That was the point.

In the past, I have always focused on the miracle itself, the multiplication of the fish and loaves. But this time their location caught my attention. Where they were was important. It was a remote place and that’s where Jesus wanted them. They couldn’t possibly provide for themselves.

They needed Jesus.

I think the remote places are where we too, most often find ourselves acknowledging our desperate need for Jesus. When we are in waiting rooms, or doctor’s offices, or waiting for a phone call, or lose our job, or when we hit rock bottom, or are weathering a pandemic, when we are completely incapable of providing for ourselves is when we cry out to Him.

And just as in this account, Jesus has compassion on us and He provides. He fills our souls with love, mercy, peace and hope. He redeems us and gives us a fresh start.

Jesus feeding the multitudes reminded me not to fear the remote places because that’s where Jesus does some of His best work. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂