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.

The Wonder of Planting

Posted on by Wendy
Anytime we plant, there’s a certain amount faith and wonder involved.

Earlier this week, we were blessed with  fabulous weather. We had several days of warm sun. It’s the last week of February and when we get a day where temps reach seventy degrees, it’s a gift. And since it’s been gray, cold and rainy for weeks on end, it was especially sweet. When my watch buzzed at me, reminding me that I needed to get up and move around, I headed outside.

The earth still looked completely dead and my backyard was covered in piles of leaves everywhere, but I used the opportunity to throw some sticks over the fence and check on the goldfish pond. We covered it with a net in an attempt to keep the leaves out. As I scanned the area, a seemingly dead plant in a pot underneath the net, caught my eye. It was a hydrangea that I planted last year.

To my delight, there were green buds forming on the ends. Life was being produced and resurrection was happening from something that appeared dead to the outside observer.

Millions of people planted gardens last year in response to the pandemic and I recently read an article discussing the fact that our desire to garden during a crisis has been documented back to World War II. In 1943, a Life Magazine Article reported there were 18,000,000 Victory Gardens growing in America. While I’ve no doubt they were started out of necessity, I suspect the planters received much more than food from tending their gardens.

Planting seeds takes a certain amount of faith. Once we dig a hole and put a seed or a plant in it, we can water it. We can fertilize it. But, we cannot make it grow. Gardening or any type of planting teaches us that we are not in control, even though we often so desperately want to be. Sometimes we do everything right with our tending and nurturing and what we plant refuses to thrive. Sometimes we don’t put in nearly the amount of care that we should, yet we are still blessed with a bumper crop.

I think growing and tending are in our DNA. God calls us to plant, because it grounds us and it makes us remember that He is sovereign.

Kindergartners often have a project where they plant seeds in a cup. They are filled with wonder when a fully formed, colorful flower pops up. Planting makes us remember the wonder of God.

A hydrangea springing back to life provided me with some much needed wonder. I certainly can use some wonder in the season I am living in. Perhaps you can too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Daffodil Hope

Posted on by Wendy
We could learn a lot about hope from nature.

One day last week as I parked my car at work, I felt weariness set in. It was cold and gray out. As I got out and put my gloves on, I grabbed my umbrella because we were expecting rain again, I sighed. I trudged up the hill and waited for the light to change, so I could cross  the street to get to my office. After playing real life Frogger, I’ll have to admit, I felt both my conviction and resolve to be a light to others that I made a mere hour earlier, fading fast.

Maybe I am the only person who struggles with this? I sit at my cozy kitchen table in the quiet of the morning with a cup of coffee and read a devotional. I write down Bible verses. I pray. I resolve to go out into the world and be the light of Christ to others. I resolve to be at peace and not let the petty annoyances of life affect me. I resolve to remember that God has a plan and to stay focused on Him.

Then I walk out my door out into the world. It’s cold outside. Someone cuts me off in traffic. It’s raining out and my feet get wet. The wind blows hard and my resolve and conviction tend to get blown away.

But, as I walked a few more steps, I was greeted by a planter box full of budding daffodils and I had to stop for a minute. It was amazing how they stood in such stark contrast against the gray skies and the loud traffic. It was almost as if they defiantly chose to offer hope even though there was no visible reason for them to, at least to the human eye. It was as if they knew something that I didn’t, but isn’t that always the way with God’s creation?

I smiled and felt my peace and resolve return as I headed inside.

I thought about those budding flowers for the rest of the day and about hope they represented. They were determined to bloom despite the circumstances. As people of faith, aren’t we called to do the same?

Some budding daffodils reminded me to stand up straight and point the people living in this dark world to Jesus with the power of hope, no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Reminders of His Presence

Posted on by Wendy
The timing of the sunrise text was no coincidence.

One morning, late, last week, I was running a little late, getting ready for work. It was my first week back in the office after recovering from being sick and I was exhausted. I was also feeling a little discouraged about the movie, Groundhog Day, feel, my life had recently taken on.

The news was the same everyday. The pandemic was still raging on. We were were still wearing masks and socially distancing at almost a year in. Our nation was still divided even after the election. I felt both physically and mentally exhausted. Maybe you can relate?

Before I went downstairs, I prayed that God would reveal some truth and offer some hope through His word, in my daily devotions and that He would allow me to feel His presence. I know He’s always working and I know He’s always close by, but this morning, I prayed for reassurance.

I was not disappointed.

The first devotion I read, centered in on Esther and her being exactly where she was at exactly when she was for a reason, for such a time as this. I felt encouraged.  Could this same concept apply to me? Didn’t Esther and I worship the same God?

I already felt better when I navigated to my next reading. This one focused on the prophet Elisha found in 2 Kings. Elisha’s servant is trembling because to the physical eye, they were surrounded by enemies on all sides. There was no escape. Elisha reassured him that, “there were more with us than with them.” But the servant was not convinced. All he could see was the enemy. So, Elisha prayed that God would let the servant see what Elisha knew to be true. God in His goodness, answered his prayer and it was revealed that the hills were filled with horses and chariots of fire. An unseen angel army was protecting them.

As I pondered the faithfulness of God in sending not one, but two messages of encouragement, I received a text from a friend. It read, “The sunrise is absolutely stunning.”

As I got up and walked to the front of my house to take a look, the majesty took my breath away. I went outside in the cold and snapped some photos and sent it to two other people.

When I went back to the same window, just a few minutes later, the moment had past. Of course, the sun was still there, but the brilliance and the color was only there at that moment when my friend felt prompted to text me about it. I was both humbled and amazed at God’s timing.

As I reflected on the meaning of it all on my drive into work, I was reminded that I too, am here at this time in this place for a reason, because God has a plan for me even though at times, it looks like Groundhog Day. I was also reminded that because I am His, there are many more with me than against me. And the timing of that sunrise? There are no coincidences with God. That too, was carefully planned.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Seeking His Light

Posted on by Wendy
He says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.” Psalm 46:10

On most mornings, I eat my breakfast and read several devotionals. I drink my coffee and write down my thoughts. I pray. My kitchen table faces a group of windows and lately, it’s been really dark out in the mornings. But, one particular day, as I was grumbling to myself about the darkness, I felt a nudge to turn off the lights above the table.

So, I did.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that when I turned off the man-made light, I could see God’s. It wasn’t bright sunshine, but it wasn’t darkness either. It was a little message of hope of the day to come. As I sat there praying, I thanked God for showing me the light and the more I gave thanks, the brighter it became.

For the rest of the week, I did the same. I would read my devotional and then turn off the lights and God met me there every morning. When I actively sought His light, I found it.

The first chapter in Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth and right after, in verse three, He said, “let there be light.” And there was light and He saw that it was good. I have always been encouraged that right after He created the heavens and the earth, He created light. He didn’t need the light. He created it for us. He knew we needed it and He gave it to us.

In the same vein, whenever I find myself stumbling in the darkness and I actively seek His light, He always provides it in some way. On that particular morning, He showed me the same light He has been providing since the beginning of time, reminding me that He is timeless, ever present and always providing, even when I am too busy or distracted to see it.

In this noisy, angry world that we find ourselves living in at the moment, He reminded me in the quiet of the dawning day to, “Be still and know that I am God.” Then He showed me the same the next day and the day after. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too. May I suggest a sunrise?

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Blazing a New Trail

Posted on by Wendy
It’s never too late to blaze a new trail!

On a recent walk on my parents’ property, we took our pups and let them roam off leash. It was so much fun watching the pure joy in their wagging tails. They would catch a scent of something and run off a little ways and we would call to them and they would return for a few minutes and then dash off again, following their noses.

I commented to my hubby about how they were always running. I marveled how they didn’t run into trees. He pointed out that they were following deer trails. He said that deer don’t just wander around aimlessly. They have trails that they have made and they tend to stay on them.

I grew up in the country and I don’t know why I didn’t know that little fact, but I was intrigued by the thought that even animals, tend to stick to paths that have already been laid out for them and deer aren’t trail blazers.

As we wind down 2020, we can all agree that this year has been unusual at best. Most of us have found ourselves off of the path we planned in some shape or form. While this off-roading of sorts, has caused many emotions ranging from disappointment, to fear, to anger, to despair; it has also resulted in the blazing of new trails for many.

People have spent a lot of time at home. Relationships have been prioritized. Families began sitting down together for dinner together since all of those sports and extracurricular activities were cancelled. Brides and grooms elected to go ahead and get married without a big, splashy wedding because starting life together was what was important. People moved in droves; many sought quieter, more rural lifestyles. Many lost loved ones.

Calamity has a way of making us refocus on what’s really important. It makes us take stock and take a hard look at where we are and what path we are on. When the busyness gets taken away, we are forced to ask ourselves are we on the path we really want to be on? How did we get here? Are we here simply because it’s what everyone else is doing? Might now be the time to seek the, “Road Less Travelled?”

While we are all anxious for this pandemic to go away, what has it taught us? Do we really want to go back to life exactly as it was? Are there changes that have been made for the good? Should more be made?

The Bible tells us, “And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

A deer trail in the woods, reminded me to end this tumultuous year with some time in prayer. If God is in the lead, it’s never too late to blaze a new trail. Perhaps you needed reminding too!

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

PS I won’t be posting for the next few weeks, because I will be spending time with family. I pray that you have a Merry Christmas and I hope to meet you back here in 2021.

The Gift of Perspective

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes messy, is just evidence of a life truly lived.

Last week, I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my family, just like I usually do. It was a small, informal affair. My parents came. Mama came a day early and made her sweet potato and macaroni and cheese casseroles like she usually does. Daddy drove up on Thanksgiving Day with my brother, like he usually does. My hubby smoked a turkey. I made the dressing and dessert.

My son sat next to my brother. My daughter set next to my mother. We bowed our heads and gave thanks and shared a feast together.

It was all extraordinarily ordinary, except this year, it felt so special. In a world turned upside down by a virus we can’t even see, the beautiful familiarity of it all, felt like a gift from above. We lingered at the table long after we were finished eating, each of us sharing old and new stories along with lots of laughter.

When we finally did move into the kitchen for cleanup and I saw the pile of dishes, I had to smile and take a picture. I don’t know if I have ever considered dirty dishes a blessing, but this year was different. This year, each of those plates and glasses represented someone who I deeply love, who was able to share a Thanksgiving meal. They also represented the provision of food to put on those plates. This year the post meal scrubbing of casserole dishes and handwashing of the “good” glasses made me pause and give thanks.

A little bit later, when we went outside to take the annual family picture, the light seemed a little brighter than usual. The leaves seemed a little more vibrant and no one complained about smiling for forty pictures, because that’s how many it took for seven people and two pups, both sharing their first Thanksgiving, to look at the camera.

It was a very busy few days, involving lots of cleaning and cooking. The two young pups had a ball, chasing each other, leaving muddy footprints all over the porch, that I also found myself saying a prayer of thanks for as I wiped them up. Those dogs have brought much light and joy into our homes this year and those muddy footprints were simply part of the package.

2020 will be remembered for a lot of things and I suspect that most of them will not be good. There has been so much death, loss, unrest, despair and division. But, perhaps it will also be remembered as the year that put things in perspective for many of us.

Everyday we wake up, is a gift. For most of us, this Christmas season will look different than in years past, but as we ease into the season of Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, may we remember to focus on the many blessings that we so often overlook. When we do that, we may find a new sense of peace that we haven’t had before, one that passes all understanding.

A pile of dirty dishes and some muddy pawprints reminded me how many blessings we often overlook. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Call to Be Thankful

Posted on by Wendy
We can always find blessings if we intentionally seek them.

My daughter and I were talking on the phone one day this week. She had been sending me pictures of the Christmas decorations that she and her college roommates had been putting up. She was telling me how she normally wants no part of Christmas before Thanksgiving. She has never liked how people just skip over our national day of gratitude and go straight to Christmas. She has always enjoyed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She and my dad love the dog show that follows and she’s a big fan of Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce.

But, this year that has been different in so many ways, has her yearning for Christmas. I nodded in agreement as I confessed that I was playing Christmas music on my computer while I worked that day. I was also burning a Christmas candle. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one with Christmas on her mind.

“I think we all need a little Christmas right now,” she said.

I told her what we are all really desperate for right now is Jesus. Our battered hearts are longing for the peace, refuge, comfort, redemption and joy that only He can provide.

She agreed.

After we hung up, I kept thinking about our conversation. It almost seems counterintuitive to be thankful right now when there’s still a pandemic raging, when experts are warning families that it would be safer to stay apart for the holidays, when there’s still unrest in our streets, when an election that should have been decided weeks ago, still drags on. And if you are unfortunate enough to live in the state of Georgia, voices from all over the country are yelling at us at every turn to vote one way or the other.

Yet, as Christians, we are called to be thankful, thankful for the many blessings we have been given, thankful that we woke up this morning, thankful for the friends and family we have been given, thankful that God has given us another day here on planet earth to make a difference. What is counterintuitive for non-believers isn’t for us because we know that we are travelers here on our way to a much greater place where there will be no pain.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

A phone call reminded me that even though our hearts are crying out, Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel, let’s not forget to be a people who shine with thanksgiving. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Seeking Heavenly Focus

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes it’s helpful to stop and check on our focus.

Our neighbors have a cat named Ramsey who likes to torment our dogs. He makes it his business to come into our yard and position himself where my dogs can see him. Sometimes he just comes to the edge of the yard and plops down by the mailbox. Sometimes he comes right up to the windows in the front of the house. When the dogs see him, they go nuts and when that happens he always sits and stays a while.

He is well aware that they can’t get to him. Their barks don’t even make him flinch. Now, when the dogs don’t bark at him because they don’t see him for some reason, like they are sleeping, he doesn’t stay long. It’s their frustration that seems to entice him to stay.

My hubby and I have chuckled about this phenomenon for years. It’s like a Roadrunner cartoon in real time. Why do the dogs allow Ramsey to upset them so much? Why can’t they just ignore that cat? They seem completely incapable of doing so.

Last weekend, we had the grand-puppy, Marshall, and I took him for a walk. When we we neared our house, I caught a glimpse of Ramsey fleeing from us. Apparently he had spotted us and feared young Marshall. Now, Marshall was simply enjoying his walk and didn’t even see the cat.

I laughed at the turn of events and thought about how that cat wasn’t so brave and tough when he was faced with the prospect of a face-to-face encounter with a dog.

I thought about that encounter long after our walk. I thought about how we as humans, allow ourselves to be tormented by so many things unnecessarily. We lament about the negativity of social media, yet we don’t stop scrolling. We grumble about the biases of the news, yet we keep watching. Then there are the recent election results.

Just like my dogs, we tend to refuse to turn away from the things that claim our focus and divert our attention from where it should be.

As Christ followers We are called to remember that we are travelers here. This is not our permanent home. We are called to remember that while earthly leadership will always come and go, we worship the God who will never give up His throne. We are called to remember that the Bible is full of stories of both good and bad kings and God used them both to further His plan whether they were willing participants or not.

The Bible tells us this in both Old and New Testaments. “He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.” Daniel 2:21 NLT If you want to see some examples of good and bad leadership, see Daniel. If you want to see what the Christian attitude towards leadership should be, also, see Daniel.

In the New Testament, Paul says, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”

So, from a Christian perspective, how distracted are we at this moment? Are we focused on Kingdom things or worldly things? Are we choosing to allow ourselves to be tormented like my dogs and Ramsey or are we choosing to be like young Marshall, walking with our Master, without a care in the world; knowing that God has the reins? Do we believe God is in control or not?

Three dogs and a cat reminded me the of differences between earthly and heavenly perspective. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Peace in the Chaos

Posted on by Wendy
We can still find peace in the chaos because we serve the God who has a plan even when we can’t see it.

As I write this post, I am surrounded by chaos. There are two bookcases in the space where I usually write and I finally decided last weekend, after years of being unhappy with their dated appearance, that I would paint them. I’m not usually one to shy away from a painting project, but these bookshelves held over a decade of stuff that had been placed on them. That stuff would have to be stacked and strewn all over a couple of rooms while I worked on my restoration project.

That meant that I would have to live with some chaos for the better part of a week until the paint was completely cured. I am not a huge fan of chaos. I like for things to be in their place especially in my space where I work and create. When I write about seeing God in the everyday, I usually do it from a desk where I have pictures of sunrises and sunsets and quotes that inspire me. I have pictures of people and places I hold dear and two dog beds where snoring pups provide the only noise.

Yes, that’s the scene I usually write in because I can hear God the best when it’s quiet. “Silent Night,” is probably the Christmas songs that resonates best with me.

But, does that mean that I don’t believe that God exists in the chaos? As I look at my sofa stacked with books and albums, I know that isn’t the case. I know from first hand experience that He is equally active in both chaos and in times of peace. I have found myself in plenty of chaotic situations over the years. Some of them were absolutely through no fault of my own. These were situations that just come from living in a broken world.

Some were completely due to my own choices and bad decisions and electing to pursue my own will instead of God’s.

But, the beauty of the loving God who we serve, is that He was with me through all of the chaos both self-created and otherwise. He has always remained faithful to me even when I wasn’t faithful to Him. He has also taught me along the way that sometimes true restoration requires some chaos.

I gaze again at the stacks of books on my floors, but this time I can smile. I know how much I will enjoy the restored and redeemed bookcases. I know that the chaos is temporary and I am reminded the pain and aggravation in the process are always worth it.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Dog Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
My pups remind me that we don’t have to fiercely hold onto all that we have been given.

My daughter recently came home from college for the night and brought her pup, Marshall. We recued Marshall from the pound during quarantine and he added some much needed excitement in our daily lives. We watched him go from a little guy who was shy and afraid of almost everything to a rambunctious, ray of sunshine who never fails to make us smile. Needless to say, he has a very special place in our hearts.

Now, our other dogs do not share our affection for him. They usually tolerate him, but will growl at him, when he tries to play with them. They too, were rescues, but they are old now and I guess they have forgotten.

We always have to watch Marshall around the other dogs’ food because he will eat it. I walked in the room during Marshall’s last visit to find our smaller dog, Piper, guarding her food. I smiled at her, scratched her head and reminded her that even when he eats her food, we always refill it. She never goes without and has never known hunger since she came to us almost eight years ago.

As all three dogs, finally settled down to a nap, I thought about how I wish I could make them understand that I love them all equally and truly appreciate all of their unique personalities. I wish they knew that love is limitless and there will never be scarcity for them while under my care.

As I was thinking, I felt a nudge reminding me that humanity isn’t much different that my pups when it comes to understanding the love of Jesus for us. When we find ourselves in not so good times, and we see others around us doing well, isn’t our tendency to feel jealous or discouraged? It’s as if we too, believe that Jesus’ blessings are finite. We forget that we too, have been rescued and blessed many times over just like my older pups.

And if we are asked to share what we have, don’t we find ourselves holding on as tightly as we can with both fists, just like Piper? I once read that the point really isn’t whether the glass is half full or half empty; the point is that the glass is refillable and more importantly we worship the God who we cannot out give.

These are dark days we have been trudging through, for many of us, the darkest we have ever seen. Our instinct may be to hold tightly to all we have, including the gifts of encouragement, patience, forgiveness and grace from a world that is desperate for them. May we not forget like my two older dogs to share them. After all, Jesus has shared them with us.

My pups reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂