Trusting the Process

Posted on by Wendy
We have to resist comparing our beginning to someone else’s finish line.Growth is a process.

My hubby and I are in the process of getting our house painted. It’s way past time and we have been putting it off. Who wants to spend money on paint? But, there are some window sills that have become bare over the years and they need protection, not to mention it’s just time for an update.

I contacted a painter and he came out and looked the place over. He told us that he really needed to pressure wash first to see what kind of shape everything was in under the grime. We agreed. The good news was the exterior was in really good shape and just a thorough cleaning made it look better, except for the front steps. When he pressure washed the front steps, layers of paint came off and they look terrible, yet it would have been a total waste of time and money just to paint over them as they were. The paint would have peeled right off.

I have worked from home the past week and I can see the rails and stairs from my window. As I was grimacing at how messy and unkept they look, I wondered what the people who see it from the street must think. Do they think we just don’t care about our home? Do they judge us by the current appearance not knowing that we have a work in progress? Do they think we are lazy?

As I was thinking those thoughts, I was reminded how quick we are to judge ourselves and others by how things look at the moment. It’s easy to look at ourselves in the messy beginning or even the middle and make a comparison to someone else’s finish line. From raising kids, to building marriages, to weight loss and even our faith walk. We are always tempted to look at someone else’s, “got it all together,” phase and think that we will never measure up. What we neglect to remember is that everyone started at ground zero at some point, everyone.

We also have to remember that when we let God work on us, He’s going to strip away the bad stuff first, just like that pressure washer did. He wants to wash away the things that will interfere with our walk with Him and that’s sometimes not pretty, yet it’s an important part of the process. In the end, we will end up brighter, stronger and better than ever, but we have to trust the process even the ugly beginnings.

My porch reminded me to be patient with the process. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

His Timing is Always Perfect

Posted on by Wendy
God is planning much further ahead than we can ever imagine.

I have recently been struggling a bit with future plans. My hubby and I are empty nesters and we have been talking about our next chapter, the possibility of downsizing and the possibility of a move closer to family among other various details. I have prayed a lot about our plans which feel like really good ones, but I’ve been walking with Jesus long enough to know that my plans and His plans don’t always line up. I have learned that God’s plan is often different than mine and in the end, infinitely better, even when I can’t see it at the time.

But, I’ll have to admit, that it’s often not the fact that a door doesn’t open when I want it to, that makes me struggle the most; it’s the silence from God that causes me the most frustration. I want to know if He wants me to pursue my plans or go another way completely and I would like bold answers in neon lights sooner than later, thank you very much I’m a planner and I like to have a plan to follow and when I don’t, it makes me restless.

Yet, the waiting produces faith along with patience, both of which I know I desperately need. In my heart, I know this is true, but my human nature sometimes gets the best of me.

But, out of the blue, this week, my Google photos on my phone popped up two pictures from seven years ago. Google doesn’t regularly perform this service, so I am always interested when it does. They were both screenshots taken in 2014. I have no idea what was going on that prompted me to literally take a snapshot of my computer screen, but I did and now seven years later, here it was to encourage me.

The first one said, “God didn’t bring you this far to abandon you.” The second said, “God’s timing is perfect.”

Honestly, I felt tears burning my eyes. I don’t believe in coincidences where God is concerned and the fact that He knew seven years ago, that I would need that specific encouragement seven years later both amazed and humbled me. While I still didn’t have my answers, I had a reminder that He is working. He was working seven years ago and He’s working today. The same is true for you. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Boulder Moving Business

Posted on by Wendy
God is still in the boulder moving business.

Last Sunday my family attended Easter church services which under normal circumstances wouldn’t be unusual, but nothing about this past year has been normal. As expected, the pastor preached about the resurrection from the Gospels, something we all love to hear especially at Easter. Jesus defeated death and rose to save all believers from sin. It’s the greatest love story ever told.

But, this year the pastor pointed out a detail I had never really thought about. All of the Gospels report that the stone sealing the grave was rolled away. Mark begins by saying that three women were heading to Jesus’ grave to anoint His body. Mark 16:2-3 says, “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?'”

There was basically a boulder sealing the tomb. It wasn’t possible for the women to move it, yet they faithfully went to tend to Jesus anyway. These women had seen Jesus die on a cross. They had no physical evidence that God was at work, yet they headed to the tomb to do what they felt called to do and when they walked by faith, not only was the boulder moved, they were the first to witness a miracle.

God is still in the business of moving all kinds of boulders. What boulders in our lives are keeping us from being who we are called to be? Our boulders can be things like shame, guilt, our past, addiction, fear, debt or anything that keeps us separated from God.

As we continue to live as Easter people, maybe we should spend some time thinking of three women who walked towards Jesus despite a giant boulder being in their way. What they found was God is always at work. The same is true for us. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do 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 🙂

Reaching for His Hand

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus doesn’t just heal us and leave. He takes our hand and helps us back onto our feet.

I have recently been participating in a Bible study on the Gospel of Mark. I always enjoy reading the Gospels because they show Jesus doing what He does, healing the sick, casting out demons, questioning the self-righteous and challenging the people who think they have all of the answers, not to mention dying to save all of humanity and then rising from the dead defeating death for good. The Gospels tell a story that even Hollywood couldn’t dream up; only God Himself could weave such an intricate story.

I also find reading the Gospels to be a bit of a treasure hunt. Every time I read one, I find a different gem to carry with me. This time, I found it in some of His healings.

In Mark 1:31, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law who is sick in bed with a fever. The text says: “So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.”

In Mark 5:41: In the case of Jairus’ daughter, “He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!” (which means little girl, get up!) Technically, this was more than just a healing because the child was dead, but she got up.

When I got to the part about Jesus casting out of a demon in Mark 9:26-27, “The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet and he stood up,” a new gem caught my attention.

In three different instances, Jesus not only performed a miracle, but he reached for the person’s hand and helped them back onto their feet.

He didn’t leave them where they were, flat on their backs, to figure out what to do next. He reached for their hands and helped them up onto their feet, presumably to get back to living, doing whatever they were called to do. Peter’s mother-in-law got busy serving everyone around her and Jesus told them to give the little girl something to eat.

When Jesus heals, he doesn’t turn and walk away. He reaches for our hand, pulls us to our feet, no matter how deep the hole is we may find ourselves in, and He invites us to get back to life serving Him. We are all called to make some kind of difference or we wouldn’t be here. We all have the opportunity to reach for His hand and learn what that calling is. He will always help us up. The Gospel of Mark reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

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 😊

 

 

Maybe There Are No Late Bloomers

Posted on by Wendy
God’s timing is always perfect.

I was recently in my bedroom, putting away clothes and tidying up, when a bright pink bloom, caught my eye. It was on my Christmas cactus. Delighted, I went and took a closer look. There it was, straining towards the window’s light. The entire plant had been in full bloom in late December and early January and it was a beautiful sight to behold, but those blooms had dropped off months ago.

Now, in mid-March, this gorgeous tropical looking bloom stood alone and gorgeous against nothing, but the greenery of the plant. It had no other blooms to compete with, making it all the more special.

I found myself smiling as I took multiple photos of my little late bloomer and thought about it for the rest of the afternoon.

We live in a society that celebrates the fastest and the strongest. We are encouraged to compete to be the first at everything from the day we are born. Our parents compare notes on the first to sleep through the night, the first to take steps and the first to be potty trained. Once school starts, the competition really ramps up. Parents want their children to be the first to learn their alphabet and the first to write their names correctly. Kids on the playground want to be the first, when they run a race. And, who doesn’t remember hoping to be the first picked to be on a team, or at the very least, not to be the dreaded last?

But, God’s economy has always been different than humanity’s. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, found in Matthew 20, Jesus said, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” In  the Gospel of Mark, He said, ” But, many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10:31 Jesus didn’t seem to put too much value on being first.

Ecclesiastes 3, tells us that there is a time for everything. Verse 11 reminds us that, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Notice how it doesn’t say our time?

This got me to thinking that maybe there are no early or late bloomers in God’s economy, because His timing is perfect. Maybe we are just called to bloom at different times and as long as we are walking with God, we will always be right on time.

A March bloom on a Christmas cactus, reminded me that God’s timing is always perfect and the results of walking with Him are always beautiful. 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 🙂

 

 

 

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 🙂