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 🙂

The Call to Bloom

Posted on by Wendy
A small azalea blooming in a place where it shouldn’t have been, reminded me to do the same.

I was taking a break from work a couple of weeks ago and looking out the window. Autumn leaves had just begun falling in my yard and some had landed on the azaleas. My azaleas came with our house and they are huge. They bloom a bright pink in the spring and herald in Easter, but the rest of the year, they remain green. They don’t turn brilliant colors in the fall. They aren’t barren in the winter. They are green and when the rest of the world is dark and sleeping, green is a nice contrast.

As I was looking at my steady green azaleas and thinking about being able to depend on their greenery, a tiny pink blossom caught my eye. It’s October and the entire world around those azaleas is about to turn orange, yellow and gold and yet, that little blossom boldly stood up in pink, seemingly unaware and clearly unconcerned, about the current season.

I smiled and went outside to take a picture and found it hard to capture, yet it was there. I thought about that tiny brave blossom for the rest of the day.

Most of us can definitely say we find ourselves in a season where we have never before been. From the Covid pandemic, to the social unrest, to the constant negativity in our political climate. Goodness and decency seems under assault and I often find myself wondering what has happened to our manners? What would our grandparents say if they were to watch a current newscast?

As Christians, what is our role in the current mess we find ourselves in?

Maybe we should take a lesson from that tiny, out of place, out of season, azalea blossom and bloom, even if we don’t fit in with anything around us.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

Maybe that means taking a walk and admiring God’s handiwork in nature. Maybe that means snuggling a puppy or having a conversation with a young child. Maybe that means reading the Bible or an uplifting story. Maybe that means calling your mama. Maybe that means sharing something beautiful on social media or maybe that means unplugging altogether.

After consciously filling our souls with the good stuff, we are then able and called to to bloom in our own unique way and share that good stuff with those around us. We can do that in person, through the mail, over text or in cyberspace. Our call to love God and love others doesn’t change with the turbulence of the seasons. We just have to make sure that we remain equipped to bloom.

A wayward azalea reminded me that as people of faith, our call to bloom is not dependent on the state of affairs of our world. We are after all, in this world, not of it. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Removing the Weeds and Briars

Posted on by Wendy
In times like these, we have to be especially vigilant about what we allow into our hearts.

I was recently working in my iris beds. They had been overtaken by weeds. It’s been a hot summer and I have needed to work on them for quite some time, but the heat and my busy schedule have given me every excuse to let them go. Plus, I rationalized that they won’t bloom again until the spring, so there’s plenty of time.

But, the weather finally cooled off and fall is the time to divide them, a task I could never do if they were covered in weeds. I put on some good shoes and gloves and went to work. Unfortunately, they were everywhere in every single bed I had, but as I got busy, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to pull up. Their roots were so shallow. I removed them by the handful and the beds showed improvement very quickly.

I marveled at the difference and I was little annoyed with myself for letting the weeds get so out of control to begin with when it required such a small effort on my part, to remove them. I congratulated myself on my progress, when I encountered a briar. Briars are an entirely different kind of weed. They aren’t just ugly and annoying. They climb and wind themselves around the things we plant. When you try to pull them, they have tiny thorns that will tear your skin. Furthermore, when you pull hard, they break off, leaving the root in tact, just biding its time to return.

As I looked at my cleaned up beds, I was reminded of how easy it is to let things enter into our hearts that cause clutter like those weeds, things like doubt, fear, despair and hoplessness can rob us of our joy and the beauty our lives can hold. We need to be vigilant about keeping our eyes focused on Jesus so He can remind us to be at peace and trust in Him and His plan. We can do this through prayer and and reading the Bible where we find countless stories to remind us. When we walk with Jesus, He can help us sweep those things away on a regular basis.

But, there are other things that we can allow to take root like anger and hate that are like briars. They have the power to wrap around our hearts and cause serious damage. Ephesians 4:26-17 says, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

There seems to be a lot of anger these days. Just watch a newscast or scroll your social media feed. The venom spewing from peoples’ mouths shows the poor condition of their hearts. Many have allowed anger to get a foothold and hate and chaos have resulted.

As God’s people, we are called to first love God and then one another. If we harbor hate, can we love one another? Can we truly love God with a heart that harbors hate?

As a very important election draws near, perhaps now more than ever before, people of faith are called to stop scrolling and start asking God to root out the hate in our own hearts as well as the hate in our neighbor’s. Maybe then, we can with pure hearts, pray for healing, peace and reconciliation and He will hear our cry and heal our land.

Some overgrown iris beds reminded me to be vigilant with what we allow into our hearts. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Finding the Beauty in the Mess

Posted on by Wendy
Relationships can be messy like the trees, but so worth it.

Last weekend, I did some much needed yard work. I had lots of sticks and small limbs to get out of my backyard and I finally had a spare Saturday to devote to it. We are surrounded by old hardwoods, so whenever we get a fair amount of wind, we have sticks, acorns and leaves everywhere. They litter the deck and the yard and leave a bit of a mess.

In the almost fifteen years we have lived here, I have come to love these majestic trees. They provide much needed shade from the oppressive Georgia heat in the summer and spectacular art in the fall. In the spring, they provide a picture of hope as they burst back to life, that just happens to coincide with Easter. They provide homes and food to countless critters and I have spent hours and hours throughout my time living here, watching and listening to the birds and squirrels. From time to time, I’ve even been blessed to catch a glimpse of a hawk or an owl landing on one of the limbs.

These trees have definitely provided me with a lot of joy over the years, but they are messy.

Every rain storm results in a mess and those beautiful leaves in the fall, eventually result in hours of raking and hauling and often a blister or two for me. The deck and driveway have to be cleared regularly because leaves are surprisingly slick when they get wet. And in case you have ever wondered, acorns are like tiny bombs when they fall out of the trees and they hurt when they land on your head.

I was contemplating the messy trees as I was throwing sticks over the fence and I thought about how are human relationships are a lot my big old trees. Good ones provide us shade and refuge, from a world that too often is loud and harsh. There’s nothing like leaning into a good friend when we need to talk or just simple understanding. The best ones provide us art too and add lots of color in our lives through laughter and good times spent together. Friendships can provide hope like the leaves in spring when we are living through a barren season. They can provide homes for our dreams to grow and live as they cheer us on and encourage us.

Why wouldn’t we seek out friendships?

Because like those trees, they can be messy too. We sometimes have misunderstandings. We sometimes say things we don’t mean. Humans tend to be selfish and we sometimes put ourselves before the ones we hold dear which can result in hurt feelings. Anyone who has traveled around the sun enough times has experienced some type of hurt from a relationship.

There are even those who decide that relationships really just aren’t worth the cost. They have been hurt one too many times and are done with the mess.

The current pandemic the world is still facing may serve to strengthen their resolve. Maybe staying apart is best.

But, as I toss yet another limb over the fence and look at the still green leaves that are gracing the trees, I know that a spectacular show is on the way and I know that the beauty is worth the mess and the same is true with the people in our lives.

While 2020 has robbed us of much, may we be encouraged to fight for the relationships we hold dear, mess and all, remembering that friendship is a gift from God. Some fallen limbs reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Lessons from the Seasons

Posted on by Wendy
If we didn’t know the truth about seasons, the trees in winter, might lead us to despair.

Late last spring, my daughter and I, went to a local nursery to get some brightly colored annuals for the deck. Since Covid-19 had our entire family home for the majority of the time, I really wanted some brightly colored flowers to brighten our space. I wasn’t able to find exactly what I was looking for, but my daughter found a brightly colored purplish petunia hybrid and we decided to give it a try.

Her choice did not disappoint. Those flowers rapidly grew and spilled out of the boxes that I planted them in. I delighted in looking at them all summer long as I drank my morning coffee or did the dishes. I commented to her more than once, that I was so glad that we went with her suggestion.

But, now as October rolled in, what had been gorgeous in its season, looked scraggly. There were some blooms that were stubbornly hanging on, but what been beautiful in May, seemed out of place in October. I went on a hunt for some pansies to brighten those planters.

As I reluctantly pulled up those petunias, I was reminded how some things are only bloom for a season. Even the vibrant color that had brought me so much pleasure, seemed somehow out of place in the early fall.

Nothing ever stays the same on this side of eternity and when God set up creation, He set it up for constant change. From seeds, to blooms, to fruits, to harvest, creation stays in constant motion. What we plant either grows or dies, but it never remains the same.

Our walk with God has seasons as well. Sometimes we feel completely in sync with Him; blessings are raining down and we are blooming and producing fruit. These are the spring and summer seasons. But, other seasons can be hard. We can feel like the trees in winter, like we have lost all of our leaves and our souls are completely bare like those branches.

For many of us, this pandemic has been one of those seasons. If we focus on what has been lost, it’s easy to despair. If you looked at the trees in winter and didn’t know any better, you would think they were dead. You would think all was lost. But, we know that winter is not the end for the trees. We know that unseen work is being done in preparation for the spring.

Those of us who are Christ followers know that this pandemic season of despair and loss isn’t the final word for us either. We know that God has the final word, that He is at work and that He has a plan. For those of us who know that truth, now is the time to share it, maybe now more than any other time in our lives, because we were all made, knit together in our mother’s womb for such a time as this.

Some petunias and pansies reminded me that there is a season for everything. The Bible tells us so. If the season that you find yourself in is particularly hard, take heart; change is coming. You can count on it. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Seeking the Light

Posted on by Wendy
As Christians, we always have access to light on our path.

On a recent visit to my parents’ house, we decided to take a walk. There’s nothing like heading out into the woods to clear my mind and see God’s fingerprints. I debated about whether I should bring my phone or not. Lately, I have become very intentional about putting it down. The cyberworld is loud these days and the loudest voices tend to be the angriest ones full of the most venom. I have learned that my soul needs regular breaks from the noise and chaos.

But, I felt a gentle nudge to take it. I sensed that God wanted to show me something and I was well aware that He has the ability to use any form of technology for His glory. I have learned that when I follow God’s nudges, I am never disappointed. I was rewarded with a beautiful blue butterfly that held still and posed for a picture as well as tiny wayward flowers that seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Each little gift of Creation filled my soul a little more.

I definitely felt lighter after the walk, but it wasn’t until later that evening that I discovered what God wanted to show me. I was on the porch scrolling through my photos, when I came across one I had taken of a path dappled with sunlight. It looked so inviting that I showed it to my mom. She commented that she had taken a photo there on a previous walk of her own, but that mine was much nicer because of the lighting.

She found hers and we compared. Sure enough, her picture showed a dark path. It was the same exact path, but it wouldn’t be one I would be drawn to take. We laughed and talked about how all professional photographers will happily tell you about the importance of lighting.

I thought about our conversation days later, as I was scrolling through those same pictures and landed on that photo finding myself once again mesmerized by the light. The Bible is full of references of God and light. One of my favorites is, “This is the message we heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5

We walk on many paths during our journey here on earth. Some are well lit and we can skip and run down them or just stroll and happily enjoy the scenery. Others are quite dark and we dread every step, wondering if we will ever reach the end. For many of us, 2020 has been one of those paths. Yet, as Christians, we are called to remember the light of Jesus is always available to us even on the darkest paths.

Hope is alive. God has a plan and we know that in ALL things God works for the good for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, because the Bible tells us so.

So, take each small step in faith and look for the light. It’s there. A picture reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂