The Faith of Planting

Posted on by Wendy
All of the harvest matters to God regardless of the size.

This week, I harvested my first batch of blueberries for the year. There weren’t very many, but once I got the first ripe ones, there were more everyday. I only have one bush, but it’s so full of fruit that it’s leaning to the side.

Growing things always teaches me so much about my faith walk and blueberries are no exception.

It takes a certain amount of faith to plant anything in a hole in the ground and expect it to grow. There are so many factors that can stop any type of growth, from weather that’s too cold to birds and other animals that can destroy what we have planted.

But, even after I take the leap of faith to plant, there’s more to do. If I want to have lots of fruit, I have to take the time to water it and feed it with the right kind of fertilizer. Some years, nature provides plenty of rain and I have to do less on my end. In drought years, I have to work extra hard just to keep my plant alive.

Some years, no matter what I do, I have very little fruit and in other years, there are more blueberries than I know what to do with.

When I first see the blooms in the spring, it’s always a a sign of hope for the fruit to come, but I also know that the blooms are vulnerable and a late freeze can kill a lot of them. When I finally have fruit, I have to wait patiently before I pick it. Any fruit picked too early is sour.

When the time finally comes to harvest, I have to be very vigilant because I often miss some of the ripe fruit on my first time around the bush. I have to look underneath and at the very top and sometimes even after I have been around the bush several times, I will still find one I missed.

Our faith walk can be a lot like growing blueberries. When we walk closely with Jesus, we are often asked to step out in faith and plant something that may or may not grow, but despite our fears, we are called to plant anyway. Sometimes what we plant grows seemingly on its own and other times, it requires lots of prayer and work on our part. Like my blueberry bush, sometimes what we plant produces an abundance of fruit and sometimes it produces very little.

But, we need to remember that God’s economy is different than our own. He’s interested in all of our hard work and all the fruit that grows because of it, no matter the size of the crop. As Christians, we are all called to plant and then we let God do the rest. A new blueberry crop reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Business of Bridge Building

Posted on by Wendy
The cross is the ultimate bridge.

On June 17, 2015, I was participating in a Salkehatchie mission camp in South Carolina. That ministry is run by the South Carolina UMC. There are 46 camps and over 2,000 campers who participate throughout the summer all over the state. Salkehatchie is faith in action. Youth and adult volunteers head out to rural, low-income communities to repair their homes, build new relationships and become the hands and feet of Christ.

That year, my camp was working on two houses, one was owned by a white couple and one was owned by a black man. Everyone on both of our teams was white. I don’t think race ever occurred to any of us. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors and we were trying to do that. In the evenings we were fed dinner by different local churches, some predominately white and some predominately black, and we all fellowshipped, worshipped and prayed together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

It was a wonderful feeling, building bridges between groups of people where so many vast canyons have existed.

But, to our horror, on the evening of June 17th, an evil man went into a Bible study being held at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston and shot nine people in cold blood in hopes of starting a race war.

As the entire country reeled in shock, the family members of the victim did the unthinkable. They forgave him. There were prayer vigils and fundraisers and on June 21st, there was a rally in Charleston and tens of thousands of people of all ethnicities, crossed Ravenel Bridge together.

Satan gave it his best shot, but he lost that round.

When I looked at twenty different versions of Genesis 1:27, they all say about the same thing. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Not one single version mentions skin color. That means we are ALL created in His image and are to be respected and treated equally.

I used to ask the middle schoolers in my Sunday school class if they believed God made mistakes. They would all readily answer no. I challenged them to remember that when they were at school away from church, interacting with people who were different than they were in some way.

The events of this past week and the cold blooded killing of both George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have left our country in turmoil. It has become painfully clear that America has a race issue, but I have to wonder if the root of the problem runs much deeper. Do we have a soul issue?

People who walk closely with Jesus have two great commands: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

It is not possible to obey Jesus, walk in faith and to hate people because of their skin color. When Jesus willingly died on the cross, He created the perfect bridge. The cross is our bridge from life here on earth to eternity.

If as Christians we truly believe that God created all people, then we have to believe that He loves all people and that we are called to love all people. We too, should be in the bridge building business. Make no mistake, we are against a powerful destructive force. Satan will attempt to shatter any attempts for God’s people to unify as one. Love, forgiveness and hope have never been on his agenda.

As I write this today, I am heartbroken like all other people of faith. I’ve cried tears and said prayers for the victims and their families, and for the good people in law enforcement, and for my Black friends, and for people who have been injured and lost their livelihoods in the aftermath. I’ve prayed for healing and restoration. I’ve prayed that God will break my heart for what breaks His and that He will help me search my own heart for any poison that should be removed.

I don’t know where we go from here. But, I do know, if we hope to win this spiritual war, we have to start on our knees. We have to remember that God is in the bridge building business. Jesus is the proof. Perhaps we all need reminding.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Fear Not

Posted on by Wendy
Marshall reminds me that Christians are not called to live in fear.

My daughter has a new rescue pup named Marshall. We aren’t exactly sure how old he is, but he’s not a year old yet and he has spent most of his life in and animal shelter in a fairly small stall. Needless to say, he has never been on a leash, but my daughter bought him the most adorable harness and leash, and she couldn’t wait to help him explore the world. She reasoned, that he would be thrilled with new wide open spaces and the freedom to walk around.

But, when she took him out for his first walk, he was terrified. People scared him. Barking dogs scared him. Every sound made him tuck his little tail and lock down and refuse to walk. She gave him treats and tried to coax him to walk, but he wanted no part of it.

He didn’t trust her to keep him safe. He had only known her a few days. He had no reason to.

He got a little better over the next few days, and went a little bit further each day, but there was one particular house that always had a dog out front. He had an underground fence and he couldn’t get to Marshall even if he tried, but he didn’t even try. He just stared at him. Marshall didn’t know he was safe and he refused to walk by the house.

After about a week, my daughter decided to pick Marshall up when she walked by the house and put him back down to see if he would continue his walk. It worked like a charm. Not, only did he continue his walk, but they made it all the way to the end of the subdivision.

My daughter and I have had lots of discussions about Marshall’s limited experience with the world outside his little stall and his lack of understanding and trust. We often discuss the importance of patience in building our relationship with him.

Quite honestly, Marshall’s lack of trust reminds me very much of how we tend to view God, especially these days. There seems to be so much to fear, from the pandemic, to politics, to riots and conspiracy theories. Is God listening? Will He protect us? Is He still in control? Like sweet little Marshall, we sometimes want to tuck our tails and lock down, paralyzed with fear of what lies ahead.

God tells His people hundreds of times in the Bible not to live in fear. Why would He do that? He wants us to trust that He is in control and that He has a plan no matter how dark the times may be and even though we like to believe that our current situation is the darkest ever, our Bible tells a different story. There have been plagues, pestilence, famine and unrest since Adam and Eve left the garden. These things will always be present in some form or fashion on this side of eternity.

Yet, we are called to remember that we are travelers here and as travelers, we need to move one step at a time in the direction our Shepherd takes us until He calls us home. We need to remember like Marshall is learning, not to fear, because the Bible tells us not to.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Making a Difference

Posted on by Wendy
We made a difference for this one.

Our 20 year old daughter, just adopted a pup from a nearby animal shelter. When we arrived to look at the adoptables, it was both overwhelming and heartbreaking. It was a really big shelter and it had been closed down for the pandemic so no dogs had been adopted for many weeks. It was almost completely full. The dogs were well cared for and their stalls were clean and the place smelled clean, but walking by stall after stall was really sad.

Some of the pups that we walked by, would come right up to us; some would cower in the corner; some would bark at us. There was a lot of noise. But, there was one that caught my daughter’s eye and she asked to see him. We took him outside and spent some time with him. He was anxious for attention and affection and she knew that he was the one.

She completed the paperwork and a week later, Marshall was hers.

I thought a lot about the other pups long after we left. I thought about how it wasn’t possible for me to help all of them and how easy it is to get overwhelmed in a world with so much need, especially in the current Covid-19 situation we find ourselves in. Sometimes we feel it’s all too much and we can’t help with all of the need anyway, so we just do nothing. But, the truth is doing anything is better that doing nothing.

We can always simply text a friend or neighbor who we know is struggling with loneliness, anxiety, fear or just simply too much on their plate, or better yet, we can call them. It’s amazing that we rarely use the machines we call telephones to actually talk anymore. I recently read that letter writing has seen a surge. When was the last time I wrote a letter? We can post something positive on social media and share some hope. We can make a donation to an organization that is helping others and remember to donate to our local church even if we aren’t attending physically.

Most importantly, we can remember to pray and ask God for guidance. He can use every one of His people during this time to share His light, love and glory. He is not limited by this pandemic nor is He limited by our imagination or lack of resources. When we put what we have to offer in His hands, it will always be more than enough.

No, we couldn’t save all of the pups at the shelter, but Marshall got a brand new life and for him, it was enough. A trip to an animal shelter reminded me that the world will always be a place full of need and noise, but we can always make some kind of difference. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too!

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Have a Great Weekend

Posted on by Wendy

Our new pup!

I have no post today. My daughter got a new pup last week. I haven’t shared the house with a puppy since before my kids were born and they are both in college now. Our dogs have always been rescues who have been a respectable two years old or so and potty trained. It’s been an adjustment, a happy one, but we have been busy. Puppies are a picture of pure love and some of God’s best work and I’m sure going forward, I will have tons of nuggets to share. I can’t wait to see what the little fellow has to teach me. Have a wonderful weekend!

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Trusting God with Our Children

Posted on by Wendy
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on my Facebook page about seniors who aren’t getting to have their graduation ceremonies. There’s been a lot posted about proms that were missed and sports seasons that never materialized. My heart definitely goes out to those kids. I can’t imagine their disappointment.

I’ve been impressed with all the use of technology and the virtual ceremonies to recognize and celebrate these seniors. The innovative and optimistic spirit of Americans never fails to amaze me.

However, the virtual world is not the same as the real world and the loss for these young people is all too real. But, when I received my first graduation announcement in the mail yesterday, I found that I really empathize most with the parents of the seniors. As a mama, I can attest that when my children hurt, it’s a double whammy for me.

I don’t even have a senior this year and I can feel the anguish of these mamas and daddies. This pandemic has disrupted the plans of people worldwide and our children have been no exception and what’s worse, we can’t do anything to fix it. It’s a terrible lesson about life being unfair for these kids and equally as heartbreaking for their parents.

As I was thinking about it, I was reminded of the story of Joseph and how he was sold through no fault of his own and then after doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing and resisting the temptation that was being thrown at him, he was wrongfully imprisoned, again, through no fault of his own. Where was God?

To young Joseph, it must have seemed that he had been abandoned. But, God was at work, putting him in the places that he needed to be, learning the skills and language that he needed to learn, to eventually, save the entire nation of Israel.

You see, there was a famine coming that would affect the entire world. Joseph had no idea. His family had no idea. The Egyptians had no idea, but God knew and He had a plan.

This pandemic was not a surprise to God. He knew it was coming.

As a mama, I have no problem trusting that God has a plan for me, but if I’m honest, I really struggle sometimes with His plans for my kids. I often feel like my plans are the best and seeing my children suffer is heart wrenching.

One of the most difficult faith concepts as a parent, is remembering that God loves our children more than we do. I know it seems unfathomable, but it’s true. The Bible says, He knit them together in the womb before they were even born. He has a plan for you and He has a plan for your children, a plan to prosper and not harm them.

I know it may not seem that way right now. I’ve no doubt it didn’t seem that way to Joseph when he was in the pit or later when he was in prison, but it’s true. In the end, Joseph was able to say that God meant it for good.

Times seem awfully dark right now and we will all come out of this changed in some way, hopefully as people with more patience, kindness and a deeper faith. Our children will be changed too. There’s no telling what God has planned for them. Some times I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Call to Trust

Posted on by Wendy
We can be at peace not knowing where the road leads when we understand that God knows.

Back in February, I had an annual visit to my doctor. We had a conversation about my yearly mammogram. Due to my mom’s breast cancer, I have been having yearly mammograms for the past fifteen years with no issues, but two out of the last three have resulted in callbacks. While both ended up being completely benign, I had to wait thirty days both times for my both followup visits.

I’m not necessarily that worried about getting breast cancer, but the unknown tends to drive me crazy. I need a plan. Each time, I was okay for the first couple of weeks; my faith was strong. But after that, doubt crept in and I was a nervous wreck by the time I made the appointment, even though I knew that God was with me and even though I knew He had a plan.

When I commented to the technician about my long wait at my last call back, she assured me that everyone had to wait that long because the hospitals in our area serve many surrounding counties. Well, not this time, I decided. I informed my doctor that this time if I got called back, I had no intention of waiting for thirty days. I was perfectly willing to drive to Atlanta or anywhere else. I told her that I just simply didn’t have it in me to wait that long for results.

She assured me that I really shouldn’t get a call back this time, but made a note in my chart. She said there was definitely something that could be done.

But, when I saw a missed call on my phone from the doctor’s office a couple of weeks later, my heart sank. Seriously? Again?

They wanted more films, but this time it was the other side, but this time they had, “sweet talked,” some people and secured me an appointment in two weeks. That was better. I was annoyed, but I could live with two weeks.

Then Covid-19 hit and an e-mail from my chiropractor informed me that he may have been exposed by a patient in his office who may have had it. I got the e-mail on a Friday. My appointment at the hospital was on Tuesday. My mind began spinning and my stomach hurt. If I had been exposed, I could potentially infect someone else and that someone could have cancer. That’s a serious underlying condition. Was I willing to take that chance?

I didn’t sleep on Sunday night. I wrestled and I kept feeling that nudge from God, “Do you trust me?” Did I?

I knew the right thing to do. When I called the hospital to explain, they wanted me to re-schedule in fourteen days, which of course had me right at thirty days for my results. Yes, I appreciated the irony.

When I went in in on the new date, I was less anxious than the other times. God had really worked on me and stretched me. When the results came back benign, I could almost hear Him say, I told you to trust me.

If it’s one thing this pandemic has taught us, it’s that we are not in control, but that’s not new. We never have been. It’s just now painfully clear. That knowledge can either terrify us or free us. Our reaction depends on us remembering that we serve the God who is in control and who always has a plan. There’s a peace that comes from knowing that. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Call to Extend Grace

Posted on by Wendy

Our words can spread darkness or light. We have a choice.

Last week, we ordered groceries from Walmart. We often ordered groceries before the pandemic hit because I really don’t like going to Walmart. I often end up getting frustrated while I’m there for a number of reasons ranging from them being out of the items I went for, to them blocking the aisle for the online shoppers, to there never being enough cash registers open, to all of the screaming kids.

But, I’ll have to admit in my everyday quest to watch for God in the world around me, I’ve seen Him there more than once. I’ve encountered Him in a child singing, “Jesus Loves Me,” and an elderly person on a scooter who couldn’t reach an item, and in a cashier who I’ve discussed prayer with while checking out.

I’ve been given the opportunity to extend grace while shopping there; I suspect most of us have. But, sometimes that can be a tough call to answer.

This time when I ordered our groceries, I was trying to follow the stay-at-home rules which had me waiting all the way til Saturday for groceries ordered on Tuesday night. They also had a very limited selection on items that I normally buy there and some things weren’t available at all. I was determined to take it all in stride. We had plenty to eat, maybe not exactly what we wanted, but plenty.

On Saturday, I got a text that my groceries were ready for pick up. My hubby and I got in the car and headed to pick them up, but the app to inform them we were on the way wouldn’t work. It has always worked in the past. I knew that was not a good omen of things to come and I could feel some frustration begin to seep in. When we arrived, I called the posted number to tell them we had arrived. The woman on the phoned informed me our order was not ready.

“But, you texted me that it was,” I protested.
“We can get it ready,” she replied.

Now, I was really frustrated, but another lady came out into the parking lot and we decided to talk to her. She was very young and wearing a mask. She asked me three times what my ten digit order number was as other cars began to fill the spaces around us and my heart went out to her. There appeared to be only two people working bringing the groceries out. She looked exhausted.

She went back inside and returned with our groceries. My hubby commented how busy they were and she told him that he had no idea. I let her words sink in. She was absolutely right. I imagine she had a lot of frustrated customers who weren’t very kind to her over a situation completely out of her control.

When she finished unloading, she hurried back to the building, but I yelled out a thank you to her and she turned around and acknowledged it. It seemed like it meant a lot to her and I felt incredibly humbled. Had she been thanked all day?

This pandemic has us all on edge and bone weary, but that doesn’t give us an excuse to be unkind. We can choose how we use our words both spoken and written, and yes, social media counts. Are we using words that show patience, kindness, love and peace as the Holy Spirit would direct us or are we giving into fear and anger? Are we spreading light or stirring the pot?

As Christians, we are called to extend grace because amazing grace has been extended to us. Now more than ever, we have the opportunity to be the Church. A trip to Walmart reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Reminder to Celebrate

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we must choose to celebrate in spite of the chaos.

When my kids were little, I often marveled at how God used them to speak to me. Sometimes the most profound wisdom would come from their little mouths and I was always amazed. Now they are college students and I sometimes forget that He can still use them.

This year, due to Covid-19, there would be no attending Easter church services. I planned for us to just watch one on television in our pajamas with a cup of coffee, like we have been doing for the past few weeks. But, my college age daughter had different ideas.

She said that Easter is a big deal. She felt like we should get dressed up just like we were attending a church service and she felt like we should have a big Easter meal like we always do with deviled eggs and the good dishes. I had to admit she caught me by surprise, but I felt like she was right.

Why do we dress up on Easter and who do we dress up for? Why do we celebrate? While it’s definitely wonderful to worship and fellowship with other Christians, they shouldn’t be the motivation why we do what we do. Easter is a big feast day for Christians. It’s our holiest of days. Shouldn’t we have our feast even if it was just with our family?

We planned our menu and in the process were able to support some local restaurants that are desperately trying to keep afloat right now. We cooked some dishes and ordered some dishes and got to work together on our meal as a family.

When my daughter suggested that we watch the live stream of the church she has been attending, we agreed. We believe in the Church Universal and we don’t believe that one denomination is superior to another. We got up and got dressed and were blessed by the sermon. The pastor was young and energetic and we could see why she liked him.

We took family pictures after the service, like we always have. I wanted to remember this year where everything was so different in many ways, yet the same in others. I wanted to document our blessings amidst chaos.

Long after our meal, I thought about this year’s Easter celebration. I thought about how God has always used my children to speak to me. I saw it so often when they were little and I guess I thought maybe since they are no longer little, He would no longer use them. I can’t imagine why I would think that.

This year, He used my grown up daughter to remind me that when we have a reason to celebrate, we should pull out all the stops and celebrate. It doesn’t really matter what our circumstances are and Easter is a huge reason to celebrate, for Christians, it’s the biggest.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Finding His Provision

Posted on by Wendy
“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

We have a place in our yard where we have talked about putting in a fish pond for years. We had one at our last house and really enjoyed it, but we never got around to taking the time and doing the work it took to put one in when we moved. We’ve been here for fifteen years now and it seemed like one of those projects that was simply never going to happen. The kids grew up and went off to school and we all just had better things to do.

That was until Covid-19 put us under a mandatory quarantine. The kids came home from college in March instead of May. Internships and part-time jobs were off the table. All of a sudden, we had time on our hands and the desire to add a spot where we could sit in the shade, watch goldfish swim and hear the soothing gurgle of a waterfall.

My daughter and my hubby dug the hole together and ordered the items needed and Saturday morning, my daughter and I went to gather some rocks from the edge of our property. When we got ready to go outside, I found myself grumbling aloud about the overcast skies. I wondered why we couldn’t have a sunny day to do our work.

As we began to use our shovels to dig around, we found some really big rocks. Some of them took both of us to lift and we had to call my hubby to help us with a couple. We worked up quite a sweat. As we dug and pulled and lifted, a soft breeze blew. Before I could stop myself, I found myself commenting to my daughter, how hot it would have been if the sun had been out.

The moment I said the words, I felt both humbled and convicted. I wanted the sun to be out. I was tired of clouds and rain. As is often the case, I thought I knew what was best for me and equally as often, I was wrong. God had provided as He always does in His way, not mine and His way as always, was infinitely better.

I’ve helped roof houses before when I knew the clouds were a gift and gave thanks immediately for them. But, sometimes in valley seasons, we miss those gifts, God’s provision, even though it’s always there.

Covid-19 has us all walking in a valley season. Everyone is affected, old and young, rich and poor, all races, genders and nationalities. It’s easy to miss the gifts and provision when we listen to the news and become filled with despair and panic.

But, when we focus on Jesus and trust in His love and grace, no matter the season, we will see His provision. An overcast Saturday reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂