Path to Providence

I walked into my son’s bathroom as he proudly exclaimed, “Jesus told me to move my hamper from my bedroom to the bathroom, so I did!”

While I don’t know that Jesus is in the business of hamper relocation, the innocence of my son’s admission and his desire for obedience, warmed my heart.

I love that he is looking for prompting from the Holy Spirit and accounts that even the smallest stirrings in his heart could be from the Lord.

That is how God often speaks, you know, in that still small voice. I was reminded in my reading this morning of Elijah:

Had Elijah been tuned in solely for “the big show” he would have missed a revelation that would impact generations to come.

So often, the truth God speaks to our hearts looks mundane, ordinary and commonplace.  It often takes us off the stage and out of the limelight so his glory can fully shine. Not that the Lord won’t ever place you up for promotion or speak through the big show, but if our eyes are set there, we’ll miss it. We must lock our hearts and minds on the stillness of His presence, on following Christ alone; knowing all our needs are met in him.

Small, simple acts of obedience are the faith steps that impact generations.

Tune your hearts and minds to His still small voice. I promise, God isn’t looking for your credentials or performance. He is looking for willing and ready. He is looking for those who will take the small steps and big leaps and do it all for Him alone.

For it’s Love that launches us and Faith that propels us forward.

“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:18

My commentary says, “James elevates the role of peacemakers: ones committed to living peacefully in full confidence that God is providing for them. These are believers who know God is meeting every need, giving many good gifts. Such people don’t feel the need to fight against others for what they need. Their peace-loving lifestyles lead to fields of righteous choices.”

Sow in Peace ➡️  Sow in calmness, sow with hope, sow carefully, sow in love, sow with victory, sow present-minded, sow taking it all in, sow without strife, sow in supernatural strength, sow with perseverance.

Sow knowing the battle is won. Sow knowing it’s already done!

What are you sowing right now?

I’m sowing seeds for a strong marriage, children who seek the Lord, ministry in writing and a business that glorifies God.

But if I’m honest, I tend to sow in my own strength with a lot of striving and white-knuckling it and being upset when things don’t go my way. I tend to sow with an attitude of overwhelm, like the Little Red Hen who had to do it all herself. I often sow grudgingly and disparagingly, even recklessly at times.

I’m grateful for the Master Gardener who goes before me and comes behind me to smooth over the ruts and gaps I’ve left in the soil. He gently fills it in with rich soil, waters with a drenching of the Holy Spirit, shines light in the darkest of places and creates beauty out of my mess. He so tenderly shows me how to sow more like Him and less like me. With grace and tenderness and mercy.

Sow in Peace. Reap a harvest of righteousness. You can’t do it alone, but when you let Him lead, the harvest will be plentiful and your joy will be full!

Walks are our sanity break right now. As we were heading out today, my son said excitedly, Do you think we’ll see Waste Pro cans?! “Well, it’s not trash collection day, so I’m not sure.”, I told him. “Why?”, I asked.

“I just like them.”, he stated. “The colors are beautiful!”
“The trash cans?”, I asked inquisitively. “Yes!!, He said with all his eight-year-old excitement. “One kid at school said trash cans were yucky but I said no they’re not. I like them!”

“Well then, I hope we see some trash cans, Buddy!”, I said as we headed out.

Along our walk, sure enough, he noticed every single trash can and delighted in the green and blue bins and lids. “I like that the blue cans have green lids and the green cans have blue lids. It looks nice that way!”, he said as if we were looking out over an ocean of blue and green hues.

I wasn’t sure at that point if there was something seriously wrong with my kid or if he has a serious gift to see the world through different eyes. I chose to abandon all previous constructs of my personal opinion on trash cans and embrace this new viewpoint. As we continued our walk, we found big trash cans, small trash cans, medium trash cans, old ones and new ones. Some were for recycling and some for waste.

And my kid saw each one beautiful, unique and purposefully designed.

Friends, that’s how your Creator sees you. Beautiful, unique and purposefully designed. No matter the garbage this world has thrown at you. No matter how little you’ve thought of yourself or how others have treated you. If this world has discarded, discounted, used and abused you, seen you as unworthy, unlovely, unaccepted or rejected you; Know there is One who sees your full potential.

There is One who sees beauty where others see decay. There is One who sees purpose where others see uselessness. There is one who sees extraordinary where others see ordinary.

You may feel like nothing more than trash in this world but sweet friend, let me assure you, God sees treasure!

The next time you’re out for a walk, look for the trash cans. Seek beauty in the rarest of places and remember you are more. You are seen. You are loved. You are beautiful. You are treasured.

~ Greater than the strain of wondering when life will return to normal, is the fear of life returning to normal~

If we neglect to use this opportunity to restructure, reinvent, or redesign our lives we will have missed the greatest lesson our generation has ever been presented.

May it transform the way we relate to one another.
May it alter how we engage in nature.
May it shift our perspectives in ways that forever impact,

How we love.
How we give.
How we serve.
How we play.
How we prioritize.
How we interact.
How we live.

May we learn and grow and be forever changed.

May we leave comfort to chase calling. May we find extraordinary amid ordinary. May we abandon commonplace for a calmer space.

As we resolve to rise up.
As we work to restore.
May redemption have its place.

 

When I was a little girl my dad worked for our city street department. During Ohio winters that meant he would be out many nights salting and clearing roads for early morning travelers. It also meant he had firsthand knowledge of the road conditions impacting school closures.

As a kid, being privy to this information before all my friends brought great joy! My Dad would get home early in the morning, when it was still dark out after working all night on the roads and declare, “There’s no way you’re having school today! We can’t keep up with it!” Excitement would radiate through my tiny body as I’d snuggle back down in my warm blankets and plan out the day of freedom that awaited me!

I found so much comfort in knowing my daddy knew what was going on in the world outside before anyone else. In the next hours people would be waking up to their alarms, discovering the amount of snow that had fallen in the night and bundling up to head to work. Kids would be tuning in to the radio to hear that school is closed and dancing with delight in their pajamas. But I already knew. My daddy had already told me.

Friends, during this uncertain time in our world, may I offer you this piece of comfort. Your Heavenly Father already knows. He’s been out all night, he’s seen the conditions of the road ahead and he’s already determined what you’ll need to navigate this path. He’s not surprised. He’s taking care of you. And he loves you immeasurably more than any earthly father ever could!

Your daddy already knows. He’s gone before you! So snuggle back down in His arms and continue to rest in him, no matter what this day brings.

❤❤❤

 

Each day I wake up and whether my dreams have been invaded by panic or fear is the first feeling that grips me when my eyes open, I have a choice to make immediately;

1. I can let fear take control. I can trust my faltering feelings and let them become my master. A master who will lead me down dark and scary paths. One who offers no hope or bereavement. A path that seems unending, filled with a chatter of voices that don’t make sense and a cloud of fog I can’t see past. A frightening path with no reward.

2. I can try to take control of my thoughts myself. I can fill my mind with “good” things. I can place my trust in the frailty of people. I can place my hope in material possessions. I can put my faith in the temporal shakey structures and systems this world has to offer.

OR

3. I can place my trust in what is unseen. I can step into the net of Grace and let God know I can’t do this on my own; not in my own strength. I can recognize my need for a savior and realize I get to plant my feet on steady ground, on the rock that is sure and unshakable. I can grow each day in knowledge and truth of things too vast to understand with my human mind and experience the reality of peace that passes understanding.

After all these years, I still choose. Some days the choice is almost instinctual. I don’t even realize it. I awake and my heart and mind are fixed on things above. But there are other days. Days where the events in my little world or this broken world as a whole leave me bouncing around in my choices.

But regardless of my choice, when I get quiet, when I bring myself into the stillness of the Throne Room; Still, He is there. The sweet scent of His presence lingers and I’m closer to Him now than ever before. There’s no prize for choosing wisely and no disgrace for avoiding this moment with Him. His faithfulness covers all and I rest fully in the loving arms that never let me go, no matter where my thoughts roamed.

He is Good.
He is Constant.
He is Sovereign.

God is still God. Unchanged. Not surprised. Not rattled by whatever I lay at His feet.

And so I choose Him once again because he first chose me. And I learn to boast all the more in my weakness because it’s there, in that space, His power is made perfect.

~~~~~~~~~~

2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 56:3, John 16:33

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P.S. I also take a natural supplement for anxiety that helps my brain stop the spinning so I can think logically and choose my thoughts wisely. I believe I found that supplement as an answer to prayer 7 years ago and it still helps 💕

Far too much rushing, not enough reflecting.
Far too much running, not enough resting.

As I snuggled in to this spot with my coffee, I realized it was first time I’d really stopped to rest and reflect over the last few weeks.

In the rush of school programs and holiday parties, shopping and wrapping…actually I still haven’t finished wrapping, I’ve missed these still quiet moments.

As I began to settle my mind and pray, I looked up and noticed the big cross across the street from our house was shining in the heart of our Christmas tree as it cast a colorful reflection on the glass doors.

There, in the center of all the sparkle and allure of the season, shone the reason for it all.
God with us. Emmanuel.

It’s so easy to take on a simplistic view of Christ, the baby in a manger. A nice little story with sweet animals keeping watch and angels singing lullabies. But Christ came for the cross; the salvation story. He came to rescue and redeem. To save and sanctify. To do the impossible.

He came for you and for me. God with us. Emmanuel.

I don’t know what you’ve been waiting on in this season. Maybe it’s healing, maybe the solution to a problem, perhaps it’s reconciliation in a relationship or direction on a decision you must make. But I do know the One who came, the long awaited Savior. The one sent for you.

He is here now. Still. Here in your waiting. Here in the chaos. Here in the rushing and running. He is here. And he came for you.

God with us. Emmanuel.

The drive was over an hour on a bumpy, twisty road with switchbacks and curves that made my stomach turn. We had not yet visited this spot though it had been on our list since moving to the mountains. As we drove towards our destination and motion sickness set in, I was regretting ever making the trip.

Maybe we should have gone to a place we knew better, I questioned; one with an easier route, something familiar.

As we climbed higher elevation the sun disappeared into the clouds and rain began to hit the windshield. Ugh! We had packed for the drop in temperature but not rain. I started making a mental checklist of which coats I packed for the kids. “Did they have hoods? Is there an umbrella in the van? What about their shoes? They will be soaked!”

While my mind worked to figure everything out, my stomach told me the whole trip was a mistake. But two excited kids and a dog who was about to leap out of the window to get on the trails, told me we must continue on!

When we arrived, the clouds were so thick we couldn’t see anything. The rain had let up to a slight drizzle and thankfully everyone had something to cover their heads.

We were going on this hike no matter what!

As we trudged up the muddy hillside to the summit, my pack leading the way was getting lost in the clouds. My husband and I knew this place was gorgeous on a sunny day. We had seen pictures from friends and on the internet. We had envisioned what our day would look like and this foggy mist with a few shrubs and grass was not meeting our expectations.

But as we climbed, the kids were noticing everything. “Look at these pretty leaves!”, “WOW!!! A giant mud puddle!, “Look Mommy, flowers!”

I quickly realized they were seeing beauty everywhere because they had no expectations of what this day would hold. They had no idea where we were going or what it might look like. They had no preconceived notions of what would take place or what they would see. They just trusted us.

They knew we were together and we were going hiking and that is exactly what we did. They delighted in the whole experience because they had no other ideals for comparison.

This foggy misty hike was perfect in their eyes.

I wonder how many times my Heavenly Father has placed beauty around me and I’ve missed it because it didn’t look exactly like what I was expecting? Like hidden treasures along a trail, have I missed His blessings because I’ve been so preoccupied with my own expectations?

Has my perception of the experience negated the glory of His goodness?

I let that sink in as we walked and I thanked God for being so persistent in His love for us. Even if I’ve walked through some moments like a cranky toddler who needed a nap, missing out on the sweetness of blessings right in front of me, He is ever faithful and always good. He never stops pursuing us, never stops loving us and never stops delighting in us. He gently and graciously, continues to open our eyes to His wonder and majesty.

Then, just as we rounded the corner to head back down the trail, the clouds began to lift and the sun peaked over the ridgeline casting a glow on the brilliant autumn colors. What was once hidden in the clouds was now on glorious display for all to see.

We soaked it in for a moment before continuing on. I was glad we got to see the view but I was even more grateful for the lesson in the fog.

Sometimes, that’s where we sense God’s presence the most; in the foggy misty moments of life. The moments no one proclaims or praises. His gifts there can be hard to see, but if we open our eyes, there are blessings beyond our expectations.

“Your future looks bright in second grade”. That was the message attached to the glow stick necklace my son received from his teacher on the first day of school.
We were standing in the closet with the lights out waiting for the stick to show off its glow but nothing was happening.
“Just wait Mommy. You just have to wait and it will light up”, my brand new second grader said.
So we waited; Him more patiently than myself.
After about 30 seconds I broke the silence and said, “I think we might need to break it”. I explained that snapping it in the middle is what makes it glow. He took my advice and a huge smile spread across his face.

“There!”, he exclaimed.

Only, I knew that wasn’t all. Yes, the stick was glowing a bit right in the middle, but I knew the secret. I knew what would make the whole thing light up. “Now shake it!”, I told him. “Shake it really hard!”. As he did he giggled with delight. What started as a dim glow now gave off a neon luminescent bright enough to see each other smiling in the dark closet.

Break it. Then shake it. Broken and shaken.

I stood there in the dark, staring at a blue glow stick thinking about all the times I’ve felt broken and shaken in my life. I wonder if the circumstances that caused my brokenness and the moments that shook me to the core passed through my Heavenly Father’s hands because He knew the secret. He knew that if I was broken, I would start to glow and if He allowed me to be shaken a bit by the storms of life, I’d rise to shine even brighter.

It’s not easy to understand but how could the ways of the One who placed the stars in the sky be fathomed by human comprehension? My son was pleased with the gift from his teacher before it glowed. It was good and it was nice. But after he realized it’s full potential, he delighted in it.

What if God loves us too much to leave us good and nice? What if our full potential, the qualities that bring true delight in our lives and glory to Him, can only be revealed once broken and shaken?

Let me assure you of this; God isn’t messy or careless in this breaking and shaking. He is careful, strategic and gentle. He knows exactly what we need and has our best in mind.

Broken and shaken. He loves us too much to leave us there but when His work is complete we shine as bright as the stars in the sky.

#atthecross
Terri Sestina, At the Cross

“I don’t want this! I don’t want this!!”, she shouted as she waved her arms frantically in the air as if the waving could erase the impending doom from occurring.

Her favorite cartoon character was about to fall off her bike. She pleaded for us to turn off the TV because she had seen this trauma unfold before and the anticipated horror was too much to bear.

Her sweet innocent face is an accurate description of her heart. I thought her brother was tenderhearted but this girl is so empathetic, she doesn’t even want to watch a cartoon character experience pain. Even when it’s nothing more than a bee sting, falling down or getting covered in mud.

She’s watched half episodes of many favorite shows because just as they reach the conflict scene, she screams “CUT” and no resolution or happy ending ever unfolds.

“I DON’T WANT THIS!”

Can you relate? I sure can. Maybe not with episodes of Peppa Pig or Octonauts but I have definitely felt like shouting and flailing my arms in protest to the bad that was occurring in my life. I have fallen on my face in prayer and screamed “I don’t want this!” more than a time or two. But unlike the cartoons, there’s no off button. I don’t get to choose which episodes are played and I don’t have the option to participate in only the happy parts. The story of life continues to play on through the stings, when we fall down and even when we’re covered in mud.

I don’t want this. But God…

Through the darkest valleys, I’ve learned, though I don’t want this, God is up to something. He is still working all things together for my good. This thing is not good and no one is asking you to look at your “I don’t want this” as good, but God can and will weave good into or out of anything He allows.

This failure. This hurt. This lack. This pain. This uncertainty. I don’t want this. But God.

In scripture, we see Him time and time again come in just as the conflict unfolds. He is there. He is present. He is not surprised. He is not shaken.

What the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good.

In Matthew 8:24-25 the disciples are shouting their “we don’t want this!” as a storm threatens to toss their boat and take their lives. But in verse 26 Jesus calmly quiets the storm.

What if they hadn’t cried out to him or looked to him for help? What if they had turned away, like my Anna turning off the TV? What if they became desperate, jumped out of the boat and started trying to swim back to shore? They never would have seen the next part of the story where Jesus calms the storm and reveals His glory. They would have missed the good He intended for them; the promise of his everlasting Peace.

What if the very next verse of your story is where God is about to show up and show off? If you turn if off when trouble hits, you’ll never see the end of the story and you’ll miss the good He intends for you in this.

I’m not saying every hard place we walk through gets tied up with a happy ending. Sometimes things are left undone and questions hang thick in the air around us. But more often than not, we miss the glory moments because we aren’t looking for them. We’ve already shut down and turned it off because we didn’t want this.

In our next “I don’t want this” moment, what if we press in instead of pressing off? I wonder what verse may be ready to unfold and be told!

#atthecross #pathtoProvidence