I am taking a large group of teenagers from Texas to Austria in the coming months. I am already working hard in planning and preparation. I have promised to go with them, to be ready to handle the details of our travel as well as the unforeseen encounters. And I’ve promised to bring them home safely. It is a sobering task.
Does the thought of living today, right now, seem too hard? Maybe. Living in “today” may mean facing health issues, relationship struggles, or financial hardships, according to God’s leading. The suffering and pain that trials bring may feel unbearable and unthinkable.
Have you ever had the feeling of Spring Fever? You just want to get out and do something. You might not even know what it is you really want to do. These words came to me during one of those times:
Ah, the seasons! They are truly one of God’s best ideas. We see His invisible hand in June’s full-flowering beauty, September’s glorious bounty and the pristine purity of December’s first snow. So, what can we say about March?
Speaking “I love you” does not come easily for me. As a child, I did not hear those words. I was twenty years old when my future husband told me, “I love you.” I eventually found the courage to say the words to him. When I was thirty-one, I finally heard those all-important words from my mom and dad—by phone—across the country.
When Biscuit, my seven-year-old Yorkie terrier, hears me talking on the phone or sees my husband and me hugging, he tries to nudge his way onto center stage and claws my legs. He does not tolerate us paying attention to anyone but him! His insecurities take over.
Biscuit, our dog, looks for a lap when we sit down. He is on the floor beside our feet when a lap is unavailable. He anticipates a ride in the car when he hears keys jingling. He follows us outdoors. He barks and spins in circles of excitement when invited to go for a walk. While in bed, he snuggles as close between us as he can. He cuddles with me in the sunroom every morning for quiet time with God.
The Yorkie terrier mix was two-and-a-half years old when we rescued him from the pet adoption center. His previous owners had surrendered him a week earlier due to neglect. The reason given was that they did not have time for him. The Center caretaker confirmed this by observing the long, matted fur coat and his insecure behaviors. He carried the dog like a twelve-pound infant child and referred to the pup as “Shiloh.”
Our eyes locked momentarily. I knew in that instant that he was the one for me! The adorable dog paced energetically. His barks echoed above the other dogs in their chain-link kennels at the pet adoption center.
As a little girl I loved to sit on the lake pier and dangle my feet in the water while trying to touch the fish floating by with my toes. But I never liked to swim in the lake. The darkness of the water and not knowing what was lurking beneath the surface made me nervous. I had friends who would swing from tree limbs and jump right in to the murky unknown. But not me.
Some mornings when the alarm clock blares, I feel like pulling the covers over my head – trying to stop the overwhelming thoughts of the tasks of the day. But something moves in my soul that pushes me out of bed. There is more to our day than a to do list. God has our day all planned out. I am sure He laughs at our day planners.
When going through the seasons of life, you may struggle finding where you fit in. Things you once valued takes second place, and you look at life differently. Recently I heard a remake of Michael W. Smith’s song, “A Place in this World” by For King and Country.
My doctor’s office lobby has one of the most beautiful paintings of an old white chapel in a field surrounded by bluebonnets. It covers the whole wall. I always try to get a seat facing that painting.
How many giants are you facing right now? Can you name one as you think back over the past year? Did several giants pop up? Maybe you fear the next one that will arise unexpectedly.
Remember when your parents said, just do what I say? Did you ever tell yourself, I’ll never say to my kids, because I said so? Did you keep that vow? I said it as well, and I broke that vow as well. I think God says the same thing to us!
Has God ever given you an assignment that you were so excited about you shared it with others so they could be excited too? Maybe they would join in on the work of the assignment? Did it go so smoothly and problem-free? Or did you hit some snags?
How long was your longest wilderness? A time when you walked on and on without seeing an end, an answer. Perhaps you are still there now. Have you asked God what He was up to in the midst of this wilderness?
It had been one of those weeks where several things in our home were breaking down all at the same time. The dryer quit working, our sink drain was overflowing due to blockage and our garage ceiling was showing signs of a leak in our attic. It was a week of problems and stresses on top of a full schedule.
