The early morning sun is usually warm on my back while I search though the leaves and vines. It’s a contented feeling to harvest what we had hoped and waited for. Our garden seems to be overflowing at the moment. The tomatoes have synchronized turning from green to red, zucchini are abundant, and beans…oh the beans! They seem to grow overnight, and just when I think they may be ending, along comes another round. They’re fresh, healthy and we’re grateful for the provision!
With the exception of tomatoes, (whose bright red beauty always catches my eye)I have to search for garden goodness.
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She opens her eyes slowly, taking in the angle of the light hitting the walls, listening for the sounds of her offspring, wondering if she has slept late. She collects her thoughts, separating the real from the fantasy of her dreams, making mental lists of what must be done and deciding what should be done first. Does she have time for a walk? Will her husband be able to talk for a minute before he leaves for work?
Often, she busies herself before her mind wanders too far. All too familiar is the path toward discontent, beginning with a scream or the sound of something hitting the floor, ending with tears and sobs getting closer to the bedroom door.
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With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ~Isaiah 12:3
In a recent attempt to draw closer to the Lord in prayer through fasting, I pondered the most basic of all needs.
Our need for water.
It seems obvious that we need water, of course. And who can argue with the reality that our body is made up of 60-75% water.
Roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. Water is vital to every living form of life.
Water is needful for our survival. Take away water completely and you have roughly 3 days to live, because the physiological functions of your organs will fail.
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Last week, when my kids were still in school, I took my car to the dealership to get it serviced. When I went into the waiting room, I found a table to sit at and got my laptop out. I clicked to connect to the wireless network and smiled at the thought of an uninterrupted hour of getting things done online.
But then an error popped up on my screen, saying I needed a password to log in. I tried clicking on the network again. It still didn’t work.
I got up and went to the front desk and asked if there was a password I should use.
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Oh, the bliss of sinking my teeth into a warm, chewy chocolate chip cookie!
I love to collect recipes. Folks are often willing to share, but every now and then, someone answers, “It’s my grandmother’s secret recipe.”
Some secrets are made for sharing, and the secret ingredients of contentment are blessings to spice up a life well lived.
Personally, I would love to simply order contentment like a favorite dessert. I state my order, and presto…a friendly waiter serves contentment, along with a tasty side of joy. With each bite, I unfold the warmth of contentment, letting go of all the concerns that stir up disappointment or restlessness in my ever-wanting heart.
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I struggle to see God but I believe He is here.
I believe He is everywhere and daily I search for Him. Daily I pray for Him to reveal Himself to me, to show me His presence, and remind me of His love for me.
Today, I want to encourage you with something that I believe He spoke into my heart one morning while studying my children’s new grammar for their upcoming school year. I won’t go into details but that morning I read in two different places of how God was in the details of our life. When I read them, I just stopped and smiled.
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Somedays I don’t feel very lovable.
Truthfully, most days I don’t feel very lovable.
I look at my failures and weaknesses . . . my foolish emotions and misunderstandings, my lack of patience and persistent procrastination just to name a few.
I’m a mess. You too?
Then join me for a few moments and look at several quotes and Bible verses that will remind us that it’s not about us. It’s about Him. It’s always about Him. God’s grace and mercy in and through Jesus giving us new life and a hope that will last forever.
Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.
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Sometimes God stops us in our tracks…for our own good.
I was recently on my knees in prayer…over a situation I have no control.
A situation that was getting the best of me.
I didn’t know what to pray anymore, and I’d moved to just trying to prepare myself for whatever might happen.
While I talked with God, something changed in how I was praying.
“I know what you’re doing here God, and…”
Immediately, I felt God ask me…
“Do you know what I’m doing?”
My breath caught sharply, and I thought of the book of Job when God gets fed up with Job and challenges him with a lot of questions.
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