There are times in life when I am amazed by the kindness of God. The following little story is one such moment. heart emoticon

About 23 years ago, after running errands in Tyler, I decided to take my young daughters to lunch at The Olive Garden. They were very small, about one and three years old. It was a special treat for all three of us.

During the long wait for our food, we passed the time by coloring kid menus and doing the little activities printed on them. Their sweet attitudes caused my heart to swell as they attempted to act like little ladies in the nice restaurant. My parents lived across the country, and as a daughter myself, I had a pang for my own mother. "I wish Mom could see how sweetly they're behaving," I thought.

Within 20 seconds, an elderly woman came over to our table. She laid down a one dollar bill in front of Hannah and another in front of Abby.

"You girls are behaving so nicely, I just want to give each of you a dollar! What good little girls you are!”

Although my daughters were a little young to understand the monetary value of a dollar, I was flabbergasted by the immediate response from my Father. He showed me once again that day that He is a God Who Sees.

Wasn’t that kind of Him?

Roots

Here in Texas, lantana is a heat tolerant plant that does well. Unfortunately, it has taken over several flower beds in my yard and it is time to make some changes. 

There is something quite satisfying in the sound of a large root as it gives way to the shovel. As the blade goes deep,  the dislodging begins. With a resounding crack, the earth moves, making way for new life. It is a surprise to discover the far reaching underground connectivity between these large plants.  As old rocks and debris are removed, hope for change rises.  It is hard work.

The "root crack" of no longer desired growth can also be heard during a quiet time with God or a talk with a friend.  An underlying tuber of pain or unforgiveness may be discovered, and the blade of Truth must cut deep so better things can be planted.

Goodbye lantana, and goodbye bitterness. It's time for something new.

He Is Present

I am sitting in the woods hearing evidence of life that I cannot see.

The hidden crickets lift their voices, their existence undeniable.  Wind tickles my face, unseen yet effectively cooling me.  Invisible sounds mirror a dimension that cannot be viewed with physical eyes.

God camouflages Himself, and like a child hiding behind a chair, He delights in being found.

Don't stop looking for that Unseen Life. He is right there, hoping to be discovered by you.

Waiting

There is a crystal hanging in my bedroom window. Unmoving, it dangles there minding its own business, and most of the time there is no light coming to shine through it.

As I walked into this room a few minutes ago, I discovered several dozen "rainbows" littering the walls. The floor seems to be on fire with freshly laid gems and the ceiling is glittering with color.

This says so much to me about waiting. If it had been a human being, the crystal could have easily said, "I'm tired of hanging here, I'm going to go find some light so I can produce a little glory!" not knowing that its time to shine was oh, so very near.

How grateful I am that it was hung months ago, because now there is  beauty scattered in this normally bland corner of my house.

Be encouraged while you wait, something good is coming!

"And let us not grow weary in doing well, for in time we will reap, if we do not give up."

Galatians 6: 9

Change Will Come

This morning I rode my horse on dry ground.

The cracked earth under his hooves gave no indication of the puddles and mud we traversed just a few short weeks before.

No matter where you're standing, the season you are in will change. For the better? For the worse? Most likely, yes.

Hold steady. You won't be right here forever. The only "steady" is that you are loved by the One who made you.

He Delights

Yesterday, I spent the day with my oldest granddaughter, Leila.  (Pronounced Lee-EYE-la.)

This girl is truly the apple of my eye.  Her laughter evokes memories of her mother's bubbling giggle, a sound that previous to her existence was unmatched by any human I'd ever known.

Leila and I played games, read books, tossed a ball, ate cookies, and made up for lost time. Eight hours simply flew by!

In the midst of our time together, I uttered, "How I delight in you!"

There was an immediate echo reverberating into my heart by the One who originated such a profound reality.

There is no greater love than the Father's love.  I bless you with that thought today:

He delights in you.

Learning To See

When my daughters were small, I used to wish a for a day (or an hour!) without crisis or correction, tears or trauma.

It took me a while to learn how to quickly recover from the negative things that could derail a day. Eventually, I  learned that  the glory and delight of raising small children was embedded right there within the chaos. No longer did I expect The Perfect Day to be executed without a bump. 

This truth applies in a broader sense.  I doubt if there will ever be a time when there is not a worry or a care. Whether it's on the periphery or smack dab in the middle, a potentially pressing problem usually exists, and it will want to claim center stage. I've noticed that often the most treasured moments or days occur right in the midst of a heart searing trial.

It is my desire to have eyes to see the jewels in the gravel, instead of trampling them underfoot because I’m looking for pain free perfection. Life is good, and I purpose to savor the sweetness of it.

Experiencing The Gift

I was once given a thoughtful and lavish gift. My friend, Carey, had a favorite coffee drink that was an experience she wanted to share with those she loved.

The espresso shot was served in a special shot glass with sugar on the rim. She drank it with a mouth watering caramel at one of her favorite coffee bars in Seattle. She liked it so much, she wanted the people she loved to experience it, too, and for Christmas one year she went to considerable effort to make it possible.

My husband and I received a box with carefully wrapped shot glasses, ground espresso, Torano vanilla syrup, sugar, caramels, and beautifully printed step by step instructions on how to prepare it, all for the purpose of sharing her beloved experience.

It was a gift of love that had intention and design.

Although we gratefully received it and marveled at her generosity and kindness, we never did as instructed, thus we did not experience what she went to all the trouble for. We truly intended to do it sometime, but just didn't get around to it. (How often the "have to's" rob us of the "want to's!")

We were in possession of something we did not experience, and because we rarely saw Carey, we didn’t feel compelled or accountable to follow it through, though we were blessed by the expression of love she had demonstrated.

Thus it is with the Gift and promises of God.

How often we live our lives in a reduced state of consciousness, emotionally and otherwise, because we have never followed the instructions and actually experienced God's intention.

We are in possession of all of the components required for abundant life.

Joy is available! Victory has been bought and paid for! He Himself is ours for the taking.

Let's find and discover all that He has and all that He gave and live the life He intended to be ours.

What an indescribable Gift.