Embrace the Little

Luke 12:27-31
“Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

It's the little things.

I miss when I was a child, and I played in the yard among the flowers, soft grass, and trees. For hours, I’d pretend to build houses for fairies and trolls. The days rolled by in simple appreciation of acorns, bark, leaves, and twigs. I never gave thought to how they got there. I just knew discovering a new item for my playtime filled me with joy.

Perhaps that’s why I love walking in the woods, along trails where flowers bloom. And I enjoy nurturing a garden of wildflowers and herbs. Although I appreciate other people’s flowers, the ones planted every year, there’s something magical about the ones which push through the soil every spring on their own, like black-eyed Susan’s, columbines, and daylilies.

When I hike in the park with Tim and Rosie, I adore the changing in flora. Different plants seem to bloom all year. Now with fall in our sights, a sweet little bloom has sprouted. The wild blue aster is no more than a half inch in diameter, yet it is one of the prettiest blossoms on the path. The lavender petals and yellow center add beauty to the woods.

That little flower reminds me “big” things are fine, but the little things often mean the most. By things, I mean moments, delights, hugs, smiles, encouraging words, a butterfly, a child taking my hand, a kiss, a flower, my dog’s faithfulness. So many things seem little, but in reality, they are the big. The blessings bestowed by God. Instead of worrying about the big things, seek God in all things and embrace the blessings.

I’m thankful for every one of you who takes the time to read this blog. That’s a little thing that blesses my heart in a big way.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Sunday marked the beginning of autumn. 

The day came in with ninety-degree temperatures in Ohio.

Even at that, I have the hope the days will cool as the month moves along.

I've watched squirrels gather their stores for the winter,

and talked to folks who have canned their vegetables and fruit.

I prepare by welcoming the season with open arms.

I hope this time of year, whatever it brings, offers you blessing and peace.

 

In Jesus' Name

Matthew 6:7-13
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’”

I went to dinner with my daughter, Sara, and her family one evening. My granddaughter, Ella Cate, offered the prayer for our food. Sara reminded her to address God at the beginning of the prayer, then end the prayer in Jesus’ name. As we ate, Sara and I talked about why she taught Ella Cate to do that.

We address God because He is the creator of all mankind and our Father. We end asking in Jesus’ name because He is the one who restored our relationship with God after Adam and Eve disobeyed.

God made me, He breathed life in me, and He is the one who hears every prayer of every person. The beautiful thing is—He wants to hear from us.

When Adam and Eve failed to listen to God in the garden, they broke our bond with God. But Jesus restored it. He connected us back to the Father through his sacrifice on the cross.

When I pray, I want to address God and seek Him. Then, I want to speak the prayer in Jesus’ name. The Holy Spirit is in this too. The Spirit speaks when I can’t. He carries my prayers to God.

As Jesus teaches in the Lord’s prayer—Speak to God in reverence, seek to be a part of His kingdom. Do the tasks and touch the lives He lays on your heart. Ask for provision and forgive others. Seek protection from the temptations in this world, and be covered with grace, so the devil stays away. All of this in Jesus’ name.

Golden Beauties

Even with the lack of rain in our area, these beauties are blooming in the park.

The showy golden blooms of the helanthus decapetalus (thinleaf sunflower)

brightened the path we walked on. 

I'm always amazed at the variety of flowers in our area, and the glorious colors.

Their golden hue reminds me cooler weather is coming soon.

 

Grant me the Serenity

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” -The Serenity Prayer

This past week, I spent a couple of hours pulling expired black-eyed Susans out of my flower bed. Their brown eyes winked at me and said, “We’re done.” As I popped them out of the ground, I felt the muscles in my legs pull.

As I ripped the stems from the soil, I found room to move one of my lavender plants. I had planted the English lavender too close to the French lavender, and the French version took over the English one. After digging up and dividing the English lavender, it now has plenty of room to grow.

Change isn’t easy, but it needed to happen in the flower bed. The dead plants needed removed and the lavender needed space to flourish.

I’ve never been great with change. As I’ve grown older and hopefully wiser, I’m a little better, but at times uncomfortable and uncertain. The uncertainty is what stirs my anxiety. The not knowing why a change happened, or why I should make a change. I’m sure you get it. I don’t know many people who embrace a shift in life and roll with it, without struggle or question.

In the flower bed, the process gave way to growth. Removing the dead stems and moving the lavender allowed the garden to grow again. Even though my leg muscles ached, the rearrangement of the garden was good. Most of the time, change leads to personal growth, even when I don’t like it.

In life, I’ve had to accept the things I can’t change and place them in God’s hands and trust Him with all my heart. I’ve had to muster the courage to change what I could, still trusting God with the results as I prayed for understanding.

I’m thankful Jesus never changes. He stays the same, no matter what, and I can depend on Him.

Pray about change and trust God.

God's Gifts

The visitors who come to my flowers bring me joy.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds flit from flower to flower.

They search for the sweet nectar.

Like these creatures, people go from one thing to another 

looking for the next best thing.

That's natural for the bugs and birds, but for people, it's exhausting.

Take time to stop and experience God's gifts.

Seek to be satisfied by His love and grace.

 

Why Worry?

Luke 22:25-26
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

“Worry is worshipping your problem. Prayer is surrendering your problem.”

I remember the day I walked Sara to the huge yellow school bus at the end of the short driveway and handed her over to ride the bus to school. The next year, I repeated the act with Maggie and a few years later, with Hannah. For a young mom, it wasn’t easy sending my babies to school. I wanted to go with them and watch over them.

Looking back, now that all the girls have made it into their forties, they were prepared for their first steps toward independence. They all succeeded and two of them went on to work in the education field and one in non-profit.

As a young momma, I spent time worrying when I should have been praying. Over the years, those worries did turn into prayers. I still ask God to watch over my kiddos every day. Plus, all the people we’ve added to our family along the way.

Jesus wants me to trust him instead of fretting over something I have no control over. Yes, I prepared my kids for school and moving forward, and that’s all I could do, except pray and be available.

In Luke, Jesus speaks to the people and asks how worry can add a single hour to their life. If anything, worry tears away at us. Worry produces stress, which causes health issues and doesn’t take me anywhere but into a tailspin.

Jesus’ wisdom speaks into my heart as I’m reminded not to worry and instead to pray.

 When worry niggles at you, seek Jesus, pray, and trust Him.