Sometimes our lives take unexpected turns. We might visualize the path that we would like to take in life, but things don’t always turn out the way we planned. We might have negative experiences that take us down a road that we didn’t want to go down. And there are also times when the wrong turns in life were our own doing. Either way, life can leave us feeling disoriented. We think we are moving along on a solid path when suddenly we have taken a detour. Some might even wonder why they bother making plans or setting goals. Instead they allow life to pull them along in a strong current.
Some of life’s twists and turns are out of our control, while others are the result of our own mistakes. But we don’t have to be at the mercy of whatever life will throw at us next. We don’t have to feel as though we are being tossed around in an unforgiving ocean. Instead we can learn to cling to God, and know that He is directing our steps. It starts by making our relationship with the Lord our number one priority, and giving Him our whole heart. Seek the Lord above all else. Take time to sit in His presence, get to know Him, communicate with Him, and listen to Him.
David knew what it was like to wander through life with God by his side. David grew up tending sheep. It might sound like an easy job, but he had to protect the sheep from wild animals. David faced a giant and defeated him, against all odds. One day David was told he would become king. But it didn’t happen right away. In the meantime, the current king tried to kill David, and David had to run for his life. Finally David did become king. But things in his life still went up and down. His own son tried to take over the throne, and once again David had to run for his life. David wasn’t perfect. He made a few mistakes along the way. However, God confronted him when he sinned and led him back to the right path. That is when David wrote Psalm 51, asking God to create in him a clean heart. God restored David’s soul, and led him back to the path of righteousness. Through all of life’s twists and turns, David knew his life was steady and in the Lord’s hands. That’s how he was able to write so many beautiful Psalms with such confidence.
When we learn to align our steps with God’s, life will no longer seem to be dragging us along. Instead, we will take each step with certainty that God is with us. We will not fear what lies ahead when we have an Almighty God beside us. We will be amazed at the way He restores the soul. And we will see with awe how He leads us down the path of righteousness. We could never do this on our own. We need a loving Shepherd to lead the way. We have to learn to fix our eyes on Him, every day. And He will gently guide us along life’s paths.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. – Psalm 23:3
“Hi, John. You know that five hundred dollars I owe you?”
“Yeah?”
“I just lost my job, so I won’t be able to pay you when I said I would. I’m sorry.”
“No problem, Wes. I’ll sue you, and then we can go on one of those TV judge shows.”
“How will that help if I don’t have the money to pay you?”
“They’ll pay both of us to be on the show. Then they will deduct the five hundred dollars from what they pay you and use it to pay off your debt to me.”
“That sounds good. I feel bad about not being able to pay you, and this way you’ll get your money.”
“There’s only one catch.”
“What?”
“I’m going to have to talk about your drug problem.”
“I don’t have a drug problem.”
“I know, but we have to spice it up a bit, make it interesting, or they won’t let us on the TV judge show.”
John thought about that for a bit. “Okay. Then I guess I’ll have to tell the judge that you’re sleeping with your wife’s sister.”
“That might mess up my marriage.”
“Yeah, but you’ll get the five hundred dollars.”
“Okay, I guess. But I’ll also have to say that you cheat on your income tax.”
“And I’ll countersue you for defamation.”
“I guess that’s fair.”
John thought some more. “So, essentially we go on TV and make fools of ourselves for money?”
“Right. It’s done all the time. That’s what the medium is all about.”
Sometimes something will happen in your life and you just know it comes straight from God. Almost like a smack to the head saying, “hey you, this is what I want you to do! Now do it.”
That about sums up how I became a published author six years ago this December.
I’d started writing as a pre-teen, tried several different genres, but never really felt they were right for me, until I discovered the Christian Fiction genre. This was a lightning bolt moment that clarified this was where I was supposed to be. Thanks, God!
In 2012, I’d been writing for a while without a publishing contract when I came across a contest hosted by Love Inspired Editor, Emily Rodmell. It was called Speed Dating. The contest consisted of submitting a blurb to Emily, who would then select several writers to participate. Each writer had five minutes to pitch their story.
I’d entered other contests in the past without any success, so I wasn’t really that anxious to get my hopes up. But something kept pulling my attention back to the contest, and I finally entered it. To my surprise, I was chosen to pitch my book to Emily.
At the time of the pitch, my husband and I were in Pagosa Springs, Colorado at our cabin that didn’t have internet service. I almost canceled out entirely, but my husband told me, no, you should do it. We drove to the town of Pagosa Springs to the Ace Hardware parking lot where I was able to get internet and I did my pitch.
My fingers were shaking so much that I’m pretty sure nothing I typed made sense. But Emily liked the pitch and asked for a synopsis, then a partial, and finally the full. Right before Christmas of 2012 I sold my first Love Inspired Suspense and it all happened because God wouldn’t let me say now to a contest! He put everything into place, and it’s been an amazing journey since.
Most of my books have a mountain theme in them, partly because I love the mountains and how close to God I feel in them, but a little bit because I still remember that summer day in 2012 when I sold my first book surrounded by mountains.
Today we honor those who gave their lives to defend our country.
I’ve had many family members in the military, and thankfully none perished during their time serving this great country. It takes dedication, courage and a sense of the greater good to don the uniform. My appreciation goes out to each and every member of the military, and their families, who lost their lives. The sacrifice of others should give us a renewed pride in those active duty members, and for those yet to come.
Today I also ask a special blessing for those who have lost a loved one. May God have His hand upon those who might be hurting. May the memories of loved ones be sweet as we commemorate the fallen. Today, I think this scripture is appropriate for those whose hearts are broken. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7. I’m grateful that God takes care of all our needs, especially His presence during times of sorrow.
Let us take a few moments today and reflect on what an awesome country we live in and the incredible people who have taken the step to join the military to protect our freedom. This is more than a three day holiday. It is a time to thank those we’ve never met, but who have had an impact on this country.
God Bless!
Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, Stealing Her Best Friend’s Heart, available August 2021 .For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com.Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter and receive a link to download a free digital book.
For many of us, waiting is one of the hardest things. Whether we are waiting in a doctor’s office for our name to be called or waiting for a big breakthrough to catapult us towards our goals, waiting can makes us as antsy as a toddler.
Why is waiting so hard? There are a number of reasons that come to mind. If it is something like waiting in traffic, this is difficult because our lives are so busy, and we don’t know how to be idle. Also, we likely have a ton of tasks on our never ending to-do lists, and waiting is putting us further behind.
If the situation is something bigger, like waiting for a prayer to be answered or waiting for a dream to come to life, we can easily get discouraged along the way. We might start off hoping that things will work out, but then day after day, things do not seem to change. Or maybe the change is so small, we hardly notice it. Over time, our hope seems to wither. The enemy whispers doubts in our ears. And it is easier to believe the lie than it is to stand on truth.
Waiting can be a sweet place, if we approach it correctly and cling to God.
“But nothing teaches us so effectively as a prolonged difficulty. Unable to handle it on our own, we turn to Him out of desperation and ultimately realize how truly loving, wise, and good He really is.” – Dr. Charles F. Stanley, Waiting on God.
I know what it’s like to see other people’s dreams come true, while I still wait on the sidelines. In some cases, I don’t believe the other people truly wanted and longed for that particular thing like I had. Sometimes it all seems so unfair.
But God…
I have learned that God is a trustworthy God. So when I am faced with situations like these, now it is a lot easier for me to turn to Him with trust. I might still experience an ache in my heart at times. But I can still take that pain and hand it over to the Lord. I can tell Him that I trust His plans. I know He is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28). And I can wait with peace and contentment.
Abraham and Sarah knew a bit about waiting. They were told they would have a child in their old age. But it didn’t happen right away, so they took matters into their own hands. This resulted in a household filled with turmoil. You would think that after all they had done, God would have revoked His promise. But He didn’t. God still gave them a son at just the right time. His mercy and grace were greater than their mistakes. (See Genesis 15, Genesis 16, Genesis 17, Genesis 21.)
When I think about that story, I can see how Abraham and Sarah missed out on precious time with the Lord. Their waiting period was filled with frenzy. If only they had believed, they would have had some wonderful moments of waiting, as they clung to God. They would have learned that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us (James 4:8). This story reminds me of the importance of waiting on God. He can see the big picture. He can see the beginning and the end. He wants what is best for us and for His kingdom. When we learn to trust Him and wait in His loving presence, we will find peace that surpasses understanding.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. – Psalm 23:2
One of my favorite things to do is share God’s word with others through Sunday School. This season I’m co teaching Elijah: Faith and Fire by Priscilla Shirer. This is one of the meatiest studies we’ve ever done, and we’re still working our way through it.
I’ve learned so much about Elijah and what God wants us to learn and use through his example. When we reached the dramatic showdown at Mt. Carmel, Elijah let the Baal worshipers go first. They outnumbered him by the hundreds. They called on gods all day long. Elijah patiently waited.
When it was his turn, he asked for water. During a drought. He rebuilt the altar, used twelve stones to represent the Israel tribes, and poured so much water over the wood that the area became trenches. Ever try to light a fire with wet wood?
But Elijah knew God was his source. God had been faithful when He asked Elijah to pronounce the drought to King Ahab. When God sent him to a brook called Cherith during the drought. God sent ravens, a greedy, unpredictable bird to feed Elijah 1000 meals. God took care of Elijah, the widow, and her son. It was a no-brainer that God would bring the fire.
Elijah, for his part, remained steady in prayer. When the widow’s son died, she didn’t argue when Elijah took the boy upstairs to Elijah’s room. That was his prayer place where the widow knew Elijah had spent hours and hours talking to God. Elijah had been obedient in all the things God asked of him. The only rule for Mt. Carmel was neither side was to light their own fire.
And so, as supernatural fire does, it reigned down. Man-made fire flames up, so imagine the scene when everyone saw the fire.
You’d think that would be the end of Elijah’s story. We are in 1 Kings 18 and about to enter 19 where God then asks Elijah to pronounce rain is coming. When there isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s so nice out that Elijah’s best friend approaches him six times to let him know there’s nothing in the sky that remotely looks like a cloud.
But Elijah knows.
Priscilla shared a story about a ship that saw a light coming too close. The captain called out for the other light to move six inches north. The response was no, but you move six inches south. This went back and forth as the lights came dangerously close. Finally the captain proclaimed that as a Navy captain and commander of the ship, the other light must move six inches north. The other responded, “You move six inches south. I’m the lighthouse.”
I write all this because recently I saw a lighthouse in action. An opportunity came for this person to move the boundary line they had drawn for their life based on Biblical principles. To do so would not have been trouble or wrong, not right away at least, but they knew this was a conviction God gave and they decided to obey Him. It was not easy or fun, but they did it. This is a person who glows for Jesus. And that steady faith blesses many. Like Elijah, they are often set apart. It’s lonely being obedient, especially in the world today.
I believe I read that there were other Israelite believers at Mt. Carmel. But they didn’t speak up or join Elijah. He had to stand up and alone, and oh how God used him.
That’s something I’m taking seriously. Am I steady? Am I a lighthouse to this dark world. I sure hope so. How about you?
Do you ever have doubts? I know I do. I doubt my ability as a writer. I doubt my worth as a wife and mother. I doubt my testimony as a Christian. And the list goes on.
I don’t want to be a doubter, but sometimes those thoughts slip in and I dwell on them. It seems like someone is whispering in my ear, “You’re not good enough,” or “Who are you to do this?”
I realize this voice doesn’t come from God, but from Satan, the one who wants to lead us astray. I also know from scripture I am not alone. We are not alone.
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” Matt. 28:16-17 (NKJV)
We read often about Thomas, who doubted Jesus’ resurrection. But we overlook this scripture showing more than one of then doubted, even when seeing Jesus in person after he’d risen from the grave. They couldn’t comprehend the sovereignty of God and His mighty power to overcome death.
Do we refuse to see the work God is doing in our lives when we have doubts? Do we not trust enough? Do we lack the faith to walk the path He’s put us on and believe in His grace and power?
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” Jas. 1:6 (NKJV)
What a picture this is. The waves of the sea tossing a boat to and fro depending on where the wind is blowing. This is what happens when we doubt. We are tossed from one emotion to the next without a strong foundation beneath us. Doubting is not beneficial to our spiritual health.
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” 2 Tim. 1:8-12
This passage from 2 Timothy is a favorite of mine. When those doubts come, and they always will, I can have the confidence that God is able. He is able to instill the abilities I need. He is able to give me worth despite my mistakes. He is able to use my meager testimony to His glory. Because I commit my life, my all, to Him.
Give everything you are to the Lord. He is worthy and will give you the confidence you need to overcome any doubts.
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” ~ ACTS 2:38-39 NKJV
This upcoming Sunday is Pentecost or Whitsun (Whit Sunday). It commemorates the receipt of the Holy Spirit by the disciples and followers of Christ. Jesus Christ had promised the disciples a helper and had instructed them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” ~ Luke 24:49 NIV
Pentecost is known as the birthday of the Christian Church because over three thousand people were baptized at the first Pentecost. Can you imagine how awe inspiring it most have been to be there that day?
Holy Spirit helps us reach others. Holy Spirit enables us to use our gifts in a manner that will reach and allow others to comprehend what we are offering. In a previous article, I wrote about the gifts we receive from God. What gift or gifts were you given? Are you good at explaining things, singing, calming people down? Are you an excellent storyteller? Do children naturally respond to you? There are as many types of gifts as there are people. It’s up to you to decide how best you can use your gifts for the glorification and spreading the word of God. Holy Spirit is there within us, aiding us as we share with others.
Not everyone is called to go person to person or door to door testifying about the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Some are, but many aren’t. When I first heard that I was supposed to bring others to God, I felt ashamed because I didn’t have the gift for speaking about God’s glory, nor did I have the knowledge to testify. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I was to learn that, instead, I can use MY gifts from God to (hopefully) bring others to Jesus.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV)
We are called to use our gifts to the glory of God, thus testifying, sometimes merely through our example, to the power, love and authority of our Heavenly Father. I have the gift of writing and it’s such a blessing to be able to write about what I’ve learned. Do you have the gift of listening? Or the gift of caring? You are called on to use what you were given, not what was given to someone else.
If you’re like me, you’re relieved that you can use something you are already good at and enjoy to help others discover the love, beauty and salvation of Jesus Christ. Happy Pentecost!
*****
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I never did very well at public speaking in high school. Once a year, all of the students would have to make a speech in English class. The students who had done the best in each class would then compete against each other in a school-wide competition. Again, the best were chosen to compete against the best from other schools at the regional level, and so on.
I never progressed beyond my own classroom, always finishing with a B or a C, in the middle of the pack.
This is odd because I am one of the few people from my high school who has done any public speaking as an adult. Sometimes I have even been paid for it. Many people would rather swim in shark-infested waters than speak publicly, but I enjoy it.
This has puzzled me for some time. I concluded that one of the reasons for the disconnect between my high school speechmaking and my later speechmaking lies in the content rules. As students, we were told that we could talk about any subject except religion and politics. Those topics were considered too controversial.
This is distinctly odd if we think about the usual topics for adult speechmaking. Adults really make few speeches. Besides teaching, the two main arenas for public speaking are religion and politics. That is, the primary forms of adult speeches are sermons and political campaign speeches. I’ve delivered both.
So, the school decided that the topics that were not allowed for students’ speeches were the two main topics covered by adult speeches. No wonder I didn’t do well at high school speechmaking. Outside of these two topics, there is not much worth making speeches about.
Jesus said that the two primary commandments were to love God and our neighbor. Those are the arenas of religion and politics. Sermons tell us about loving God, and political speeches should outline the best ways to love our fellow human beings. Jesus evidently knew a lot about good speechmaking.
Okay, I know what you’re saying…change can be beautiful? No way. I’m inclined to agree with you. I’ll be the first person to say I am not a fan of change. It can be disruptive and overwhelming to your peace of mind. But in life as in writing, change is inevitable.
So when I recently had an unexpected change occurred in my life, I found myself searching for a way to find something good about change. And what I found was not only good but beautiful.
First I thought about the changing seasons. If you live in the north where it snows a bunch, you probably love it when winter changes to spring. My favorite season is the fall because it marks the end of the long hot Texas summer. Fall is a welcoming change in both temperature and scenery. Good thing…right?
Then I thought about a change in my family life. This year, my husband and I celebrate your 38th year together. There are days when I still can’t believe that much time has gone by and how blessed I am to have him in my life.
Then I thought about my writing. I’m so happy to be called a Christian writer, but if I’d never taken the chance to enter a Love Inspired writing contest would I still be searching for my place to serve God? Getting my first Love Inspired Suspense contract confirmed what I believe God wanted me to do with my writing.
So, if you are going through a change in your life or your career, take a moment to look back on the changes you’ve gone through so far. I bet you’ll see the fingerprints of God throughout it all.
While change is always hard and can turn your life upside down, as I’ve looked back on my life, I’ve realized change has always moved me toward good things. And looking at it now, I can see God’s hand through it all.
There’s little doubt that we are collectively embroiled in a season that tries the soul. It doesn’t matter which side of an issue, an event, or what persuasion you happen to be personally, politically or professionally, at present it is seemingly impossible not to be at odds with another—often a family or friend, co-worker or relative—with whom you’d prefer to coexist in peace.
Intense times often create this challenge, and few deny times have not been extremely intense. Unfortunately, and for some reason that escapes me, there are a multitude of people perpetuating the discord and division. Why? I’m sure their reasons are as diverse as the people themselves, but the result has netted unnecessary fear, upset, and led many to conclusions not seated in logic or science and definitely not in good will toward others.
So, since we cannot control others only ourselves, what do we do about it? How do we stay balanced and on a scale of reason, logic and common sense during these times?
I’m sure different people have different coping skills that work for them. For me, I’ve made some changes, big changes, in my life that have proven to be productive.
I read about Isaiah, who definitely had a soul-trying season. Early on, I noted two things: “Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid” from 2 Kings 19:6. That leapt off the page at me and I felt an inner calm. The second thing noted was Isaiah asking God for a sign. He was ill and, he thought, dying. It wasn’t the illness or dying that snagged my attention. It was a sundial of sorts in 2 Kings 20:9: And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
That really caught my attention. The specificity of his prayer. God knows our hearts, yes. Of that I am certain. But something else niggled at me to think deeper, so I paused there to ponder on the matter.
God granted us free will, and He always keeps His promises. That includes respecting our wishes with regard to our free will. Reason then follows that the more specific we are in petitioning Him in prayer, the more assured He is that we are expressing our free will and He is acting in accord with us and not violating His gift to us.
I confess, it is hard for me to ever think in terms of God violating me in any way. He comes from a place of love and protection, after all. But His desire to not violate makes sense, too. For any violation would be a violation of Himself, and that God would never do. He might say no. He might chastise, correct, make us aware of our flawed thinking or actions. But He would never violate us or Himself.
That makes specificity extremely important, doesn’t it? I think so. And I examined my prayers and things we’d talked over, and I wondered if I had been specific in the way that wasn’t (when you get down to it) an affront to God. None was intended, and He would know that, of course. Still, I wonder if I haven’t made His efforts to guide and instruct, to assist, harder. If in a sense, I haven’t often tried His soul. And if my specificity could make guiding, instructing and assisting easier, then I must attempt to do it.
To that end, even more important during this season of trying times, I made some changes:
I stopped watching the news. I go directly to the sources to seek information and stay informed, but I do not rely on those I once did in the media. This helps one to avoid slant and spin, misinformation, and to skip the drama and sensationalism.
I limit discussion on current events. If someone specifically asks a question and I can, I answer it. But I do not enter into debate. Right now, many consider everything political despite knowing full well that not everything in life is about politics. Yet everyone is entitled to their own view and opinion. That’s as it should be since we’re all at different points on our personal journeys.
I start my day with a constructive, positive thought. It sets the tone for the day. I want a good start, not a day I spend grimacing. The point? Be the change you want to see. If you want positive, then be positive. I particularly like thoughts about gratitude for all the blessings in life. Mine, loved ones, everyone’s. Gratitude is both humbling and liberating. A wonderful way to start the day.
I’m doing things in small doses or increments. Rather than trying to eat an elephant in one bite, I’m taking little bites of everything. Work projects, tasks, the to-do items. I prioritize it all so the “must-dos” get done first and then work in bits. There’s less frustration when one stops before hitting maximum overload and when one switches from a physical task to a mental one, to a spiritual one, to work, then to another physical task, perspective of the task and what is being accomplished is fresher on each effort. You’re not worn to a frazzle before you start. Instead, it’s as if you’re energized.
There are other changes and other benefits, but I wanted to share just enough to give you the idea without taking too much of your time. I do want to share the most important lesson I’ve learned in this.
We all endure times that try our souls. They are seasons, not life sentences, and they will pass. The harder we work to make our time during them as painless as possible, the less we suffer during them. Our view of these times aids and assists us in dealing with them.
The most significant point is to hit your knees first and not as a last resort.
Talk things over, have an extremely active prayer life. I’m not saying you have to pray every minute or for hours. I’m saying be mindful and active in prayer. Some prayers might take a while, particularly if you’re puzzling through something that confuses or confounds you. Other prayers might take a second or a minute. One of my daily favorites: “Thank you.” Two words. But heartfelt and important to me.
During some rough health issues, I learned any morning you wake up is a good morning. Life holds the potential for hope. So, thank you isn’t a canned phrase to me. It’s profound and brimming with potential and hope and, yes, healing.
God wants this close relationship with us. He wants to be involved in our lives. He wants us to live life abundantly. Not wearing rose-colored glasses or unaware of things but keenly attuned to Him. Each of us matters to Him. He needs to know He matters to us.
It benefits all to pray and live and keep moving forward on our journey with gratitude, without fear . . . and with specificity.
A few weeks ago, my daughter and two grandsons came for a visit. The boys, ages two and five, accompanied us to the park or on short walks, but one day I took our five-year-old grandson, Jimmy, on a longer walk out in the desert.
We hiked over a fairly steep hill and took a dirt track that leads through a bunch of old glass. I thought he would enjoy seeing the sparkle. When we reached the next hill, a much smaller one than the first, he stopped and got so excited.
“Grandma, this is the tallest mountain in the world. I can see it from my house and have wanted to climb it.” His enthusiasm made me laugh as I looked at the not-so-impressive-to-me hill. Plus, he lives in California and we live in Arizona, so seeing this small hill from his house would have been pretty tough. Maybe he has some sort of superhero glasses.
Still, we walked further with him chattering in excitement about climbing the tallest mountain in the world. He couldn’t wait to get back home and tell his mom where we had hiked.
I keep thinking about that walk and about how Jesus said we should be like little children in our faith. I’ve pondered Jesus words many times over the years, but listening to Jimmy brought new light to the scripture. What are those qualities that I saw in my grandson?
Trust—Jimmy trusted me to lead him where he’d want to go. He never complained about the hills. He didn’t complain about the broken glass lining the roadway. Instead, he chattered about anything and everything and followed where I led.
How many times does God lead us somewhere and all we do is complain or find fault with the journey? Maybe we should focus on trusting more and enjoy being with the Lord as He leads, no matter how difficult that road might be.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.” Jer. 17:7 (NKJV)
Enthusiasm—There is nothing like an enthusiastic child. They see the world in a different light. They aren’t jaded by time and circumstances, but see every day as fresh and new.
We would all benefit from starting our day with enthusiasm for what God has in store for us. Maybe circumstances are depressing, but when we give thanks to Him, and when we consider that we are doing everything for Christ, that can change the downward spiral of our thoughts and attitudes.
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”. Col. 3:17 (NKJV)
Joy—Jimmy’s excitement for the-tallest-mountain-in-the-world was amazing. He didn’t see that it was a small hill. He didn’t notice the sparse brush and prickly cactus or the glass beside and on the path. He just looked forward with joy to something exciting.
How often are we so beaten down by what is happening to us and around us that we don’t see any way to find joy? During those times, we must remember that our joy is not from what we are experiencing but our joy is in the Lord. We are joyful because He loves us. We are joyful because is He is our protector. We are joyful because He guides our footsteps. We are joyful because we’re His.
“…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Neh. 8:10 (NKJV)
Willingness to share—For the rest of his stay, Jimmy told people about climbing that mountain. His excitement was contagious and brought smiles and laughter.
Sharing Jesus with others must be done in light of our joy in Him. We must show enthusiasm for who He is and what He does for us. People will get excited about Jesus when they see our excitement and joy. Share with eagerness and zeal. He is worthy.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
The next time you are around a child, note the way they approach life. Learn from their outlook and consider why Jesus recommended we come to Him as a little child. Climb the tallest mountain—even if it’s not so tall—with all the trust, joy, and enthusiasm of a child. Then tell someone about your experience.
“I want it!” How many of us have heard a toddler wailing in a store about a toy or candy they wanted. Those little ones can scream so loud and make you think something catastrophic is happening, when it is just their fleshly desires fighting with their parents’ wisdom. But how much better are adults these days? Too many of us want, want, want. And often times, when we want something, we simply go after it.
Some of us want material items. Some want substances to take away their pain. Others might want a spouse or children. We might want success or a lot of money. We want people to like us. We want to be accepted and approved of. We want to fit in. We want food, even when we are hungry. We want nice homes and fancy cars. We want to travel and to check items off of our bucket lists.
Not all of these things are bad, necessarily. But when our wants take over our actions, they can become idols. Too much of our wanting boils down to the fact that we are subconsciously trying to fill a void. We think when we get what we want, we will find happiness. But often times, when we get what we thought we wanted, it has lost its shine. Then we set our eyes on something else that we think will satisfy us.
The Samaritan lady at the well knew a bit about wanting. She wanted men in her life. When Jesus speaks to her in John 4, we learn that she had been through five different husbands, and was then living with a man who was not her husband. Perhaps it made her feel as though she were loved. Perhaps she thought it would fill a void that only the Lord could fill. But this lady learned a valuable lesson that day. She learned that Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy the wanting deep inside. Jesus tells her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v13-14)
When we spend time with God daily, He fills us. His love will flow to all the empty places in our heart. Over time, our views and wants will begin to align more with His views and wants. We finally understand that He will take care of all of our needs. We want for nothing, except Him. We will see that we have the Lord and that is enough.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. – Psalm 23:1
God doesn’t create a bad sunset, no matter where they are. Pixabay image.
The last couple years have been full of challenges, am I right? This was my first Mother’s Day without my mom, and I’m so thankful our daughter had her junior prom that weekend as it really distracted me.
Junior year I was ready for. Our son’s student teaching experience was on the agenda.
Mom’s death wasn’t. At least not on any human agenda.
Although the fog lifts a little with each passing day, it’s still surreal. This time last year she was gardening, and longing for her return to volunteering at her church post Covid restrictions. Even when she was ill and recovering, she passed so many hurdles that we had no idea when we wished each other a Happy New Year that she wouldn’t even see the week out.
Life’s been quite the navigation since then.
One of the goals my sister and I had for our healing was to re create the one vacation our parents went on. In 1999 they went to Hawaii and they came back full of joy. They had such peace and told us story after story. We found a trip that copied that itinerary and even offered a cruise from the same line my sister and I first used in 1995. We thought what a great way to travel, combining the trip our parents loved along with a cruise around the islands.
Our hope was to travel sooner than later as our hearts have been so heavy. In between closing accounts and making calls and helping others who are grief stricken I confessed to my husband I was mentally barely holding on. Tired? Way past that. I wanted something to focus on that got us out of our space.
As you can imagine the goal was lofty. We looked at restrictions and didn’t see anything that told us to hold off. We booked, got updates, were counting down, and got an email.
The cruise was canceled. They are re starting their voyages a mere two weeks after our orginal date. We thought about rescheduling, but now they have stricter restrictions in place that make us think it’s best to wait.
For my weary soul, it was a crushing blow. I was holding on to that destination, that time frame as my “if I can get to this, I’ll be okay.” To have it taken away after the pendulum swing we went through with mom being so sick, then not, then doing great only to have her gone, it just hit hard.
My husband decided we still needed something. We know a trip isn’t the answer, Jesus and His comfort is. But a change of scenery is a break we could all use, so we went back to the drawing board.
Now the plan is to take mom’s birthday, our first without her, and travel from our locations (my sister and nephew live 300 miles away) and meet in Lancaster, PA. Mom adored the Amish lifestyle and soaked every aspect of it up that she could. Her dream was for me to write an Amish romance but I never felt the urge. Mom was friends with the Amish and they even obtained permission to attend our dad’s funeral. She drove them and attended their dinners. So Lancaster feels right up her alley and the perfect way to remember her. We also plan to attend the Sight and Sound Theater’s Esther.
From there we will journey to Ocean City, Maryland for that respite. It’s not Hawaii, it’s quite the detour, but one we’re looking forward to just the same. We might trade a cruise of the Hawaiian islands for a dinner cruise, and that’s okay. Like I wrote above, we know a vacation is not our healer. Even in our grief we have a lot to be thankful for.
Life is full of curve balls we don’t see coming and it’s hard. Super hard. I take refuge in the fact that nothing surprises God. He knew mom’s death date even when we didn’t. He knows what’s best.
Can you believe it’s May already! Here in Florida, the sun has been shining and the days are longer, along with the temperatures rising. But it’s never too hot to spend a day with my daughter at our favorite place.
Last week I celebrated another birthday. **Sigh** I think I’m going to stop counting. My daughter wanted us to have a special day, so we headed over to EPCOT for the Flower and Garden Festival. The sights are always amazing and we enjoyed a stroll around the party, stopping to eat here and there. Instead of explaining how beautiful the park looked in its Spring finery, I took plenty of pictures to share.
And by the way, Happy Mother’s Day! Hope you enjoyed your day with family and friends.
Just a peek of Spring in Florida. Enjoy the beautiful season where you live!
Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, STEALING HER BEST FRIEND’S HEART, available AUGUST 2021 .For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com.Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter.
