The past week was filled with opportunities.
One morning, it was the dog.
He’s been on the back deck during the night ever since I found out he had diarrhea in his kennel all night long.
(He’s got a sensitive tummy)
My first clue to that something had occurred happened as I looked out the window and a white and red thing lay in the lawn.
At first I couldn’t figure out what it was, but eventually realized it was one of my three detachable mop heads.
Then I saw the deck.
The gate hung at an angle, the tie (which should be securely keeping it closed) lay on the deck along with a bag of rags I keep in the barn.
The dog was no where in sight, so I went to put on my boots just outside the front door.
Nothing.
I came back inside and put on an old pair of sneakers, then went to gather the lambs’ bottles.
Nothing.
I started to pray.
The Lord reminded me I had extras, so I got those out, gathered the things I use for milking and headed outside.
As I got closer to the barn, our dog exited it wagging his tail.
He’d obviously had a wonderful night making messes all over, but I don’t trust him with the animals and the sight of him coming from the barn frightened me.
After securing him back on the deck, I headed down to check out the animals and chickens.
All was fine.
“Thank You, Jesus!”
Which triggered my notice to my attitude, because the more mess I saw the more frustrated I was getting.
This year God has been teaching me to live this verse:
Philippians 4:4 KJV — Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
I hadn’t been praising God through these things, I’d been feeling sorry for myself over all the extra work I was going to have to do.
Humbling myself before God, I apologized for looking at the circumstance through a selfish lens.
“Lord, thank You so much for keeping the animals safe. Thank You that the dog didn’t hurt himself last night. Thank You that so far I can’t find anything that’s been chewed up, just things out of place. Thank You for helping me with my attitude.”
With this correction to my perspective, the morning went much better.
I was able to get chores done and God helped me find two of the missing bottles, both undamaged, both my other mop heads, and one boot.
These are expensive boots my husband got for me, because I live in my rubber boots most of the time.
While searching the yard in my wet sneakers, I kept praying for the Lord to return the other boot.
God kept reminding me to praise Him, even if I never found the other boot.
Psalm 97:12 KJV — Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Which I did, although it was an effort to keep praising and refusing to worry.
Time had slid by and I needed to do other things.
So, the one boot I’d found partly buried sat lonely in the laundry room while the day passed.
That evening my husband came home from a week long work trip.
We walked through the veggie garden together, then the orchard, and finally we went through the blueberries.
As my husband stopped to pick a couple ripe ones, I stood staring at the ground.
Our berries are planted above ground in well rotted barn compost and something caught my eye.
It was a strange thing, because I just kept staring at one part of the compost between the bushes thinking, “What is that?”
It was dark and nearly covered, but I thought it looked like a pattern.
“No, it’s not a pattern…. It’s a tread!!”
I reached down, with an exclamation of surprise, uncovered my other boot.
“Praise the LORD!” I cried.
My husband agreed and then added, “Well, I’m sure glad he didn’t dig up one of the blueberries when he buried that.”
“Right?!”
I was so thankful to God.
And I can relate better to a parable.
Luke 15:8-10 KJV
[8] Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? [9] And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. [10] Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
And with that better understanding I’m drawn closer to the heart of God.
For God shows His awesome love for people in this story and I am reminded of what’s truly important.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for teaching me to praise You. Thank You for reminding me of the enormous value of even one soul. Lord, I lift up those who have yet to know You. Lord, please continue to save the lost, to break the chains of abuse and addiction. Lord, bind the enemy and bring forth Your salvation to a world so desperately in need of You. Lord Jesus, through Your Word, we know not all people will choose to repent, not all will accept Your gift of salvation, but for those who do and have let us not grow weary in doing good. Let us not grow sleepy in this great time of need. Let us not be apathetic to those perishing around us. Rather, help us be lights that shine brightly in the darkness. Let our lives reflect Your Word and Your love. Lord, please use us to bring glory to Your name and understanding to those who have yet to know You. Please help us to handle Your Word with respect, diligence, and love. Help us to walk in Your Word: 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV — Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 