From yesterday…

I was struck by the combination.

Her profile especially reminded me of her mom.

Her lighthearted jokes reminded me of her dad.

And her words reminded me of my childhood.

Because we were little girls together.

This beautiful woman and her charming family sitting in our living room were visiting us and time seemed confused.

Within the combination of all the old things, new relationships and new connections were springing.

The clock moved too quickly and our visit came to and end.

We prayed together.

The joy and love remained, a gift of true friendship and encouragement.

I look forward to keeping in touch.

Only God can bring the kind of love that spans time and many miles.

Only in Christ’s body of believers do we find enduring and uplifting fellowship, such that your faith is strengthen and your desire to “run the race” is fueled.

My heart is so thankful to God for so many wonderful people.

And this week, I’m extra blessed by His gift of reconnecting me and my family with her and hers.

Proverbs 17:17 KJV — A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your faithfulness. Lord, it is through You that any of us are faithful. It is through Your love, that we love others. Thank You! How incredibly blessed I am to have so many wonderful people in my life. Thank You for each and every one. Thank You for my childhood friend and her family. Thank You that You have renewed our relationship and blessed us with a visit. Lord, thank You for my husband, our children and grandchildren. Lord, thank You for my friends and family, our neighbors and those who You bring across our path for just a season. Lord, thank You for all the people You use in our lives. Please continue to reach them daily. Please continue to help me love them all as You do. Lord, I want to live in such a way that they know how precious they are. Thank You, for Your faithfulness and love. I love You, Jesus. Amen.

Rejoicing in the day-to-day

Boy!

This was a long time ago.

I ran across this while searching for something else.

So many memories return with a look at our girls grown big before they were large.

How does it happen so fast?

You simply try to deal with life day in and day out while the miracle of childhood turns into the blessings of adulthood.

And suddenly:

Those tiny fingers and messy heads and snuggly cuddly bodies have stretched out.

You look and see not a child.

And it’s a common phenomenon.

On Saturday we traveled to a wedding ceremony for a man who we used to know as a little boy.

He too stretched out and changed in the day-to-day growth of children.

But I haven’t forgotten the little boy that he once was.

My voice was absent as I hugged him, all polished and ready for this major life change.

But he looked down on this tiny lady who loves him and said, “I love you”.

I signed, “I love you” hugged him again and let him return to his duties.

What a joy!

To daily walk in this miracle of children growing into men and women.

Only God could come up with such a wonderful blessing as babies to child to adult.

What an incredible honor to have years of daily opportunities to instill character into the future generation.

Of course we can only do that through Jesus.

He’s the One who guides, leads, and directs us, we simply have the privilege of holding, comforting, caring, and training those littles He for so brief a time.

And He adds the blessings of loving other littles too.

Children of our friends or church family.

Neighborhood children or those I was blessed to work with.

So many opportunities to share Jesus with those who have yet to leave childhood behind.

As I cherish memories of my children’s childhood, I praise God for the day-to-day.

Praising Him for today and all those which have come before.

Psalm 35:28 KJV — And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for today! Thank You for all the days we have shared with our children and with others. Thank You for pouring into our lives. Please continue to guide, direct, and teach us as we purpose to do the same with our remaining two who still live with us. Lord, please shine Your truth into other parents, that they might use these precious years of childhood to raise amazing adults. Thank You for Your love of children. Thank You for Your love of each one of us. Thank You for all You are doing day-to-day in our lives. We love You, Jesus. Amen.

A keepsake

The longest we have lived in one place is seven years.

Then the Lord moved us here.

Before that our longest had been five years.

It’s been good for me.

I’ve learned a lot.

One of the lessons has been in letting go.

God never wants me to cling to things.

But He has also surprised me in this season we are walking in.

Not long ago I was in the kitchen when my husband came from the garage.

His new job has required his focus and he’s not gotten his garage just the way he wants it yet, but he’s working on it.

That’s what he had been doing when he came in.

His eyes held mine tenderly as he reached out his hand.

His blackened fingers (something I love about him, he works with his hands just like my dad did) grasped something which he placed gently in mine.

I had no idea what it was.

“Look at the inscription.”

So, I turned it over till I found the initials carved into the metal.

I knew exactly what they stand for.

It was as if time fell away.

And my bare feet were standing upon the concrete of our driveway.

My long brown hair carefully braided and still wet from running through the sprinkler in the lawn.

My father working on Mom’s car in the driveway.

His tools carefully laid out on his work towels.

And there was Grandpa, talking to Daddy, bent over looking under the hood.

It’s not a real memory.

More like a collage of memory scraps all pasted on top of one another, making a whole picture.

So, how did a small piece of initialed metal cause this?

Because it was a tool used by my Grandfather and given to my dad which eventually was passed on to my husband.

All three men worked on machines of one kind or another.

My husband said he’d been going through his tool box and found it.

Tools have come a long way and this one is pretty obsolete compared to the other sets he has.

But he knew I’d want to keep it.

So, now it’s sitting in my room.

A reminder of how incredible God truly is.

It’s also an opportunity to pray for my extended family.

I doubt I’ll keep this forever.

It needs to move on, into the possession of another man who works with his hands.

But until the Lord shows me who He wants to bless with it, I’m happy to let it remind me of my childhood.

To let it spur me to prayer.

And to praise God for His unfathomable love and care.

Truly,

2 Samuel 7:22 KJV — Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for this keepsake. It means so much to me that You would care about a tiny insignificant detail like this. But You understand things that I will never comprehend. Thank You for all Your love and mercy. Thank You for sustaining me throughout every part of my life. Thank You that life has seasons and in each one You have a plan and a purpose. Please help my eyes to be open to what You are doing in this season. Please help my mouth to speak only Your words of encouragement or exhortation. Please let my feet never stray from Your paths. Thank You, Jesus. I love You. Amen.

farm

As a child my life was within the confines of the backyard,

Our street

Church

School

Occasional visits to family

Restaurants

The places we visited on vacation.

There were outings to the mall

The corner lot used as a once-a-year pumpkin patch

The cotton farm

But never did I really understand what farm life was like.

When my parents began looking for a “farm”

I was overjoyed

So was my little sister

We spent time talking together

and with all our friends

about the new life we would have

A garden to grow vegetables

Our own animals

A great big farm house

Space to run and play

Our own stream

It was a good thing I didn’t know what was ahead of me.

Not everyone would have the same experiences we had

Some of this was due to the fact that neither of my parents were raised on a real, live, working farm

Nor were either of them afraid to try their hand at whatever needed to be done

Some of the lessons were because our folks couldn’t afford a place that was up and running

Some of it was simply because of who we were.

I soon learned that a pig can bite a sizable hole in a rubber boot if allowed to do so.

Lambs are born at the worst time of the night, in the worst weather, and the worst possible section of the field.

Goats were not made for fence unless it is electric and “on” at all times.

Cows have no problem making your foot, leg or arm their standing place.

Chickens are happy to eat your tomato bugs, tomato plants, tomato leaves, and tomatoes.

There is nothing like a hard day’s work.

Staying up all night to save a small life brings incredible satisfaction.

The amazing amount of things you can make or fix with bailing twine.

The view from the side of the valley, at sunrise, when the mist rolls over the mountains, is breathe taking.

The pleasure of a warm fire, home cooked food, and family.

Although life moved on and the farm is only a memory

I am thankful that the Lord allowed that time in my life

Taught me the things He did in those situations

Gave me a real appreciation for those who are farmers

And a never tiring list of stories to tell to anyone who feels like listening.