Appreciating the Little (Which Really are Big) Things

“When Spring finally comes you have to look every day for what’s new, otherwise you’ll miss it!” – My dear friend, Dorothy.

Dorothy approached my table at our Women’s Bible study, talking about Spring.  I wish you could hear her speak.  With a beautiful, British accent, her voice carries along on what seems like a ribbon of fragrant lilacs.  I love listening to her talk. I love listening to her wisdom. I love what she said about Spring, and I love her.

She was talking about Spring in Wisconsin.  It’s been a tough one for us.   Surprise snow storms.  Cold, rainy/sleety days.  One just never knows what’s going to happen in Spring. Even today I heard that we are under a Winter Weather Watch for tomorrow and Wednesday!

Anyway, I’ve been thinking a lot about what Dorothy said.

I’m intrigued by Spring.

I’m even more intrigued – more like moved – by the Lord and His ways.

One of the things about me is that, sometimes, I’m just looking for the “big, beautiful bloom” – and I miss the little green growth – the little green gifts.

In Spring – and in life.

Despite the chilly temperature of 35 degrees today, mid-April,  I took a walk through my yard and looked for new growth. I had to get down to the ground and look closely, but it was there. Little bits of life bursting through the soil.

How anything springs forth out of the ground, I’ll never know -- but it does, in God's good timing and in His way. 

I’m working on changing my point of view about what the Lord is doing in each day, too.  I’m diligently, carefully looking for the life and truth and love that He brings about NEW every day, in every way.

Things like:

* Time to talk to my son while rubbing his back.

* An unexpected opportunity.

* A phone call from an old  friend on my birthday.

* A snuggle with my girls.

* An encouragement from God's Word.

* A hand-made gift, dropped off at my home by a friend and her family.

* A reminder that I am loved via a song on the radio.

How about you, dear reader?

Do you sometimes miss seeing the little (which really are big) bits that the Lord has just for you?

A Sneaky Chunk of Cheese

 (((( tee -- hee ))))

My status on Facebook yesterday read like this …

“Found a box of Velveeta in the back drawer of our fridge with an expiration date of August 2005.  Seriously … what have I been doing?”

This sneaky little piece of cheese keeps on coming to mind, as the comments role in.  I think that most of us can relate.  We discover expired things, at unexpected moments in time, tucked deep in the recesses of our cabinets and fridges, to then be almost archaeologically dug out and ... 

It’s funny, really.  At least it is to me, and some of my FB friends, as they wrote:

·         It’s probably still good!

·         That’s some old cheese!

·         That’s nothing. In our past 3 moves, I packed and moved expired can/box goods to 2 different homes.  Fortunately, I have thrown them away in prep for our next move. J

·         Aged cheese is supposed to be good, right?

·         Hee – hee! We ate tilapia last night (out of the freezer) that was dated July 2009!  What they didn’t know didn’t hurt ‘em!

·         Don’t be so hard on yourself – it’s not like you fed it to anyone … right? J

·         I’m not sure why, but hearing this from you relaxes my shoulders a bit. J

The thing is – believe it or not, I actually do clean out my fridge. I tend to be organized (yet, easily distracted), and although not a full blown germaphobe, I do keep an eye on molds accumulating and half-and-half creams congealing. I don’t like old yogurt, soft potatoes, dried out tortillas or bruised apples. 

But somehow this sneaky chunk of cheese got past me.  As I reflect back, I do recall noticing it in its undisturbed box at the back of my cheese drawer. I think I just kept on thinking, “Oh, I’m sure it’s fine. Someday, I’ll use it for a dip.”

But, I never did. I knew it was there, it appears that I just I avoided it.  After all, it looked okay from the outside. I guess.

Well, nearly 6 years later, with an expiration day of August 2005, this chunk of cheese has got me thinking, not just about the possibility of other things lurking in the dark corners of my fridge (I’ll work on that), but some of the things that I am sure are lurking in the out of the way places of – me.

 I know they’re there. I just choose to avoid them. It’s not that their bad, it’s just that they’re past their expiration date. I can’t use them anymore – don’t need them anymore.  I’m sure there are some chunks of “this” and chunks of “that” which I can --  well, chuck.

In addition, I am smiling at the fact that God does not stamp an expiration date on His grace.  It’s not hidden away for us to find, but right out in front where we can see it, taste it, feel it, rejoice in it. It never gets old. Never needs to be replaced.  

Funny how a sneaky chunk of cheese can get in my head and stir up some thoughts. 

Still laughing about it today.  We promptly threw the cheese away, but it did cross my mind – could there be a market out there for “Aged Velveeta?” And if so, should I have tried to sell it on e-bay?

A Time to Fly

At 7:55 AM this morning, I dropped my oldest daughter off at the doors of the High School for freshman orientation. She stepped out of the car, no longer a little girl, but a woman. Sure, the transition was gradual over the years, but something about this morning just felt different. Like a slide show in fast motion I remembered the first time I saw her on the day she was born, her first coos, her first steps, her first words. I remembered her first day of preschool, dressed in the pretty little yellow dress, and her first day of kindergarten, along with a thousand other snap shots of her life. And now – another first. There are likely to be many more to follow. But this was a big first for her (and for me) today.

I prayed for her on the way to school, like I always do with the children. I wanted to say so much, but there wasn’t time now. I wanted to tell her to be kind, be friendly, be wise, smile, and be careful. But I held back (at least for the most part), and instead, as she went to open the door, I said, “I’m proud of you, honey. You are a terrific person. You’re going to do great. I believe in you.”

And as the door closed, and she walked in to school, I thought, “Did I teach her enough, Lord? Is she ready? Did I spend enough time playing with her, teaching her, balancing love and discipline in her life? I pray that she will be wise and understanding. I pray that she will be confident in who You created her to be, and yet humble and considerate. Please help her to be courageous and yet gentle. Help her to be aware of others needs, but also strong enough to stand up for what is right. Help her to be compassionate, a leader, a tender spirited and strong -- a light in a crazy world.”

I felt a sense of peace that I did what I could do over the year, trying my best and trusting the Lord along the way. I have not done it perfectly, but I hope that she has learned by my strengths and my failures; I am sure she will need to learn from her own, as well.

I wanted to text her at 8:06 AM and say “How’s it going?”, but I didn’t, once again, I held back. It was time for her to fly.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I knew the ground was not fallow for I heard the tender steps of the Farmer and felt His gentle touch, right from the very beginning.

I could not be certain, all the time, what was growing there in the field of “sorrow and suffering” – but I knew it was good, for He had promised me that what He would plant would grow, if I allowed Him to care for me.

He asked me if I would permit Him to work, no matter what it would take. I wanted to be useful to Him. I wanted to grow. And so I gave Him the one thing I could find – a willing heart.

I did my best to trust. The winters were long and hard; the summers dry and hot, but over time, small shoots began to emerge – some growing quicker than others.

The winds blew and strengthened the little plants. The Farmer ploughed the ground with His love. He fertilized with His Word. He brought the Son to comfort. And He used my tears, as they fell from my eyes and landed on my heart, to water the little plants.

“I have planted special seeds in your heart, dear one,” I heard Him whisper, “seeds of grace, compassion, patience, courage, fortitude, gentleness, and many more.”

“But why is it taking so long for them to grow? “ I asked.

“A weed sprouts up quickly, but that for my service grows slowly. Their roots must be firmly established and their stems strong.”

“But, Lord, it is so painful.”

“Rest secure in this, dear one. I love you and I have plans for you -- plans to transform you and to use you. However, it must be done this way – it is the only way for you to know Me deeply and believe in my great love for you. Growing hurts, but I am here to help you. I am the one who tends you with tenderness. You cannot blossom anywhere else than right here.”

The little willing heart was encouraged and realized more and more that striving would not make a difference; only trusting the Farmer would. And regardless of what tomorrow held, the little heart remained just that -- willing.

And so my heart, dear reader, continues to wait and rest upon the Lord. The field of “sorrow and suffering “ are beginning to sprout up with life. The Farmer has been faithful and I believe now more than ever, that He is Who He is, without a doubt. I have learned to love Him in new ways, not because of what He has done, but because of Who He is. And that in itself is a lovely flower that is already blooming.