To the Rescue

As I walked from the kitchen to the landing at the top of the stairs that lead to the garage floor, I noticed a female hummingbird flying hither and yon near the high ceiling of the garage. I had no idea how long she’d been trying to find her way to the outside. And I didn’t have time to help her since I needed to arrive on time at the doctor’s office.

When I returned an hour or so later, she was still flying around and around even though I’d left the double-car garage door open. I knew the tiny hummer was exhausted and panic-stricken. Yet, I didn’t know how to help her. Even if I had taken a broom and tried to usher her toward the opening, I was too short to get it near her.

I prayed, “Lord, help me think of a way to help her.”

Then this idea popped into my mind: She’ll be attracted to the red single-stem tulip in a red vase in the living room.

I hurried to get it. I placed it on the small table in the garage. Afterward, I stood on the landing for a minute or so to see what she’d do. She continued flying around and around.

Then I thought, I can put water in the base of the hummingbird feeder I washed this morning.

I followed through with that idea, feeling quite proud of having come up with two creative solutions. When I returned to the landing, the little hummer was trying to sip from the silk flower. Even though she found nothing nourishing there, she was able to see the way out of the garage. In a flash, she was gone.

As I brought the vase and flower and the base of the feeder inside, I said, “Thank You, Father, for helping me save one of Your tiny creatures.”

I’m like that tiny bird. I sometimes get myself into situations that I don’t want to be in, situations that I never intended to be in and can see no way out of. When that happens, I am so thankful for those God sends to rescue me. I am especially thankful He sent His Son to set me free from the sin that entangled me and would have resulted in spiritual death and separation from God for all eternity. 

Set a Good Example!

Day after day, I observed a mama and daddy bird bringing bugs to feed their four hungry baby birds in the nest on our porch. Every time I looked out the window, I’d see one of the parents sitting on a post watching expectantly for an unsuspecting bug to fly by, or I’d see a parent swoop in—bug in mouth—to feed the young ones.

As human parents, we understand the struggle to provide for our offspring, don’t we? We know about the extra—often difficult—things we do in order to meet the needs of those in our care. Although we’re often worn out from working so hard to provide what our children need, we continue to do all we can for them. That’s what loving parents do!

Soon the day comes, as it did for the bird family, when the young ones leave the security of the nest and enter the adult world. Hopefully, they will thrive there. And when it’s their turn to parent, they’re likely to follow the examples we set for them, examples of faithfulness, kindness, dependability, loyalty, love....

And children do model what they’ve heard us say and seen us do. Although some children will behave dramatically different from their parents, most usually follow the example Mom and Dad provided for them. Scriptures such as 1 Kings 22:51-53 (below) confirm that.

Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly imprinting our attitudes and actions on others, especially the younger generation whose minds and hearts are as easily molded as Play-Doh.

May God help us to provide good and godly examples.

Ahaziah the son of [King] Ahab began to reign…
He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD 
and walked in the way of his father 
and in the way of his mother [Jezebel]…
[Ahaziah] provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, 
to anger in every way that his father had done.

1 Kings 22:51-53, ESV

Fruit In Its Season

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

   Nor stands in the path of sinners,

   Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

   And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

   Planted by the rivers of water,

   That brings forth its fruit in its season,

   Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

--Psalm 1:1-3, NKJV

Apples on a tree at Honeywood Farms in Barnesville, GA

Come and Worship!

Sunset at Gulf Shores, Alabama

Like a Watered Garden

If you extend your soul to the hungry

And satisfy the afflicted soul,

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, 

And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 

The LORD will guide you continually, 

And satisfy your soul in drought, 

And strengthen your bones; 

You shall be like a watered garden, 

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:10-11, NKJV

A section of my neighbor's beautiful garden.
J. Gaskill Photography

In His Hands

O Father, I want to be as pliable as a lump of clay in Your hands and as silent. By that I mean I don’t want to question Your design of me. I acknowledge that You have every right to make me--and to use me--however You wish.

Yet, as You know, Father, I tend to look at other “vessels” You have made and to want to be like them. And, as You also know, I tend to think my many flaws make me of little use to You. Forgive me for demeaning your design of me. You knew exactly what You were doing when You created me. Forgive me for being unwilling to believe You want to use me.

Father, I acknowledge that I am the work of Your hands and that You can and will use me for Your purposes—whether in common or uncommon ways, whether in special service or lowly service. The choice is Yours. I'm content with whatever You choose. I'm excited to see what You will do in me and with me and through me.

Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in Mine (Jeremiah 18:6).

Seek to Serve

Employees at a fast food restaurant I enjoy smile at every customer and say, “Thank you for choosing Chick-fil-A. How may I serve you?” 

As I reflect on that, I realize that the “How may I serve you?” question is an excellent one you and I can ask as we encounter people throughout the day. What does this person need? Assistance? Encouragement? Rest? Money? Am I able to provide that? Do I know someone who can?

Although choosing to serve others requires something of us, it is the right thing to do. Jesus taught us that. He temporarily gave up the glories of heaven to come to this earth to live among needy and sinful people like you and me in order to show us how to love and serve while we're here and to provide the way for us to live eternally in Heaven with Him. 

The Bible says, “He came not to be served, but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

His mission was to serve others, and He did. So should we.

He Will NOT Forsake Us!

Too Much on the Plate

Note: While working on a special project I came across this article I wrote in 2002. It's relevant today since "overwhelm" rarely goes away!

For a time, my eleven-month-old grandson Bailey sat in his high chair and munched happily on his Cheerios and little slivers of an apple.  When I noticed that he had eaten nearly all that was on his tray, I gave him a little more. Suddenly he began to smash his “yum-yums” with his palms and to swipe them off his tray onto the floor.

“Bailey! No! No!” I said.

His mother cleared the tray immediately, and together we wiped his hands and cleaned the floor. As we did so, she said, “That’s what Bailey does when he feels overwhelmed.”

I laughed. “I understand! All too often I feel as if I have too much on my plate.”

Realizing that I was referring to responsibilities rather than to food, Jena nodded knowingly, since, “like mother, like daughter,” she, too, normally has more going on than she should have.

As I reflected on that experience, I realized that at least Bailey had the good sense to get rid of the things that were overwhelming him! While we adults ought not to dispense with our responsibilities as quickly as Bailey did his food, we can learn how to admit that we are becoming maxed out and to ask for help. (Actually, we have the option of saying “no” before we let people put more on our plates than we want. That is our best line of defense.)

Even after we accept certain responsibilities, we still have options. 

One, we can hold on to and perform our duties even though our stress reaches dangerous limits. (Not a good choice!) 

Two, we can learn time management and organizational skills that will help us juggle all our jobs more efficiently and effectively. (Better.) 

Three, we can delegate some of the tasks to others.  (Great idea for us, but perhaps not good for the persons to whom we pass part of our load!)

Fourth, we can spread out our calendars and our commitments before God and say, “These are the things I have agreed to do. But, my ‘plate’ runneth over! Help me know which ones I should keep and which ones I should let go of in order to regain my sanity and to renew my joy in serving You and others.”

You know what? He will begin to instruct us. He may speak through others as He spoke to me years ago when I was wearing not only my “Super Mom” hat but also several others. My boss at that time often said, “Johnnie, you don’t need to do things the hard way.” For example, after I’d made a batch of homemade cupcakes and delivered them to the school, he smiled and said, “You could have bought them.”

He was right, of course, but that thought almost never occurred to me. Even so, God continued to send gentle reminders to me via that dear friend, as well as others.

God also speaks through our circumstances. Sometimes we get to the point where we are absolutely unable to continue doing a particular thing. Thus, we have no choice but to remove it from our plate. And sometimes God allows us to become so miserable in a situation that we have to let go of it even though we’ve always felt we couldn’t or shouldn’t.

God also directs us through His Word, especially when we come honestly and humbly before Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living Translation) tells us the steps to follow if we want to know what we should or should not do. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.”

A Brightly Shining Light

When the memorial service ended, I headed straight to the college-age woman who had sung so beautifully and said, “I just have to tell you how touched I was with your singing. Your voice is like that of an angel. And the light of Christ shines from within you.”

She smiled sweetly and said, “I do love the Lord.”

“That’s very obvious,” I said.

During the few minutes we talked, she told me that her life’s verse is Matthew 5:16. She even uses m516 as part of her blog address, which reminds her of that verse every time she types the address or shares it with a friend, as she did with me.

A day or so later, I looked up that verse and the surrounding ones. As I read Matthew 5:14-16, I noticed that Jesus had spoken those words to His disciples, which means they apply to us today.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone put a lamp under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (NASB).

She was a wonderful example of that. The light of the Lord was all over her: in her eyes, on her face, in her body language, and in the emotion with which she sang “Amazing Grace” and “When We All Get to Heaven.”

Because I want to be a light like that, I prayed, “O Father, I do want to let others see Jesus in me. I want His light to be so evident in me that people (even strangers) will be attracted to the light they see in/on me and will inquire about it, as I did with the young lady. And when they inquire, may I acknowledge, as she did, that Jesus is the source of that light, that He is the One who deserves the praise and glory for the beautiful light that radiates from me to others."

More, So Much More

When our grandson Bailey (age 17) visited recently, I showed him some digital photos I’d taken of other high school seniors so that he would have a better idea of what kind of senior photos he’d like me to take of him.

After we’d discussed potential places and poses for his pictures, I showed him a sampling of the pictures I’d taken of him through the years. As I clicked quickly from one to another, Bailey seemed to grow up before our eyes.

I said, “Bailey, I can’t believe how you’ve grown!” He nodded and grinned shyly—and a bit proudly—as we enjoyed those few minutes of witnessing his transformation from toddler to teen. "You can easily do things now that you could only dream about doing when you were much younger."  

Bailey has become more, so much more, than he or we ever imagined. And, God willing, there is more, so much more, ahead for him as he transitions from high school to college, to career, to....

Thinking about that reminded me that Christ is more, so much more, than a tiny baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmastime. His full potential was within Him even then; but, as He grew, those around Him observed more and more of the awesome person He was becoming. Those of us who never saw Him with human eyes have “beheld His glory” by reading His story that’s in the Bible. 

Yet, even the most articulate people who wrote the words in the Bible could not adequately tell of the greatness of Christ. But what they do say compels us to worship Him and to praise Him. The more we learn about Christ and the more we experience His presence with us, the more we realize that He is more, so much more, than we realized when we first heard of Him. Thus, Christ becomes sweeter and sweeter to us as the days go by.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created...all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together...." (Colossians 1:15-17, NASB).

Loving and Giving

Note: Below is an excerpt from a newspaper column I wrote in 2001. I'm sharing it again since the idea it expresses remains true for today.

In a Christmas card I received last year, a friend had written, “Every year I like to sit down and re-read the cards I received the Christmas before.” I decided to do that, too.

After re-reading a card from one of my first employers, I paraphrased its message and used it as the introduction for this year’s annual Christmas letter. 

Throughout the year, 

but especially at Christmas, 

we remember the special people in our lives—

the wonderful people 

we’ve been privileged to know and love. 

The people with whom we’ve had good times. 

The people who’ve helped us during difficult times. 

The people who’ve been thoughtful and caring. 

The people who’ve touched our lives

in ways we will not forget… 

Following the writing of that introduction and the re-reading of all the cards, I realized anew this simple yet profound truth: 

A heart that loves, gives.

The special people in my life have done exactly that, as has God who “so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, New Living Translation, emphasis added).

Love—whether that of God's "love gift" of a Savior or the love of others expressed in diverse ways—is the perfect gift for everyone!

Thankful for Each Day

I may be a tad weird, but I think a foggy day, even at the beach, is beautiful. When clouds prevent the sun from shining through as it normally does, I love the muted blue/gray color that softly shrouds the landscape, hiding many of the surrounding landmarks. I know that the fog will lift, and I'll once again see what it concealed, especially structures in the distance. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the scene just as it is.

Life's like that, isn't it? At first glance, a day (or several) may seem dreary. Even if we long for all things to be bright and beautiful again, shouldn't we give thanks for whatever kind of day we've been given? After all, as the psalmist so rightly said, "This is the day the LORD has made; [Let us] rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24, NKJV).  

In addition to rejoicing in the gift itself, let's be sure we rejoice even more in the Giver who loves us enough to give us that gift--and myriads of others as well.

The Creator's Work

The one who made the Pleiades and Orion, 

who turns darkness into dawn

and darkens day into night,

who summons the water of the sea

and pours it out over the surface of the earth —

the LORD is his name.

—Amos 5:8, Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Not by Chance

For the most part, I agree with what Saint Augustine said. However, I take issue with one word he used. I believe accidents should be changed to divine appointments. That small change is HUGE, isn't it?

As I reflect on my life, I marvel at the people God brings into my life--not by chance, as some would say, or by accident, as Saint Augustine said. I believe God uses time and place and circumstances to bring them into my life. Otherwise, it seems to me, I would not meet them during the normal course of my life. 

Since I believe God puts people in my life for a reason, I should pay close attention to them. I should ask, “What does God want me to learn from them? Has He sent them to bless me? Has He sent them so I could bless them? Or both?" 

Under His Wings

Many times as I read the Bible, I’ll recall a picture I’ve taken that illustrates the principle mentioned in the passage. For example, as I read Psalm 91 (one of my favorites), several photos came to mind, including this one.

I took it in 2013 when my husband and I strolled along the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. The mallard duck didn't appear agitated by the thronging crowd or by the noise in that congested restaurant/shopping area.

I’m not sure why her ducklings had drawn near to her. Had something scared them? Was it naptime?

Whatever the reason, the protective mother and her little ones form a word picture of this promise found in Psalm 91:1-4, NIV: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.... [There] He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Yes, under His wings, we (like the ducklings) find protection. Of course, God has far more skill and power to defend those who seek refuge in Him than the female mallard does. But the mallard and her young ones illustrate the principle of God’s tender love and care for those who trust Him.

Where Do I Get Them?

As I became sleepily aware of a new day dawning, I activated the BBN Radio app on my cell phone. I smiled as I listened to an upbeat, happy, easy-to-remember song my children and I sang many years ago. It’s been given various titles such as I’ve Got Love Like a River In My Soul and I’ve Got Peace Like a River. Later that day, I listened to several renditions of it on YouTube. Here’s the link to my favorite: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1NlZO57W0eE

The song mentions having peace like a river, love like an ocean, and joy like a fountain in our souls. I love the imagery, don’t you? And who doesn’t want to have abundant peace, love, and joy within? 

The writer of the song (John O. Schroeder) doesn’t tell us where to get them. But the Bible does. For example:

• In John 14:27 (KJV), Jesus says to His troubled disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
• Jesus also said to them (and to you and me!), "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love"(John 15:9, KJV). The apostle Paul says (in Romans 8) that nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God's love.
• In John 15:11 (KJV), Jesus also said to His followers, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." 

Now we know where we get peace, love, and joy like a river in our souls! From Jesus! And He never fails to keep us well supplied. 

Aren't we glad our supply depends on Him rather than people or circumstances?

Brick by Brick

When I read the insight James Clear added to a familiar quote, I realized he was right. Indeed, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.”

Worthwhile projects take time and effort. None of us can construct something magnificent overnight, no matter how much we wish we could. However, we’ll witness our dreams becoming more and more of a reality if only we’ll follow the example of hardworking brick masons. They build beautiful structures by laying one brick at a time, hour after hour and day by day. Furthermore, they work as long as it takes to finish the job.

How hard and how faithfully do we work to reach our goals?

Go Deeper!

When we go to the beach, my husband ventures out a good way into the surf to pick up seashells. As a result, he finds many more unique shells than I do since I can only pick up those that have washed ashore. After we've rinsed our shells and spread them out to dry, anyone who views his collection and mine notices the difference in the variety and condition of the shells. Most of mine are common and often look weathered. But his...oh, my! They are richly colored, unusual, unmarred...

His collection should be better than mine. After all, he waded out into waist-deep water and struggled to maintain his balance while being walloped by the waves, something many shell seekers are unwilling or physically unable to do. Because of vertigo issues, all I could do was stroll on the beach and use a scooper to pick up the shells I wanted to keep.

I thought about that the day I began reading Deron Spoo’s book entitled The Good Book, 40 Chapters That Reveal the Bible’s Biggest Ideas. He encourages everyone, even experienced Bible readers, to reject the tendency to be satisfied with their current level of understanding of the Bible. “Don’t just settle for wading in the surf. Dive deeper! Untold riches await your discovery...each time we read the Scriptures, our understanding is expanded and our love for God is deepened” (Location 273). He’s absolutely right! 

Even though I can't wade into deeper water due to being unable to keep my balance when the sand shifts beneath my feet or when the water surges against my ankles, I'm not restricted from going deeper into God's Word. Whenever I open my Bible, I don't have to be content to play, like a child, at the water's edge. I can--and I do--go deeper, deeper, deeper into the scriptures where I discover incredible insights free for the taking.

Mind the Lord

A minister repeatedly said, "Mind the Lord." I hadn't heard that phrase in many years, but ever since I heard him use it, it has been ringing in my mind and heart.

For example, many times each day, I feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to write about a certain topic (like "mind the Lord") or to call someone or to send a card or to pray for a specific individual.

Each prompt provides me with an opportunity to "mind the Lord"--that is, to obey Him. I wish I could truthfully say I do everything He instructs me to do, but, sadly, I don't.

Sometimes I say, "I don't have time right now, but I'll do it later." However, later is sometimes weeks or months away.

Sometimes I say, "I'm willing, but I'm not sure what to say or how to do that, Lord."

Each time I delay, I disobey the Lord, and I withhold a blessing God wants to give to that person. Perhaps they need a word of encouragement to "keep on keeping on" with the good work they are doing. Perhaps they need to know that someone loves them enough to check on them. Perhaps they need financial assistance or help of another kind. Perhaps they're lonely and would enjoy talking with someone for a little while. Perhaps they're struggling with some issue and need a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on.

For all those reasons and many more, you and I need to mind the Lord. We need to do what He says to do and do it when He says to do it--without delay.