New Beginnings

Note: I wrote the gist of the following in my journal in December 1997. However, the message remains true and applicable to us today. 

As I reflect on all that happened last year, I also look toward the New Year and wonder what it will hold. None of us knows what's ahead, not even in the next hour. But I take comfort in this sentence I read in a little booklet as I waited for an appointment: “Every ending holds the promise of a new beginning.” 

I like that, don't you? Whether the ending is a good thing or a bad thing, it does hold the promise of a new beginning. Perhaps it holds an opportunity to start over.  Or an opportunity to experience growth of various kinds—emotional, mental, financial, spiritual, social, leadership, etc.  That’s exciting!

On the other hand, new beginnings can be scary.  However, there’s much wisdom expressed in an old song, these bits and snatches of which came to mind as I thought about what might be ahead:

“I don’t worry o’er the future.  I just live from day to day.  I don’t borrow from its sunshine for its skies may turn to gray.  I don’t worry about tomorrow.  It may bring me poverty.  But the One who feeds the sparrow is the One who stands by me.”

How wonderful to know that—no matter what changes (i.e. new beginnings) are ahead —God stands by us! Yes, by you. And by me. And... aren't we glad that we do not go alone into the new beginnings? That we get to hold His hand as He leads us into tomorrow, into the time of new beginnings?

To listen to the entire song, please click here.

Don't Worry!

Some days are relatively carefree, but many are filled with uncertainties or fears or traumas or heavy loads of responsibilities—and sometimes a combination of them or other difficulties. (I’m speaking from personal experience!)

That’s why I’ve searched the Scriptures for answers as to how to deal with those things. Again and again, I have read the command, “Do not worry.” Yet, I continue to worry. Well, I say that I don’t, that I'm only “concerned” about the circumstances. But the truth is, “I’m worrying.” I often ask questions like these: “How will we manage? What will they do? What if...? When will...? Who will help me? Why doesn’t God...? How much longer?”

Why do I ask such questions? After all, I do believe that Jesus spoke the truth when He said, “The Father knows what you need.” I also believe that God loves me (and those I’m concerned about) and will supply the need in His time and in His way. Yet, I worry--some days more than others. Because I do, I need to memorize the words on this graphic I created and repeat them every time I'm tempted to worry. Perhaps you could benefit from doing that, too?

Always in HIS Care

One afternoon I stepped outside to take a look around. I saw beauty everywhere. A male cardinal sat on a leafy bough. An Eastern Phoebe perched on the limb of a crepe myrtle. Bright red cactus blooms, some as wide as a saucer, cascaded from the huge hanging basket on the front porch.

Peach colored daylilies and buds galore caught my eye as I strolled along the sidewalk. Purple and white irises looked so lovely against a backdrop of hydrangea leaves.

As I happily photographed such beauty, I reminded myself (again!) that the Creator God who designed and sustains everything is the One who is in charge of me, too. Why, then, do I worry? 

Lessons Little Flowers Have Learned

While drifting in and out of sleep as I listened to BBN radio early one morning, I heard  a beautiful song entitled Little Flowers. I immediately sat up in bed so that I could search the Internet for it. Thankfully, I found several links, including this one: https://youtu.be/Du6I_WgrwUY. Thus, I was able to listen to it again and again, as I hope you will, for it reminds us to learn the lessons the little flowers know, including these two: “rain” is necessary for us to grow; the sun will shine again.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tell us to consider the flowers. They do not toil and spin, yet the Father clothes them in such splendor. Will He not do even more for us? Yes! 

When I Am Afraid...

Refuse to Worry!

Do you worry about almost everything—and everyone? I tend to do that, but I’m really trying hard to stop it. My mother was a worrier, as was her mother, as was her mother.... 

Although I come from a long line of worriers, I’m hopeful that the worry “gene” has not been passed on to my daughters, since they don’t seem to worry as much as I do.

While it’s good to be concerned about ourselves and others and the challenges we face, it’s not good to fret about them. One person likened worrying to rocking in a chair. “It gives us something to do but doesn’t get us anywhere.” 

In Luke 12:25-26, Jesus pointed out the futility of worrying when He asked, “Can you add a single cubit to your stature?” (Some translations say, “Can any of you add one moment, one hour, to your life span?”) Since no one can, Jesus went on to say, in essence, “Then why are you worrying about all sorts of other things?” 

Instead of walking the floor or tossing and turning all night or talking endlessly about how awful a certain situation is, why not spend that time talking to the One who CAN do something about it? Then, trust Him to handle it in His way and in His time.

Not Forgotten By God

Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
~Jesus, in
Luke 12:5-7

My Eyes Are on Thee

What do you do when you face a huge problem, one that seems beyond human ability to solve?

Perhaps you do what I am prone to do: Worry! Talk with others to get their “take” on it. Consult the experts. Eat comfort food. Mope around, weighted down with despair and uncertainty.

But, Dear Reader, if you and I are wise, we’ll do what King Jehoshaphat did many centuries ago when hordes of enemies were coming to attack his kingdom. He first sought the Lord’s will in the matter: he prayed; he fasted; he commanded his countrymen to do the same.

I love the conversation he had with God. (Thankfully, it’s recorded in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20.) The king said, “We are powerless against this great horde….We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on Thee.”

What did God say? Here’s a paraphrased gist of it, which is what He says to us whenever we cry out to Him for help: “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at the size/scope of the problem. The battle is not yours but Mine…You will not need to fight in this battle. Instead, go out against the enemy; but then, knowing I am with you, stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf” (Based on vv. 12-17).

As promised, God gave them a great victory, and the king and his army didn’t even have to fight the enemy!

Wouldn’t we love for God to do that for us? He will—if only we’ll turn to Him in humility and trust in His love for us and His willingness to help us. (After all, we ARE His children, the children He loves!) 

Do we have to be perfect in order for God to do something miraculous for us? No! King Jehoshaphat certainly wasn’t. Although he’d done much that was right, he did have some bad decisions on his record, as you and I certainly do.

So…Dear Reader, let’s seek the Lord, rely on Him, and thank Him and praise Him (in advance!) for the victory He will give us. 

Don't Be Anxious!

The robins have returned to our area. As I observe them in our yard, I think of this little poem I've read often through the years.

Overheard in an Orchard

Said the robin to the sparrow,

“I should really like to know,

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.”

Said the sparrow to the robin,

“Friend, I think that it must be,

That they have no Heavenly Father,

Such as cares for you and me.”

~Elizabeth Cheney, 1859

Note: The sparrow was wrong. We do have a Heavenly Father who cares for us. It’s just that we don’t often realize we do! Neither do we pay attention to these words spoken by Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34, ESV, emphasis added:

²⁵Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ Or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles [unbelievers] seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow…

Consider the Lilies (and Other Flowers)

Here in the South, Spring came early this year--and, as always, we were glad to see it.

As I write this, it's early April. Yet, so many of the spring blooms have already put on their annual display of splendor and each now lies in various stages of decay at the base of the bush or tree that they adorned.

Since I still yearn for Spring's beauty, I purchased a small container of potted tulips and placed it in a sunny spot on the screened-in porch so that I could enjoy the lovely blooms. One day when they were especially beautiful, I set aside my many chores and went to the porch to photograph them so that I'd have a lasting remembrance of their beauty. In addition to my camera, I brought along a vase that contained a large stem so heavily laden with amaryllis blooms that it had broken off from the main plant. (My husband had spotted it in the yard and brought it into the house, knowing I'd be thrilled to photograph the blooms, as well as enjoy them as they sat on a counter top in the kitchen.)

The minutes flew by as I took close-up photos of the blooms. I was in awe over the intricate details the Creator has placed in each one, even though they would only bloom for a short time and then fall off. As I took photo after photo, I began to think about these words of Jesus that are recorded in the sixth chapter of Matthew, verses 25-33, New Living Translation):

"So I tell you, don't worry about your everyday life--whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

"And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet [King] Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you?"

We should believe Him, shouldn't we? After all, as He said to those gathered around Him (and to you and me, as well), "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."

Wow! How different our lives would be if we, like the flowers, simply relied on God to meet our needs. We could stop worrying, stop trying to “make things happen,” stop obsessing over “stuff,” and stop being overly concerned with “tomorrow.” If we doubt that God will supply all that we need, we should find assurance as we look at the birds, lilies, tulips, amaryllis blooms—and all of nature.

Like a Child

“Poor little guy,” I whispered as I held my newborn grandson and gently rocked him. “You’ve been through so much, haven’t you?”


And he had. First, he’d undergone all the usual traumas associated with being born. Then all sorts of unexpected problems arose. His white blood count began to rise, indicating an infection somewhere in his tiny body. In order to be able to administer frequent doses of antibiotics to help his body fight off the infection, medical staff inserted an IV needle in his right thumb, where it stayed several days before being relocated to his foot. Medical staff also drew blood from him daily in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the antibiotics.


And if all that poking and prodding weren’t enough for the little one to handle, he had some choking/strangling episodes, which led the doctors to conclude he had acid reflux. Treatments for that were added to his daily regimen.


Then he developed jaundice, which is fairly common in newborns. To clear up that problem, he was stripped of all clothing and placed in a special bed with fluorescent lights shining on him from above and from below. In order to protect his eyes from the bright lights, he was blindfolded.


I learned so much from Michael during his five-day stay at the hospital. For example, I noticed how quickly he settled down once the current trauma was over. He didn’t lie there and dread the next one. Instead, he enjoyed comfort wherever he found it—in loving arms, soothing voices, warm blankets…


While all the adults around him were very concerned about him, he seemed to have no worries at all. He simply endured each procedure and then settled down, wonderfully oblivious to the next one awaiting him.


Is it possible for adults to relax as that baby did? Possible, yes. Probable, no! We know too much about what’s next, don’t we? And that information makes us even more fearful, especially if we know more pain is in our future.


But what if we could just relax and simply trust God to either enable us to face the next hurdle or else spare us from it? After all, we accomplish nothing by dreading what’s ahead, do we? Unless God spares us from it, we will have to go through it—whether or not we are scared to death.


It seems much more logical, to me, to say, as David did, “Lord…I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me. But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with his mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me” (Psalm 131:1-2, (New Living Translation).


Such childlike faith doesn’t come easily or naturally to us. Therefore, we may have to do as David did and say, “…put your hope in the LORD—now and always” (v.3).

Michael, at home with his mother

In fact, we may need to remind ourselves many times daily to place our hope and our faith in the Lord, especially if we’re fearful of what lies ahead.

And whenever worry threatens to erode our faith in God, we may have to simply tell ourselves, "Stop it!” Better yet…hold a baby and notice how he rests so trustingly in our loving arms.

©2007 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill. For permission to use, please contact her.