Lessons from a Pup- toy vs toy giver

Sweet Ellie pup is such a good teacher about my own shortcomings. The other day I let her out and instead of running to me, she ran right to a toy she wanted to play with. 

It was a reminder of how I do the same thing with God. I often run to the created thing for the momentary happiness instead of the creator. Instead of to the giver of the gift, the one who can make more, I pick the limited created thing.

I am grateful that the Holy Spirit teaches us lessons in all things and how Ellie shows me a picture of myself sometimes. 

Loving Father

I enjoy people watching... most of the time. It is fascinating what you can learn from even just the observed interactions of those around you. 

I was seated outside eating breakfast the other day. The tables were along a somewhat busy road and there were lots of customers coming and going. There were some cringe moments, some joyful moments, some sweet moments... the full Gambit.

One of the sweet moments was seeing a father with his two little kids picking up breakfast. As they were leaving to cross the street, he did the classic 'everyone holds hands' move. The little girl clearly was still learning this move as she was not fully cooperating. 

This incredibly normal moment struck me as so beautiful. It revealed the way God loves me, like that father and daughter. The father wanted to hold her hand and wait for the best time to lead her to cross because He knew the danger. She had  no idea danger even existed. That sweet girl had no idea how hurt she could be nor could she get herself where she needed to go without his help.

We can sometimes see the dangers more clearly now given time, maturity, and experience but we still don't see it all. Why then is it still so hard to put my hand in God's and trust him to be my loving father? To let him lead me? To believe he is leading me the best way to my best? Why do I still want to choose my own path? Goodness sometimes I am that same little girl. I need his help and guidance. Oh that I would trust him more to be the loving father that wants to give me and lead me to good things. 

those that go before

Thank you to all those who have gone before and helped make the way a little clearer, safer, and supported for us. 

I was running on a trail I have run hundreds of times. Lots of people walk, bike, and jog here year-round. But fall is such a fun time to be on the trail because the colors are lovely, the leaves are falling, and the distinct autumn smell is in the air. I like to use my time on this trail surrounded by nature to pray and help refocus myself on God. I had just prayed for God's spirit to be present here- for people on this trail to experience him whether they know him or not. 

Ahead of myself I saw two ladies who had stopped their walk and were looking at something on the trail. As I approached from one direction, a father and son who had been fishing approached from the other. The women stopped us with the palm up stopping hand motion. They had retreived a stick . What the women were trying to do was protect either us from the snake or the snake from us. Probably both. 

It was all coiled up and aggressive. It wasn't very big but it blended in well with the leaves and was irritated (possibly had been passed too closely by a biker?). I looked at the dark snake and markings and am thinking it was a copperhead which is venomous. 

The man volunteered to move it with the stick but it lunged at him and it was clear a longer stick was going to be needed. We found one and he was able to safely get the snake off the trail. 

The presence of this snake on the trail right after that prayer, and right in my running path really struck me. I was so grateful for those ladies who went before me and saw this potential threat. I was very grateful that they didn't just go around and leave the problem for someone else. That someone would have been me, running in prime striking distance to this well blended angry snake. 

Without those that go ahead of us and help clear the way, those who come behind could get very hurt. The importance of people who go before us and help guide and protect us is critical to our journeys. 

So I reflected on how grateful I am for mentors, parents, entrepreneurs, teachers, coworkers, and my family through the ages. These people prepared a way ahead of me, making a path, clearing it of danger (or at least pointing it out), and encouraging me to keep going hopefully even further than they did. Not for my own glory, but so I can keep the process going and help prepare the way for those who come after me. 

Pruning

Pruning hurts! I know it is a for a greater thing, for something better and more fruitful. But there is a difference in knowing and experiencing the pain of pruning. I think you know it is pruning because of that pain. 

It hurts because what is being pruned is still living. It is way easier to have something dead and that I no longer care about cut back. That seems far less painful. But there also was no potential for fruit there either. And if there is no fruit, then there are no seeds and no potential to multiply. And God is in the business of seeing us produce fruit for His glory. 

John 15:2

'Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."

So I am trying to feel and embrace that pain as he prunes. It means there was something living there, that may have been good, but I serve a God who is for my best and his greatest glory. Let us grieve the loss well while looking forward with the hope for what is to grow from pruning. 

Seeds

Seeds are crazy little things. It blows my mind how the tiniest of acorns can grow into a mighty tree. All you have to do is drop into good soil, add water, and wait.

There is so much information and potential contained in this little package. 

There are so many lessons to be learned from seeds- Jesus taught many. Lately I've been caught up with the idea of how we "plant" seeds.  As we share truths about God and the gospel we are planting seeds. Heck, even when we tell ourselves lies we plant seeds. Everything is a seed, just not everything grows. What are you watering? What are you putting more focus and energy into?

When you plan seeds as in for a garden, you put a few in the hole and thin them out later. The glory isn't to what specific seed grew but to the "fruit" and harvest that will be produced. It's not about the glory of the seed itself or the planter but about the glory of the harvest. 

Jesus teaches all these things, Paul reinforces them, and I'm just amazed at how much they have to teach me. 

Why did God make mosquitoes?!

This is one of the top questions my dad says he is going to ask God one day... along with "who actually shot JFK?" and some others, ha. I know God has purpose and intent behind everything He did. He had purpose and design for his creation as He created it.  BUT what blows my mind is He even had purpose and design to how it would still work after the fall. 

I do not know what the initial purpose of the mosquito was... maybe some kind of pollination? Who knows...What I do know now though is it is summer and they are coming out to disturb my front porch sitting and outdoor yard hangouts. The bites are obnoxious and itchy. I am grateful we are in a place where we do not have to fear the diseases they could be transmitting on top of the annoyance. But still... they are pesky little things.

Some pieces I started to put together are:

• there was no sacrifice of blood until after the fall
• mosquitos suck blood
• blood usually symbolizes life
• here where we have four defined seasons, mosquitoes are mainly out in summer
• summer is a season typically of growth into harvest.

Now what I think when I see mosquitos I will remember this. Part of God's design in using them is as a reminder there are forces out there trying to steal our lifeblood in the midst of times of growth. May the slapping of a bug off my arm or leg be a reminder that there are literal forces out there trying to steal, kill, destroy, and rob me of the growth and life God has given me. And may the itchiness of a bite be a constant reminder of my need for the gospel and Christs' sacrifice because my lifeblood is not enough.

Ephesians 6:12- For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Thoughts about heading back to the office....

Day one after 15 months of working from home. Phew!  Working in person is exhausting! Real talk, I felt like I had already put in at least half a day by the time I arrived. And that was simply between getting everything done I needed to before leaving (trash cans, watering the plants, not hitting the snooze button, morning prayer walk and reading my passages for the day), dealing with the crazy drivers and traffic driving to work, and cleaning up the yogurt juice that spilled on my mat driving in. I was ready for a nap at 10:30 am.

I am so lucky and grateful that I even had the opportunity to have the luxury and precaution of working form home during the pandemic. Thanks to a great IT department , supportive company, and being able to even afford internet/etc. I am so glad my family stayed safe during all this time. It is an absolute blessing and privilege that we were able to get vaccinated as people in other countries are having new waves of COVID. I have been thanking God for all those things that were answers to prayers early on.

But it was also such a unique opportunity I am grateful to have had learning about and growing in myself. It felt like every three months there were huge changes and shifts. God was so kind to help hit the "reset" button for me. He introduced me to people and groups at the exact right moment. God used them to call out things in me that I had forgotten were there... things I had let gather dust because they were not appreciated where I was. Things I am good at and actually enjoy. God used them to grow me towards a deeper awareness of my understanding of me, my feelings and emotions. God helped point me back to Him in it all with the reminder that he designed me on purpose with specific gifts and to seek him, not the "American dream" as my guide map for how to use them. They are for His glory, not mine. He has done sooo much work in this time, I am both amazed but see how much I still have to grow. 

I think I have learned I thrive working from home. I guess that is a thing? It isn't that I don't like seeing people. I am just way better at keeping myself focused and disciplined on work on my own and developing a healthy balance between work and life as a result. People around me are always going to be distractions- I want to listen to what they are saying... maybe join in... figure out what to join in on and what not to...  I built a little community here that I loved. A routine that I loved. On day one I already miss Eddie the mailman... my Dunkin' girls... waving to neighbors on my lunch stroll... seeing out the window what family member is visiting my neighbor... 

There are good things no matter where I am. There are opportunities to glorify God. This is a new chance to develop rhythms and patterns that focus around his glory from the get go. I don't know where this is all going... but I just know it was a much bigger shift than I expected!  Here we go.