Category: inspirational

A Clean Sweep

Jesus, cleanse, heart, hidden, lifeIt was a floor I swept regularly. On this particular day I decided to move a small piece of furniture to get to an often neglected area. What I found there surprised me.

A grasshopper must have come in when the door was open. It became trapped and now I was sweeping up its remains.

A shudder ran through me as I related this incident to my life.

When I leave the door open for undesirable things to enter my life, they often come in unnoticed. These little things can hide in the corners of my heart and slowly accumulate. I may think they are not impacting me but sooner or later they become evident. My thoughts and attitude start to reflect the garbage that has been piling up inside of me.

Things may not look that bad on the surface but until I remove any barriers and do a clean sweep, there will still be garbage lurking there. These barriers are of my own making.

What I need to do is confess and bring into the open what I think I’ve been hiding. Jesus sees it all along and is just waiting for me to bring it to him. Once I do, he will do a complete cleanse of my heart. Then I no longer need worry about what may be discovered in those hidden corners.

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? (Proverbs 20:9 NIV)

God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. (1 John 1:9 GWT)

How Tall are You?

quote, inspiration, Jesus, messageI hadn’t seen my thirteen year-old granddaughter in a few weeks and went to give her a big hug. Something felt different and I realized she now surpassed me in height.

When I commented on this she crouched down to make me appear taller. I asked her to stand back up again and told her that I never wanted her to be “less than” she really was.

Later, I explained that we are all equal in God’s sight. She has special talents and abilities to share with the world and playing small robs others of the gifts she has to share.

In the book, Return to Love, Marianne Williams said “Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

This may have been a deep message to give someone my granddaughter’s age. I understand what a crucial time this is in her life and I remember the self-doubts that started in my teens and continued for many years.

They are still able to interfere with my life today. Perhaps the message was as much for me as it was for her. My talents and abilities are not the same as hers but each of us is an important part of the body of Christ. As such we need to rise to our full potential and use the gifts we’ve been given.

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. (Romans 12:4-6 NLT)

Moo’s Watching

Jesus, inspiration, love, sees meDo you ever feel like you’re being watched? I had that sensation as I walked along a quiet country road. There was no one nearby so the feeling didn’t make sense. Then I glanced at the pasture close to the road and noticed that many of the cows had turned to face me.

It felt almost threatening to have so many pairs of eyes focused on me, even if they were on the other side of a fence.

When I stopped, even more of them turned to watch me. I moved on a little but decided that I wanted a picture so went back. Most of them had turned away. The novelty of seeing a stranger had worn off.

This made me think of the many times I’ve been concerned about walking into a room full of people. What if everyone turns to look at me? I don’t fully understand why the thought of this is an issue. Although others may turn to see who has entered, they will quickly return to what they were doing. The exception to this would be if I did something outrageous or attention seeking. This is not a problem as I generally seek to be inconspicuous.

Instead, what I should focus on is the one who always sees me. Jesus sees me not only on my best behavior but also when I’m in my ugly, defiant and rebellious states. His love for me never wavers. Knowing this, I desire to life my life in praise and adoration for the one who knows me best and still loves me.

I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (Psalm 94:18-19 NLT)

Pelican Landing

make a difference, life, inspiration, Mother Teresa,My friend Teresa shared with me about a walk she took on an overcast day recently. She stopped to rest at a nearby lake and reflected on the quietness and beauty that surrounded her. That is when she took the picture that accompanies this post.

Moments later a pelican flew in and landed on the lake. Teresa watched in awe as this large bird landed so smoothly there wasn’t even a splash.

The pelican swam towards her and she noticed that it was leaving quite a wake behind. A thought occurred. If this pelican could leave such a wake, she wondered what kind of a wake her life was leaving.

Each of us drops many pebbles into the water of life. We may never know what we have done to make a difference in someone else’s life. Who we are and what we do has a greater impact than we are aware of.

Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” This is the kind of life that pleases God and will leave a wake that is far reaching.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)

A Kayaker’s Guide to Writing

craft, writing, inspirationMy husband and I are novice kayakers. We’ve been out a few times on a local lake. While learning to maneuver my water craft I realized that much of what I needed to know could also be applied to the craft of writing.

For me one of the most difficult things about kayaking is actually getting into the boat. My fear is that I will tip and end up in the water. Because of this I approach it in a hesitant, awkward manner instead of with confidence.

When I sit to write, the first few words can be the most difficult. Instead of agonizing over them I need to just start. The more I worry about them the better the chance I will become immobilized.

We saw other kayakers on the water. They it made it look so easy with their fluid movements. Mine are nothing like that and I get frustrated. The key is to realize that it takes practice to have control over my boat. It’s unrealistic to expect to master it on the first try.

The craft of writing is the same. Although my writing style may not be as smooth as I’d like, I need to remember that I may not have the same level of experience as writers I admire. The more I practice my craft, the more natural the flow will become.

My husband gave me advice to some of the problems I was having in steering the kayak. Although his intention was to help me, there were times I looked at it as criticism.

Critique in writing is similar. Helpful feedback can make me a better writer. I need to be able to put my ego aside and learn from what others have to tell me.

Another difficult thing for me was the waves created by a passing power boat or jet ski. In order to navigate these safely I needed to turn my kayak to face them head on. If they hit me broadside there was a chance of capsizing. When I turned my back to them I was swept too close to shore.

In writing, rejection is like those waves. I have the option to face it head on and continue. The wave might rock me, but won’t cause permanent damage. If I choose to let it hit me from another direction the effect could either push me backwards or throw me into the waters of despair and defeat.

I was ready to end my paddling adventure for the day but that brought another challenge. Now I had to figure out how to safely get out of the kayak.

Again, this reminded me of writing. My thoughts are all down on paper and I need to find a satisfying conclusion. It must be something that ties everything together without undue repetition.

Maybe what I need to do is go back out on the water and see what inspiration washes over me.

I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 GWT)

Walking in Syrup

sticky-deckWe arrived at our campsite to see sheen on the deck that proved to be extremely sticky. There were also some dark spots where the stickiness had accumulated. It felt like we were walking through syrup as we headed to the door of our trailer.

The deck was scrubbed as well as the table and chairs. We

positioned our chairs so we could sit and enjoy the sun. Soon I felt a drop hit my arm. I looked into a cloudless sky and realized that it wasn’t rain I was feeling. Thinking it must be my imagination I turned the page and continued reading. Soon I felt more drops but couldn’t see anything on my skin.

Then I noticed the table had sticky spots again. The only answer was that the drops I felt were coming from the trees at the end of the deck. Although I couldn’t see them falling, the cumulative effect sticky-treeswas an unpleasant stickiness that clung to everything they touched. Before long our sandals stuck to the deck again.

This situation reminded me of my life. It is easy to let bad habits or negative thoughts slowly creep up on me. They start out as minor annoyances that I can ignore. Before long these behaviours add up to create a sticky mess in my life. I long for the freedom and peace of mind I once felt.

The way to restore my freedom is to bring everything before Jesus. When I pray, confess my sins and ask for forgiveness He is willing to scrub my heart and make it clean again. When I follow his plan for my life my steps will be much easier to take.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13 NLT)

Lessons From a Nature Walk

nature pathWalks are wonderful for exercise and relaxation but sometimes I gain much more than that from them.

My husband and I set out for a walk on a hot summer afternoon. First we strolled along a peaceful path by a lake. Then we crossed through a field of clover where the only sound was the buzzing of the bees as they gathered the sweet nectar.

The scorching sun beat down on us relentlessly and we looked forward to the shade of the treed path ahead.

We soon reached the trees and were refreshed by the light breeze. Suddenly there was a swarm of tiny insects around us. I kept my gaze on the ground, afraid if I looked up, these insects would be inhaled. Although we passed through them quickly, there were several more swarms to be encountered as we continued.

One of the things I learned from this experience was that things are not always as idyllic as they appear from a distance. Many situations look perfect until I experience them first hand. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence!

Another lesson for me was to focus on the positive. There were some minor inconveniences on my walk but they didn’t dampen my appreciation for spending time in nature on a glorious summer day.
I need to remember that the Lord faithfully provides for me every day. His mercies are never ending and my gratitude to him should reflect that.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

How is Your Water Level?

water-level-sign

Not all lakes in Alberta are natural bodies of water. Many are man-made lakes, often in the form of a reservoir. Several of these reservoir lakes are near to the area I reside in. They are used for recreational purposes such as boating and swimming.

One that we frequent has a dam that controls the water level. As the summer progresses, more water is released and the shoreline recedes as the water level rises.

The various public entrances have signs posted warning that the water levels fluctuate. My husband and I looked at the sign and then talked about fluctuation affecting our spiritual lives as well.

There have been times when we have felt filled to overflowing with the love of God. Then there have also been times that we are dry, parched and longing for a drop of his cool, refreshing water.

What we need to remember is that this change is of our own making. God remains constant. His love for us does not fluctuate. I need to search deep within for the dam that is blocking my ability to access this. Only then can I release it and let his abundant love and blessing pour over me again.

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38 NIV)

Fields of Sunshine

canola fieldAs we drive I see vast fields of yellow stretching to the horizon. It feels as though the bright sun of the summer sky has come to life in the fields.

What I am viewing is canola crops that are ripening. After those lovely yellow flowers fade away, pods are formed. It’s the seeds in these pods that are crushed to produce the canola oil used in kitchens such as mine. Right now, these crops decorate the landscape.

When I get close enough to the plants to see individual stalks the visual effect is not as striking. It is when they are seen as a large group that their brilliance is breathtaking. I can’t help but be draw to the sight.

This reminds me of my life. It is my responsibility to let the light of God’s Son, Jesus, shine in and through me. He is the one that will enable me to reach my full potential. On my own, I can only share my little light with those I come in contact with. When I join together with other that are blooming with the light of Jesus, our collective Son shine will draw people to the beautiful life he desires for each and every one of us.

Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6 NLT)

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)

Is There a Right Time to Bloom?

Christmas cactusIt was early July when my husband and I purchased something unusual from a yard sale. As we perused the offerings, we saw a shelf with several plants. One was a Christmas Cactus with a single pink blossom.

This popular house plant generally flowers in the winter. The bloom caught my attention and we decided to purchase the plant. When we paid for it we were told the plant must be confused and think it was Christmas. My husband joked that it was Christmas in July.

I thought back to a Christmas Cactus I’d had many years ago. In order to produce flowers at the right time of the year, I was told to put the plant in a cool, dark spot and ignore it. A few weeks before I wanted it to blossom, it should be brought into the light and feed and watered.

When I went to retrieve it I discovered that the poor plant had shriveled up and died. I didn’t want this one to suffer the same fate so searched the internet to learn how to properly care for my new plant.

As I often do, I related this experience to life. If I distance myself from Jesus, the light of the world, my life will be in a dark place. When my spiritual life withers I am not able live a productive life. It is by trusting in Jesus that the Holy Spirit is able to make my life will blossom with love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. (Galatians 5:22 NLT)

Later, Jesus talked to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never live in darkness. They will have the light that gives life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

%d bloggers like this: