Faith & Family

On a warm Florida fall day, my husband and I drove to Chamblin Bookmine to sell a box of books. Whenever I have a fair number of books to release, I start with Chamblin’s. Whatever they don’t take, I donate.

Because there were stacks of books from other customers ahead of us, the clerk asked if we would like to browse the store as we waited. I preferred to go outside to enjoy the sunshine, but I decided to take him up on his offer. I later realized the reason.

As my husband and I browsed the aisles of books, my hand eventually landed on a small book, Object Lessons from Nature, by Sylvia M. Mattson. I paused and leafed through the pages, noticing that the author used lessons about nature to teach lessons about Christ-centered living. 

Finding this little Jesus-filled book in Chamblin’s felt like finding a needle in a haystack. The store clerk later informed me they had just gotten this treasure in, and I knew it was there for me to encounter.

When we delight in seeking God daily with all our hearts, we can find Him in various ways. Sometimes even in small books in large bookstores.

Some ways we encounter God also create additional paths for connecting with Him. I am now journeying devotionally through Object Lessons from Nature, and God continues to give me sweet signs of His presence as I do.

Seconds into reading Lesson 1 on “The Smaller Plants,” a small leaf from a tree in my side yard landed directly over my heart. I don’t typically see the leaves dropping there. On the day I started reading the chapter entitled “Leaves”—because of the gloomy, cool weather—my eyes were suddenly drawn to the many leaves on my fall-themed tablecloth. Even indoors, God connected objects from nature with His presence.

The ways I encounter God are refreshing and fun to my spirit. I enjoy seeing Him in every little detail. If we want to find Him, all we need to do is take the time to seek Him daily.

Think of some ways you can seek God in your daily walk.

A flagger once stopped me in a road construction zone. “Not again,” I muttered under my breath. “Why do I get stopped or detoured when running late?” Then I took a deep breath and detoured my thinking.

At nineteen, I worked as a flagger to put myself through college. Yes, I was one of them. Suddenly, like many things in life, I realized this was all a matter of perspective.

It’s easy to get resentful and wonder why things happen. Waves of frustration used to run through my veins when I was stopped by a flagger—back before I became one.

The truth is that detours and road construction signs symbolize the rebuilding of roads. Removing the worn, cracked pieces of asphalt and replacing them with smooth, uncracked highway surfaces makes our lives lovelier, although the process is often bumpy.

God uses the same process with our hearts. We all have places of despair and crustiness—chipped pieces that need remodeling. Sometimes, when life seems to be chipping away in chunks and cracking into pieces, our loving God is in the process of renewal, repair, and restoration.

Nowadays, I like to wave, smile, and bring flaggers cold drinks. I offer them gifts of gratitude. They are making the roads safe, smooth, and beautiful. We are blessed by new resurfacing.

Remember that sometimes, it’s easy to think of life’s detours and roadblocks as potholes. Instead, they are remarkable journeys to remodel and resurface the potholes of our hearts. 

I shall never forget the day my five-year-old granddaughter, Amara—buckled safely in our booster car seat—looked out the window on her side of my car and exclaimed, “Nana, look at that mountain. I know God lives right behind it.”

I was headed north, and Pikes Peak, America’s mountain, was in full view from Amara’s window, facing west.

Curious about my granddaughter’s thoughts, I asked, “Amara, why did you say that?”

Without hesitation, she replied, “Because the mountain is so pretty.”

This majestic mountain boasts brilliant beauty for locals and visitors alike. I am drawn to its beauty daily. I never tire of gazing at her splendor. Even a five-year-old can be pulled into this mountain’s beauty, so much so that her thoughts voyage to God, her Creator.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? In this one of the Songs of Ascent, the psalmist lifts his eyes to the mountains and simultaneously wonders where his help comes from. He undoubtedly comprehends that the unmovable structures are vast, solid, and robust when he concludes his help comes from the Lord.

The Bible is full of incredible promises of help from God for those who hope and trust in Him. Daily, He forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He grants eternal life to us through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus. Further, His love is unconditional, and He never leaves or forsakes us.

Whatever hardships, tragedies, or sorrows we face, God will calm our fears and shine His light into our dark holes, comforting us as only He can.

My granddaughter proclaimed God’s beauty in our Pikes Peak Mountain, the mountain that stands out above all the others in the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Even at a young age, she associated her Creator with its splendor.

Some of us may not live close to the mountains, but we can lift our eyes to the Lord for help with all trials we may face. Remember from where your help with daily living comes. 

The beam from my flashlight cut through the inky black midnight darkness. A tree root hidden in shadow grabbed my foot and tried to trip me. For the fourth or fifth time, I wondered what the heck I was doing crawling out of my warm bed in the middle of the night to go outside and look at the sky.

Three days earlier, the sun, going through one of its cyclical tantrums, threw a significant solar flare straight at the earth. This would result, so said serious-looking scientists in their serious-sounding voices, in the Aurora Borealis—the Northern Lights—putting on a spectacular show. It might even be visible, they said, across the northern United States.

Now, Middle Tennessee, where I was currently tripping over tree roots in the dark, can hardly be considered part of the northern United States. All the handy charts and models showing the possible visibility of the Northern Lights left Tennessee out of the party ... way out. But this was a once-in-a-lifetime event, so they said, and I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look. 

It had sounded like a much better idea the night before when I was setting my alarm to wake me up at 0 dark thirty than it did at the moment.

Having had my eyes on my feet in the dark, I hadn't looked at the sky. As I worked my way out from under the hickory, oak, cedar, and black walnut trees that fill our yard, I turned off the flashlight and closed my eyes to reset my night vision. 

Opening my eyes, I turned to the north. My mouth dropped open in sheer astonishment. The night sky before me shimmered in a spectacular array of red and green. Amazingly, against all odds, the Northern Lights had arrived in Middle Tennessee. The sight so struck me that I actually felt like dropping to my knees. I whispered, "Thank You, Father."

The Lord reveals himself to us in many ways. Some are small and still, and some are just downright spectacular. This was definitely one of the spectacular ones. But the constant truth is we have to seek Him. Had I not forced myself out of bed, I might have missed God's amazing handiwork emblazoned across the sky.

Sometimes, seeking the Lord doesn't have to have a profound divine meaning or be a spiritual truth revealed, although those are wonderful when they happen. Occasionally, it is enough to simply gaze upon his amazing handiwork and say, "Thank you, Father."

Take some time to marvel over God's unique creation. 

I’ve been embarrassed at least twice in my life—both times when my parents and I were eating out with friends.

One time, I told a friend I would be glad to eat out with him for his birthday. I asked him if it would be okay if we ate at a fish place. He agreed. When the time came to order our food, he ordered a hamburger. I was embarrassed when he told me he didn’t like fish. I was glad the restaurant had something else he wanted.

The other time, I invited two of my friends out to eat for my birthday. We went to a taco restaurant. One of them told me it was my birthday, and I could eat wherever I wanted. I only chose the taco place because it was his favorite place to eat, but I’d eaten at one of the same restaurants before and found something I liked. This time, however, when we went, what I thought was the right thing was a taco shell with chicken and everything in it. My parents had to take me somewhere else after my friends finished eating.

But there is one place we won’t be embarrassed, and that’s when we see Jesus. We sure don’t want to be embarrassed then, whether at the judgment seat of Christ or the Great White Throne judgment.

Let’s avoid embarrassment. Let’s do as much as possible for the Lord because we love Him. And if you don’t know Christ, ask Him now to forgive you and start doing good works.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and mintchipdesigns.)