Shining Glory

 

                                  

                     Whatever the Lord pleases He does,in heaven and earth, in the seas and in all deep places.  He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.    Psalm 135:6-7

        The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.       Numbers 6:24-26

 

          Sitting before the waves all week has been a marvelous privilege.  After a very fully packed summer and fall, this has been a restful and refreshing slow down.  Watching the ever changing waves and just having time to sit with God and the powerful ocean He created puts me back in order.  

          Our garden was left to fend for itself at the end of the season.  It’s glory was fading as we left for the beach.  But switching from unending garden tending to sitting before the ocean  gave me time to think and listen.  God’s lesson for me after watching the powerful waves all week was a lesson in humility.  Wave after wave thunders the shoreline emphasizing the power of God in His creation.  Then in the late afternoon we watched the changing of the daily hours and reveled in each glorious sunset.  It became clear to me that the glory of the ocean is not in its own beauty but from the sun shining on it!  The sun changed the ocean into a breathtaking scene of yellows, oranges, violets, pinks, and brilliant tones in between.  

          Isn’t that what God’s Son does for us!  He makes His face shine on us with blessing and creates a beauty in us and for us that is way beyond anything we could conjure up.  Oh, what a great Savior we have!  He blesses us with salvation and then from ashes makes beauty.  You and I don’t create that beauty, but it is all from God’s Son.  Realizing this is so refreshing and humbling and freeing.  The work of God far surpasses any work of mine.  And when we are humbled we get filled with the glory of God!  Nothing in the world compares to the adrenaline rush of experiencing God’s glory!  His peace rests on us.

                                                                                                K.C.  

                                                                   

A Heart Close to Jesus

 

   

          Flowers come in all kinds and varieties.  I wish I could plant one of every kind!  For the gardener, there is no such thing as enough flowers or veggies.  The urge is just something inside us that we can’t explain.  God has given this trait to some and not to others, and it is from God.  The gardening character quality shows up in a life unexpected.  I do think it is a character quality, too.  There is just too much hard labor and sweat, experimenting and learning in gardening.  One has to learn some character!

          It was a surprise to learn that I was a gardener over 40 years ago.  And I am still learning.  One of the things I’ve been learning the last number of years is how wonderful and precious our 19 cherubs are.  Gardening isn’t even on the same radar as these 19 cherubs!  One of them recently pretended to be a flower in my garden pot.  What a prize flower!  He is certainly a character.  This cherub has half a heart, literally.  Hypoplastic right heart syndrome with pulmonary valve atresia and tricuspid valve atresia, for those medical people reading this.  Staying in the hospital 5 months, having multiple surgeries and open heart surgeries has made him one tough little guy.  He is about to have another open heart surgery in a few weeks.  Could you pray for him and his family?

          Growing a garden is enjoyable, but it is not comparable to growing in love with this precious little soul.  This little “flower” stands tall for Jesus!  What a marvelous Savior we have Who loves such little “flowers”!  His invitation is to little ones to sit in His lap and feel His arms around them.  Jesus made this little “flower” and He continues forming his heart.  Just the same, Jesus continues to form our heart as we stay close to His heart.                    

                                                                                                                      K.C.

Heaven is Close

          The hope of heaven seems closer everyday!  Just like these hostas are pushing their way out of their earthly pots, soon we will be leaving our earthly vessel.  This year we have been slowly reading and meditating on Charles Spurgeon and Randy Alcorn’s thoughts on heaven in a book, We Shall See God.  What a treasure house of nuggets about heaven!  Keeping heaven in our line of sight changes our perspective while living on earth.  Absorbing thoughts on heaven this year has changed me more than anything in a long time.  What does it matter that someone hurt my feelings?  I’m going to heaven!  Losing friends?  Oh well, I’m headed to heaven.  Deep friendships will be among God’s greatest gifts in heaven.  For what reason would I press my agenda on another person?  Argue with my husband?  No, not worth the time and effort, since I’m soon going to heaven. I’m putting my focus on Jesus’ agenda and plan.  We will have no sin, no sorrow, no pain, no conflict, no lack of anything in heaven.  

          Growing in our knowledge and relationship with God helps us see everything, everyone, ourselves, and events from a different lens.  We long for others to know our Savior, we long to share the hope of heaven.  We long for others to know the freedom God brings to the soul. We long for enjoyment of God together.  A growing view of heaven enables and strengthens us to press on toward the goal.  These are some of the thoughts running around in my mind this year.  Then on Sunday our Pastor Dee’s message was “Think on Heaven.”  The 18 points he talked about have been on my mind this year.  For instance, “What we think about determines how we act, how we feel, and our basic attitudes.”  “Our character and behavior is greatly impacted by what we think about most of the time.”  “The more we think about heaven the more we will grow spiritually.”  “We need to remind ourselves every time we experience pain, every time that we see ugliness, every time we feel sad, that we are going to heaven soon.”  Colossians 3:1 - 4 surely is God’s timely admonition for us in these days.  “…Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth….”  

My roots are pushing me toward heaven as I see the chaos and conflict on earth.  There is an urge in my soul, a longing and desire, to get ready.  Heaven is close.  Are you ready?

                                                                                                                       K.C.

Working Together

 

          Gardening is a full time job!  Sure, you can grow a few things in a flowerbed, but a true gardener is never satisfied with just that.  A true gardener has to overdo, has to have just one more plant, one more flowerbed, one more trellis.  A true gardener always buys way too many seeds.  A true gardener’s family groans when they accompany her to the nursery.  Yes, it’s true.  But….there are benefits that bless the family, too.  

          One of the benefits of gardening is time spent working together.  There is always a lot of trimming, weeding, and various chores to be done, and it is so enjoyable to work together.  Several of our cherubs lately have been “helping” trim branches with Papa.  Notice their “chainsaws” are cutting at just the right angles.  A sense of accomplishment and unity are some of the results of working together in the garden.  Conversations happen along the way that never would otherwise.  Bonds are made stronger and deeper from joy of being together.  The cherubs are becoming more like Papa.

          Sometimes I feel like these 2 cherubs when I look at my life of service to God.  I’m stretching and laboring to help God, yet He is really the One doing all the work.  God asks me to serve and bear much fruit for His glory.  I am in awe that God, who is sovereign and fully independent, would want to have my presence and companionship.  John 15:5, “…He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;  for without Me you can do nothing.”  So when I am working with the Lord He is creating fruit in me, He is giving me His strength, and He is glorified.  As I abide and work with the Lord He is molding me more and more into being like Jesus.  The goal is totally different than I think.  I think about getting work done, but He is thinking about being together, growing my character, and receiving glory.  Our Lord loves to be together.  Our cherubs think they are helping us, but in reality we are helping them learn to work and build character.  We love being together with them as well. It is a win-win working together.  

                                                                                                                    K.C. 

Don’t Miss the Wait

 

          During dark rainy winter days the garden sits waiting.  Waiting.  A lot of life is used up and spent waiting.  Waiting to grow up, waiting for a husband or a baby, waiting for a package or letter, waiting for the red light to change, waiting, waiting, waiting.  I remember one of the main things I learned in college was how to wait in lines.  Waiting in grocery lines.  Waiting at the doctor’s office.

          I love spending time in my cottage.  I’m learning watercolor painting and it is fun learning to paint along with our cherubs.  Painting flowers and gardens is another way to enjoy gardening.  I also wait for spring to arrive as I study seed and garden catalogs.  You can even see Emmy, our dog, waiting at the window.  Waiting is a faith venture.  God assures us in Genesis 8:22 that “as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”  Although I am waiting for spring, I count on God’s Word that He will bring each season in time.  Isaiah 40:31 has a wonderful word picture.  “But they that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  The Hebrew root meaning for the word “wait” is that of twisting or winding a strand of cord or rope.  It sounds like braiding some cord together.  What cords are being braided?  As I wait I am being bound together with my Lord.  We are entwined together in a way that cannot be broken.  This kind of waiting is totally different, one that makes it a cherished experience with God.  

The cherubs helped me plant some peas and sweet peas the other day.  More waiting as we anticipate crunchy peas to eat and smell the sweetness of the flowers.  We will sing praises to God when we see the tiny seedlings pop out of the ground.  God gives us so many things to wait for.  Let’s not waste waiting.  Let’s use waiting to experience the presence of Jesus.    

                                                                                                                     K.C.

God’s Invitation

 

          In the midst of the world’s turmoil, it seems trivial to write about garden analogies.  Life is so uncertain and fragile.  We do not know our days, but God has them in His hand.  God’s Word assures us that He is in full control of all kings and rulers as well as our days.  I don’t live in the realm of political world rulers, but in the common everyday part of God’s world.  Even though living a quiet life, I agonize with hurting people across the world and pray constantly for their safety, for their relationship with God, and for their families.  God invites us to be with Him in His plans for the world.  His invitation brings us together as close family when we pray and care for those who are hurting and in need.  

          Winter months I spend a lot of time in my cottage where I can paint and watch the birds, listen to worship music, and pray.  This is where God has placed me at this stage of life, and His invitation constantly brings me to His throne.  I open my door to talk to the birds, and the peaceful quiet is balm to the soul.  Even as I relish this setting, my heart is across the world praying for those who wish they could be in their peaceful homes.  One day God will bring us to His permanent home.  He has many rooms in His mansion, enough room for all who trust in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection.  His invitation is constantly being sent to each.  His invitation is for time today with Him and also for eternity.  One day soon we will meet those we have prayed for and know that together we are God’s family.  Now that is amazing!  All because of God’s invitation, because of His lovingkindness and mercy.  

                                                                                                                                      K.C.

The Quietness of God

 

           Finally, the cold came!  Freezing temperatures  surely change the face of the garden.  I just love the designs that frost creates.  White edges of the leaves swirl a lovely design on this chard plant.  The car windows were gorgeous with their frosty mosaic patterns and graceful lace embroidery.  Frosty spider webs sparkle in the early morning.  I love looking for God’s beauty and surprises throughout the garden in each season.  His times are just right, His seasons point to His faithfulness, His artistic touches abound, and His power is quietly revealed.  Have you ever thought about God’s power when looking at a frosty leaf?  What amazing power it takes to produce such effects in a garden!  And yet, God does not announce His power with cymbals and trumpets when He freezes the earth. Nevertheless, His power is amazing and rules over all. God’s seasons come every year, yet He doesn’t announce them either.  

          One of the things about God that intrigues me is His quietness.  In a freeze or when it snows the air gets really quiet and hushed. He doesn’t need to boast or brag about His works.  He doesn’t need our human attention or approval to do His work.  He knows what He is about, and He accomplishes His will.  Whether it is bringing a freeze to the earth or bringing a heart change to my soul, God usually does it quietly.  Now I know God also works with flashes of thunder and lightning, but for a few minutes let’s meditate on His quiet works. All of creation is held together by God’s very Word.  Colossians 1:16 - 17.  From stars and atoms to mountains and humans, God is the quiet sustainer.  What marvelous power!  If this is so, and it is, then my role is to look for quiet small revelations that bespeak His power.  Marvel at butterflies and cocoons, rosebuds and worms, rivers and trees.  Marvel as well at His quiet nudge to my heart to worship our awesome God.  His quietness really is shouting at me!  It changes me!  I bow my head before my great and all powerful Creator. 

                                                                                                                            K.C.