I’m up early with hot coffee, watching the garden wake up. Sunlight filtering through the apple tree branches washes the Jasmine and Lavender in a soft, feathery light. I can smell their soft scent perfuming the air – so soothing and calm.
The birds sing, scold, and flit through the trees and butterfly bush waiting for their turn at the feeders.
Today I plan to cut fresh flowers for the vase on my patio table. The bright cheerful colors makes me happy. It fills me with a quiet, peaceful joy to collect them, with their different colors and fragrances, in my garden basket. My little basket of blessings!
I love that God handpicks those things that He knows we love and enjoy to bless us. It is so healing and restful to find bits of joy and lovely surprises as we make our way through each day. How He loves us!
As I sat with this verse and my comforting hot coffee this morning, I could hear the daily choir of birds in my backyard garden singing their little hearts out.
I have many different birds that love my garden. They all have beautiful songs that are unique to them. If you listen carefully you know exactly which bird is singing what notes and even though they are quite different, they all blend into something lovely, happy, and joyful.
It made me smile to picture God on His throne listening to the songs of His creation. He knows exactly what bird is singing and where. I imagine it is beautiful to Him. He carefully crafted each creation-song to blend perfectly, in the exact way He wanted it.
I believe He created our voices to perfectly and uniquely fit our physical features and personality quirks. When we sing to Him or hum as we go about our daily routine, our voices blend and swirl together into such perfect and flawless harmony to His ears.
Creation using the sounds we were given to praise, thank, and love the One who gave us life. Jehovah Jireh.
It is right and good to sing to Him because He is good.
Even in the vastness of the heavens, the intricate placement of each galaxy, the planets, and stars God sees you. You are never lost to Him in the enormity of creation. Your name is written on the palm of His hand – cherished, loved, and perfectly known. Every sigh, every tear, every mask you wear, and every thought you have is completely and fully known.
It amazes me. It always does. Such love and depth of being seen is scary, but so comforting at the same time. So hopeful.
Nothing separates you from Him. Be at peace. He is near and loves you with a fierceness that is beyond what the human mind can conceive. Safety. Rest.
Life is unpredictable. We go into each day not knowing what is waiting for us. Will that prayer finally be answered, will that hard conversation go the way we want it to, will this health issue be resolved, can we just get some peace, will our loved one be safe?
Right in the center of this unpredictability is Jesus. He’s good, steadfast, true, and omnipotent. He has everything concerning you well taken care of.
The chaos that swirls and looks for a way into our hearts is held at bay when we reach out and take His hand. Fear must bow, anxiety must quiet, control must release its vise grip.
The lovely, gentle, glimmering thread of Hope that binds us to Jesus is protected and cherished. It can’t be broken or snipped by the vagaries of life. It is our strong and holy connection to the heart of Jesus.
Hope trusts that He’s got you, will never leave you, is always with you. You can’t be snatched up.
The holy, sacred, mysterious thread of Hope is tethered in His power, compassion, and deep love which cannot be taken away.
Wherever your path leads you today remember that Jesus is walking it, too. He won’t leave you alone to navigate what’s ahead. He’s been there already and knows exactly what you will need to steadily travel on.
There will likely be twists and turns along with ups and downs as you go. When you feel uncertain or worried about the blinds spots, perhaps try and view them through a new lens of adventure, excitement, and anticipation of good things coming. Blind spots don’t always have to be bad.
For me, I often anticipate bad things and overthink all the ways a twisty part of the path will play out in a negative way and exhaust myself trying to get ahead of the bad news. I don’t want to keep doing it that way. I’m tired and worn down. It is stealing my joy. This isn’t that way He wants us to live.
Maybe you’ll join me in trying to flip the negative narrative that so often obscures and diminishes all the good things Jesus HAS done, IS doing, and WILL do for me and for you. We won’t get it right all the time. How thankful I am that He gets it, gets us, and doesn’t stop loving us when we let worry blind us to the small blessings, bits of joy, and pops of beauty He scatters all around us, hoping we trust Him enough to see it.
I don’t want to miss out on hidden blessings, glimmers of heaven, quiet times of sitting with Him, and rest, beautiful, blessed rest.
What does hope look like to you? Does it have a “feel”?
These images pop into my mind:
*rolling green hills that seem to go for miles. There’s room to breathe, to wander, to see what might come next. The green feels hopeful and kind.
*a path in the forest. The feeling of being tucked into nature, sheltered under the tree canopy, curiosity about where the path will lead, and what treasures I will find feels hopeful and welcoming.
*early mornings, sunrises, warm coffee, nature in my backyard. The new growth and buds on the trees and flowering plants, the varying colors and scents, the tranquil hum of bees and critters is calming. It feels like hope, like possibilities.
In all of these things, it feels like Jesus meets me there with friendship, healing, deep conversations, and revelations. All of this feels like hope.
I would love to hear about what hope looks like, feels like, or sounds like to you – please share!
The early sun filters through the blinds at the window. There’s something gentle and delicate about those first rays of light. It feels hopeful.
The fluffy white cat finds a slash of sunlight on the carpet by the bookcase and settles in. He’s had his breakfast and a bath, so it’s time for his morning rest. The soft, grey and white cat finds her spot in the sun on the cozy, green blanket draped over the bed. Fully relaxed, she stretches out, tail gently flicking as she drifts off.
I hear the garden come alive as I sip my hot coffee. It’s a simple thing that brings me happiness as I start my day. The earthy taste and warmth are soothing.
Red-brown squirrels chase each other through the patio and onto the wooden fence, where their race takes them onto the neighbor’s roof and beyond. Joyful and full of energy.
The newly leafed apple tree is filled with red and gold finches, house sparrows, and soft grey doves. They watch as I fill the bird feeders and scatter seeds along the ground. A blue jay joins the crowd, eyeing the peanuts strewn among the flowers and bird baths. Soon, there will be gossipy chatter and scolding as they descend to peck, scratch, and kick, finding just the right seeds and other morsels for breakfast.
There is joy in the routine things that make up a given day.
A tinkling bell heralds the arrival of the neighborhood tomcat. He stops by every so often for his breakfast and a head rub.
As the morning progresses, my mind remains calm as I tend to the garden and inhale the fruity floral scent of the jasmine climbing the trellis, perfuming the morning air.
I sense You in the bright colors, the spicy, flowery scents, and the hope that the pale, lemony sunlight splashes onto the tree branches, dancing to the sweet tune of the tiny windchime that tinkles and sings in the breeze.
We talk as I go about my morning routine. You speak kind and intimate things to my heart. You know the pleasure that these small things bring to my soul. It comforts me, making me feel seen and known. What a happy, life-giving way to begin each day; taking Your love and companionship with me everywhere my feet may go.
Isn’t it amazing that before we were born, God perfectly mapped out the twisty, windy road that would be our life journey? He carefully planned for every mountain, valley, and stretch of road, equipping us with exactly what we need for each roadblock we navigate and person we meet. He leaves nothing to chance. It’s all divinely orchestrated, this seemingly chaotic, yet beautifully crafted planet populated with humanity that is messy, precious, delightful, and completely known. Loved.
It doesn’t catch Him off guard when we worry, rehearse, and stress over our future. He knows we have plans, ideas, and dreams because He placed them in us. He omnipotently sees the path we need to follow to accomplish the purpose we were created to fulfill. Our journeys brush up against others following the road set out before them. Interwoven with blessings and kindness. A human tapestry that He calls His masterpiece.
I wonder, if like me, you question why and how you ended up on the road you are traveling. Sometimes it’s smooth, easy, and all is going your way. Other times it is not. You know the dreams and passions you have inside that are bursting to get out. You have things to do and places to go, but the road you are walking is not the one you would have chosen. The obstacles you have to overcome—pain, loss, loneliness, and fear—seem to serve no purpose. They feel so heavy on your shoulders. So tired, so weary…where is this road leading? How much longer do you have to struggle through?
I wonder if gratitude is the answer. It seems completely counterintuitive. It feels wrong and dismissive of the hardships, but maybe it isn’t? When I look back on my life, there are portions of my road that I disliked to my core. Seasons that filled me with fear, anger, physical and mental pain, and sadness. I saw no blessings there. I saw nothing to be thankful for, and I did not feel any gratitude for what I had to slog through. It felt pointless and mean.
I did make it through that season of life, but not without scars and memories. I wasn’t filled with the joy of the Lord or brimming with thankfulness. Definitely not. It was a road that I would not have chosen. But…
Now that I am past that part of my journey, I can look back and see that things played out the way they needed to. Those difficult sections of the path were necessary. Never minimizing or dismissive of the pain, but it is part of my life story. He holds my tears in lovely crystal jars, continually speaking blessings, prophesy, healing, and peace over them.
The lessons learned about God’s faithfulness, goodness, mercy, and healing needed to happen the way they did. Not everything turned out the way I hoped and dreamed, and He has helped me wrestle with that loss and disappointment. It is a blessing to know that parts of my life story have brought hope and healing to others who needed to see that scars can be beautiful, reminders that there is always light in the darkest of nights. The pain and obstacles others have faced have done the same for me. All interconnected and planned to bless and heal—a revelation of Himself. God does dwell in and bless the broken road that in our finite human wisdom we would not have chosen.
I came across this verse this morning. The gentle and sweet way it landed on my heart, bringing a pinprick of hot tears to my eyes, reminded me that Jesus knows what is going on and how it ends.
For many of us there are seasons, however long or brief, where we simply do not know what to do. These 13 words were a soothing and compassionate balm to my soul – healing, hope, and rest. He’s got this. There is nothing I can do and nothing that I have to do.
He will sort it, He will heal it, He will protect us from it, and He will get us through it. Keep your eyes on Him, my friend, just that. Nothing more is needed. We can rest.
Extravagant Hope 