I have this vivid memory of being at a worship event at my university where we sang Isaiah’s famous words, Here I am, Lord, send me. I remember feeling completely ready for wherever the Lord wanted me to go. In this pivotal moment of my faith journey, I had a deep understanding that God would take me somewhere uncomfortable. I still wanted to go and I continued to go back to this prayer often.
In scripture, when you see the word lord written in all caps, it is referring to Yahweh (Exodus 3). It is the name that says God is unchangeable: I am a God that is with you, Sustainer; it is his covenant name that says he is a God who keeps his promises. And all of my life can depend on that goodness, even in the midst of my hard.
The other day, this sweet girl and I needed to run to the store. We stepped out the back door to walk to the garage, and she squealed—and I truly mean squeal—Hello, dandelions! She hopped from dandelion patch to dandelion patch (I read somewhere that dandelions are bees’ first spring food, so that’s why I don’t pull them, or so I tell myself…) greeting these weeds that she loves as flowers. A couple of weeks ago we had to come to a compromise that she wouldn’t pick yellow dandelions because of the pollen that would inevitably get all over her hands and then her dress and then her carseat and so on. We made a deal: she could pick the fluffy one and talk to the yellow ones. So here she was, talking to all of them, going from dandelion to dandelion all over the backyard (I am a true friend to the bees, providing them plenty of food source...).
Hello, friends! We are trying a new feature on the blog in which we share links to interesting, edifying blogs or websites for your perusal. We took a poll in the Mundane Faithfulness Community and decided to call this new feature Fundane Links! Cheesy, maybe, but kind of cute, right? Our goal is to link you (if you're interested) to other folks who might be a source of encouragement.
To all you Safe Places out there—you are loved and cherished and appreciated.
Safe Places, do you know how rare you are? Do you know how often people who are suffering or struggling simply need a kind word or a hug just so they feel acknowledged and seen but instead receive rebuke or advice or a cold shoulder? I bet you do. I bet you know exactly what it feels like when you are hurting and you just need a friend to smile at you with kind eyes and offer to listen, but instead receive something else… It happens all the time, and I’m probably guilty of doing that to people right and left without even realizing it.
