In the countryside, a stable hand unlatches the gate of each animal stall in the barn and calls each by name. The horses and donkeys eagerly retreat from their stalls. They know the routine, as they follow one another into the pasture to eat. There, they are free to run, play, and graze.

They trust their master and know she will provide for their needs. From the time she was a little girl, this is the work she has always wanted to do. She watches out for the animals while they are in the pasture. Later, she gathers them back into the barn into their respective stalls for safekeeping at night. 

In a forested area on a mountain ridge, before the chill of Fall slips into a blanket of Winter, a Native shepherd leads his sheep down the mountain to a lower elevation. There, they can thrive safely for the winter. The shepherd smiles. As the son of a sheep herder, he knows it is an honor to do this work. He loves and cares for his sheep.

Ah, pasturelands! What images form in your mind when you think of this word? (Perhaps Psalm 23 comes to mind?). The thought of laying down in green pastures—lush grasses nurtured by rich soil and fresh water, would be cooling and refreshing. Then, as you are led to still waters, perhaps you sit and rest. Imagine the serene reflection of blue sky and white clouds that appear in the water as you reflect on the beauty of both earth and sky. And then, as you are spiritually fed and your soul is restored, oh, what great comfort you feel!    

In our busy lives, we yearn for the beauty of creation. Not everyone grows up in the countryside or in forest lands; however, the greenery of trees, bushes, or grasses is often plentiful in our neighborhoods and communities.  

Just as animals have owners or masters, and sheep have shepherds, we have a Shepherd, too. His name is Jesus. He is the Great Shepherd. The Bible tells us that He knows the voice of His sheep—and they know His voice. 

The Great Shepherd knows your every need. He cares for you. And He loves you more than you will ever know! 
 
Psalm 23:1-6
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Photo courtesy of vecteezy.com (Iftikhar Alam)
 
 

Did you ever play with a magnifying glass as a child? Or, place it over a bug to see every detail?

When I was young, I remember watching a large, black beetle emerge from a crevice in our driveway. Wanting to see it up close, I positioned the magnifying glass over it. At first, I thought it was awesome—until I noticed the sharp pinchers and its pointy-looking appendages. Eww! Not what I expected!

Then, I decided to look at gentler things: a butterfly that landed on a branch, a rock in the garden soil, a blade of grass in the yard, and a flower in the garden. But what did I see in the magnifying glass? A  coiled hook on the butterfly’s mouth, divots in the rock, spiny edges on the blade of grass, and a horn-like part on a bee's face coming out of the flower.

One afternoon, while playing in the yard, I got a splinter in my finger. My mother retrieved the magnifying glass. As she placed it over my finger, she pointed out the pattern of tiny swirling lines. “Everyone’s fingerprints are different,” she said. “Do you know that no one else in the world has fingerprints like yours?” I was so amazed by this fact that I hardly noticed it when she removed the splinter.

These days, I still use a magnifying glass on occasion, but I don’t like using it on myself. What do I see? Age spots on my arms. Large pores on the sides of my nose. Tiny lines that accompany the spaces surrounding wrinkles in my face. My adult version of Eww! Not what I wanted, even if expected.   

However, if there was anyone whose life was ever magnified, it was that of Jesus Christ. His enemies scrutinized Him. They magnified every word or action, turned against Him, and twisted their interpretation of who He really was: the Son of God, blameless and without sin.

Talk about magnification: Jesus took with Him the sin of man upon that cross as He gave His life for each of us. 

Sometimes, I wonder what God sees when He looks at me. I start to frown, but am reminded He isn’t looking at me through a magnifying glass. He overlooks every splotch and flaw on the outside of me and every speck of sin on the inside.

As a child of the King, He sees through my flaws. I am comforted beyond measure to know that I am forgiven. 

And He loves me—and He loves YOU!
  

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
(Blog adapted from an earlier post) 

Do you want to spend more time in your relationship with God but find that your good intentions somehow slip by at the end of the day? If so, you're not alone.  

I promised to set aside time each day but failed to meet that goal. Determined to find a way, I devised a plan: I tracked everything I did each day—and the amount of time spent doing those things—for one week. 

After chores, errands, shopping, and appointments, I concluded the remainder of my time consisted of six things I enjoyed: writing, music, classes, exercise, church, and spending time with family and friends.  (Your list might look quite different, but you get the idea). 

At the end of the week, on a quiet night, I sat at the kitchen table to review my findings. As I suspected, there were gaps in my schedule. That meant I had more time than I realized—time that could be put to good use.

A thought popped into my heart: “How about quiet time with God right now?”  I loved the comfort of my kitchen table, nestled in a corner, where I often enjoyed coffee. Yes, coffee with the King!

Clearing the table, I put down a lace tablecloth and arranged two place settings. A feeling of excitement bubbled inside me. The Lord would not be partaking in the physical consumption of coffee, but He would be with me in spirit. (The coffee was decaf because it was eleven o’clock at night; I didn’t think He would mind!)

His place setting was directly across from me. I poured the coffee, then offered a prayer of thanks.  Then, for the next fifteen minutes, I poured out my heart to my Lord—my King—my Counselor, my Savior. 
 
As I pondered the China place setting across the table with the empty chair, I imagined the Lord sitting there, the brightness of His white linen robe, the warmth of the light shining around Him, the look of love and compassion in His eyes, and the gentleness of His smile.

With no distractions, I attentively focused on my time with Him. It was one of the best “conversations” I’d had with God in a long time.  

That fifteen minutes was paramount to anything else I had done all day. My worries were lessened, my heart lightened, and the cup of coffee tasted pretty good, too.

Our lives are busy. I pray that you, too, find time to spend with God each day—wherever that may be! 
​
Photo: N. Johnson  

My Jeep was dusty and dirty, so it was a perfect day to try out the new Auto Spa. The winter sun poked through bright clouds, so I wasn’t worried about inclement weather.
     I turned my Jeep into a narrow lane to enter the high-tech wash. As I approached the entrance, my tires on the driver’s side suddenly dropped downward, but the Jeep continued to lunge forward. I panicked, my knuckles turning white as I put a death grip on the steering wheel and slammed the brakes.
     “Take your foot off the brake!” the dark-haired attendant in the blue uniform yelled, waving his hands.
     “What?!” I felt confused.  
     “Take your foot off the brake!” he hollered.
     I lifted my foot off the brake as chills ran down my neck. I looked up as the technician pointed to the metal track embedded into the concrete. My tires were supposed to drop into the track so the vehicle could be guided through the car wash.
     But that wasn't all. The attendant barked out two more commands: “Take your hands off the steering wheel and put the vehicle into neutral!" 
     Okay, now I get it.
      I let go of the steering wheel and shifted into neutral. I felt petrified when I realized I had absolutely no control over the Jeep. The Auto Spa had taken over. All I could do was sit back and wait. 
     The Jeep inched along into a darkened tunnel. Gargantuan, roaring mop heads descended from a two-story ceiling, circling and pushing against the roof and windows of my Jeep. A thundering deluge of water slapped against the windows as giant roller bristles swiped the exterior sides, back, and front with foamy, white suds.
     I felt trapped, as if I'd been immersed in a torrential rainstorm. Unable to see out the windows, I worried. What if the ceiling leaked? What if the windows and sunroof weren't completely closed?
     I thought about when we used to take our girls to the "simple" carwash when they were young. I'd tell them when the machine was ready to spread the soapy water over the windows, easing their fears.  But if that had been today, at this Auto Spa, they would have been terrified and crying. It even gave this adult mom the shivers.
     I counted the minutes as the Jeep inched along, and finally, the “storm” dissipated. A shower of clean, clear water rinsed the suds and grime away.  As the light of day approached, I sighed with relief, happy to be out of the dark tunnel.
     Although the visit to the Auto Spa wasn’t on my initial plan for the day, I had prayed about God’s guidance. The “storm” at the car wash was God’s way of reminding me to trust him in life’s storms. I needed to put the brakes on my stubborn insistence on controlling things on my own instead of letting God “take the wheel” to guide me.
     The next time I go to the Auto Spa, I’ll be prepared to take my foot off the break and my hands off the wheel. And the next time I go through life’s storms, I’ll let God take care of the controls!  
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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com