Warm sunshine and soft country breeze Quiet sunrise with golden rays Soft laughter and companionship Gentle, calming… sooths the soul
What this balmy day can share Lifts the spirits everywhere Healing salve for body and mind Fragrant oil and cooling drop
Home and comfort during trying times Kick off the shoes and breathing deep Curing unguent for renewal and rest There is a balm both caring and sweet
Cracked and dry we seek balsam’s touch Absorbing goodness to now be restored Kindness reaches out like Gilead’s finest … Feel God’s ointment sinking in
• May we see beauty beyond the outer facade • True compassion grows and shines from within • Gathering together can be encouraging and supportive • There are times when we just need to be alone • We sometimes emit “offensive odors” in our daily lives • People can raise a stink when they are unhappy • The warmth of a sunshiny disposition can draw crowds • Flying around without thought can cause confusion and crashes • Applying pressure to situations often results in unpleasant consequences • Travel can open one’s eyes to many things • Surround yourself with what is nourishing for both body and mind • May your words to others be more than annoying buzzing • Be present for God, who is always present • God is with us in the deepest darkest crevices and sunniest windows
– From “Reflections from the Everyday” Charlotte-Anne Allen
A word has recently been popping into my mind and so I have returned to it to see what it is saying to me. 🙂 That word is “yet” …Have you thought about this small but powerful little word before? It’s one of those words that we use a lot. Some ways we might use this small word are:
Are you finished yet? I don’t know yet. I have yet to see that happen. He was yet a child. Is she here yet? Yet they were still able to come. Are we there yet?
Are those any you find yourself saying? …“Yet” means that we have expectations. When we haven’t finished something, called someone, or done something we’ve been asked to do … adding “yet” can make a difference! There are still plans or hopes for the future. “Yet” can spark both anticipation and concern.
Now, the hard part for me, and for most of us, is staying motivated and encouraged. Keeping a positive attitude and persevering can be challenging, can’t it? I still well-remember and appreciate my mom reminding me to take one thing at a time. I’ve also learned to work on my perspective, to trust God for direction, and to focus on the small and “do-able” steps needed. And then there are times to give up our own “yet” and re-examine expectations and life’s journey.
Look how God leads us to adjust our own “yet” as he modeled his own:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NASB
God didn’t wait for us to be perfect examples (That’s impossible anyway, isn’t it?!). His help with waiting, reminding me of the need for patience, and adjusting expectations knowing that He with us through the long haul… that’s what keeps me going. God has gone before us and is waiting and preparing for us as we travel to the “yet.”
My prayers for myself and for us all, is that God will surround us with people, and will create us to be people, who help during all our “yets”. I am so thankful that he came to us first, during our greatest “yet”. Be encouraged.