WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT...HE WAITED!

He swiftly flew in. The white, gray and black coloring stood out against the dark tide pool rocks. I had food...he wanted it. As people walked by, he'd move a short distance away only to return again. He was patient. I tossed some crumbs in his direction.

After a short time, another seagull flew in. He was smaller in size and a dull, dingy gray in color, blending perfectly with the backdrop. I was partial to the first seagull who came to share my day, giving him all the food as the smaller bird stood back and watched in hopeful expectation. I finally relented, throwing some remnants in his direction also. I finished eating, crumpled my trash and put it in my bag.

The first seagull realized his food was gone and quickly flew away to find the next meal further up the beach. The grey bird remained by my side. There was no reason for him to. As people passed, setting up camp, he made himself comfortable in the shadow of my chair. I soon found myself wanting to reward him. He seemed extraordinarily dedicated to me. I reached into my bag, opening the ball of trash, looking for something to give him. I found a few slivers of tomatoes, lettuce and bread crumbs. I set the food down very close to me as he bravely came to get it. After another 20 minutes passed, I shuffled through my trash, wanting to find something...anything. 

His perseverance and faithfulness at remaining by my side touched me. I wanted to feed him. "What a strange feeling," I thought, "it's just a seagull...who isn't even much to look at for that matter."

Then it hit me, the similarity of how I must appear when I come to The LORD; some days I show up, wait a short time to be filled and then go about my day. 

However, on the days when I feel extra needy, I slow. I sit patiently waiting for HIM. I am dedicated, determined, unwavering and faithful in drawing closer, waiting for the full abundance of HIS Love and Blessings to pour over on me.

Oh how I want to be like the second seagull...always waiting in hopeful expectation. I want to never lose sight of JESUS' Love and all that HE has to share as I sit at HIS Feet, drawing closer in expectancy. I want to be steadfast in faith as HIS Mighty Hand reaches low to feed, help, guide, direct, forgive and save me.

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"~Matthew 6:26

Join me in persevering friends. Don't wander. Don't chase after the next thing that will never fill the emptiness. Let GOD'S Love envelope you. Be like this steadfast bird who in his faithful persistence, caused me to reach in again and again looking to bless him. 

In your seeking...you will find HIM.  "Be of good courage." HE will "strengthen your heart" and reward your faithfulness with HIS Love.,,"Wait, I say, on The LORD." 

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!~Psalm 27:14

Can You Be Still?

Today I received an email that really touched me. How many of us truly listen? When someone speaks are you too busy thinking about what your going to say as soon as they stop? This message really hit home!

Being the Stillness
Bonnie Grove, She Reads Featured Author
Devotion:
I have sought comfort in the book of Job many times in my life. After I buried my infant son, I asked, "Why?" God reminded me that when Job asked the same question His answer was, "Who?"

While laying on a hospital bed knowing for certain I would lose the twins I had carried only a few precious months, God reminded me how in the midst of Job's suffering, God came. And in the whirlwind He answered. Not right away, not in Job's time, but in God's time - the perfect time when Job's heart could take in the words of healing.

In the years following those dark events, I trained in theology, counseling and psychology. I was on a quest to understand my brokenness, and that of others. I'm still on that quest, though my formal training is behind me.

One evening, I was in conversation with a man who was going through a divorce and was in obvious pain. He spoke of his daughter, and how his hopes for the future had been destroyed. When he finished speaking I sat in silence, knowing I had no great words to offer. Spent from telling his story, he too sat quietly.

Our silence stretched into minutes. Then, the man began to cry. I sat with him, keeping his tears company, and still said nothing. More minutes passed, and the man said, "That's the first time I've cried since this whole mess started." Then he said something surprising: "You've helped me so much. Thank you."

The silence had changed something for him. From my perspective, the silence was a result of my limitations as a counselor - I was empty handed. But it became clear to me there was something powerful at work. I remembered how Job's friends sat in silence with him for seven days and nights. With that in mind, I began to pay close attention to silence. I found that by being quiet, I could better understand my thoughts, fears, hopes, and desires. And in my long silences I was able to sense God's presence and hear His voice. When I sat with the man going through a divorce I listened to him without interruption. Then, by saying nothing, I helped him listen to what God had to say to him.

There are astounding lessons to be learned from the act of listening. I have learned that listening is an act of love. It is not passive; it is intentional, engaging with the heart and mind of another person. To listen you must turn off all outside distractions; say "no" to the world rushing by you. A sacred act of deliberate silence and meaningful pause, listening helps people clear a space in their life, heart, and mind in order to simply "be." Our listening is an important gift. I am learning to make it my first response. Through listening I want to provide the stillness God speaks into.

Dear Lord, bring me into a deeper silence before You, that I may hear Your voice, and in hearing, believe, and in believing, listen to the heart of others. When people hurt Lord, let me first offer them my listening, not my advice. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

"Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great."
Job 2:13 (NASB)

Fix It Now!

I just finished putting the last of the groceries away and put a baked potato in the microwave when the lights went out. We scrambled around to find some matches and candles. Expecting the lights to go on in 10 to 15 min., we sat down to eat our chicken and bread dinner by candlelight.

An hour went by, still pitch dark…now I was starting to get a little angry. A show I had been waiting to watch was coming on. I thought, “What are those guys doing? They need to fix this problem NOW!”

The time stretched to three hours…pitch black. My mind now raced to all the food I had just bought. “What is going on?” We finally decided to just go to bed because there wasn’t anything we could do about the situation. At 4:30 a.m. all the power came back on.

During the dark times in your life do you find yourself worrying? Are you filled with anxiety and stress while your waiting for something to change? We cry out to God, “Fix this problem NOW! I have tried everything, I can’t take it anymore.” Nothing seems to happen…everything stays dark.

What we don’t see is what’s going on behind the scenes. I didn’t know how the electrical company was going to fix the problem and turn on my power. But I knew that they were going to make it happen. I knew that I could go to sleep and wait for them to do their job.

We need to adapt this same mentality with God’s work in our lives. He has a plan for us. We may want something to happen NOW…but he knows there are some things that we aren’t yet ready for. Know that He is working behind the scenes in your life. In times like this, pray and ask for Him to fill you with his peace, trust and FAITH.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13