Landscape Blessings

The morn dawned very early. Well rested, I was a tad trepid of the day, but at full peace God was straightening my path. Proverbs 3:5-6 carried my soul — my heart too!

Early morn while navigating the interstate, my car console delivered a text from my son, Beamer. My daughter-in love’s grandpa was making his final turn into Heaven. As Kate flew to say good-bye, I was needed to fly to care for my NY grandbabies. God having immersed me in Proverbs 3: 5-6, I sort of anticipated I must be going to need to cling to that Scripture. Why else would God be constantly placing it before me? The morning proved my intuition correct.

Suddenly my day rained chaos. In my heart, trust in God reigned supreme. My need was to see God’s powerful hand, not Satan’s devouring teeth. God answers all needs. Thus, a kaleidoscope of God’s blessings landscape this post.

Waiting to board my flight, I gazed upon an elderly lady perched upon an airport wheelchair throne. Her middle-aged daughter stood loving guard by her side. Both were fighting tears. My soul, deeply touched, understood their love reflected how God created family love to be. As the mother was pushed away, I approached her daughter, thanking her for personifying Godly love, too often missing in our world. Tears now washing her cheeks, she expressed how her mother instilled this love in her. She turned and walked away. Not more than two minutes later, she returned and tapped my shoulder. She asked me, when I was boarding and passed her mother’s seat, if I would please tell her mother she loved her and she would be ok cause her husband was going with her and would take care of her. Instinctively, I knew to the world her husband was deceased but to this mother, he was the guardian angel accompanying her. The news would broadcast death. The message reported to me was God’s gift of eternal life.

The sisters, two-year-olds “B-Boo” and “Nor-ra-ra” delivered many priceless and comical moments. While mommy was away, they decided crying for her at bedtime was deemed the way to end each night. It was pathetic to hear. This grammy had no magic trick to dry their little eyes. All that could be done was to accept that eventually they would tire themselves out and fall asleep into dreamland. My last night in charge, as I was finishing praying over them, “Nor-ra-ra” exhaustedly called from her crib to “B-boo” in her crib, “I go night-night. You cry!”. After stifling spontaneous laughter, I felt God proclaiming, “Those sisters understand what I say to you. You go to sleep. I’m taking the nightly watch.”.

Five-year-old J.B., more than once, melted my heart and soul. He was my leader, as in so many “ins and outs” of their schedules, I was lost. He took care of both the sisters’ needs and his grammy’s too. Post Friday night’s pizza party, he looked at me and said, “Grammy, I wish you were always a part of our family.”. His little heart wanted his grammy always physically close. Many, many times each day he’d find me and say, “Grammy, will you come and sit by me?”. Christ is all of our greatest leader. His words do not differ from J.B.’s. His heart (yes, Christ is not without heart) like J.B.’s, longs for our closeness. May we all choose to stop worldly hustle and make time to sit at Christ’s feet. This will not make more twists and turns in our day, but rather, straighten our path.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6. (ESV)