Turning a the Page, Turning a Corner

photo by Sandy Burch

It’s Wednesday. Just a plain, middle of the week Wednesday.

You might think it’s a perfectly good day to stay on the path I’ve been traveling. And so, it is.

But I feel like there’s a change coming. And I really NEED a change, a breakthrough.

Earlier this month, the Lord dropped a writing prompt into my mind… “turning the page”, “turning the corner”. I’d been feeling like there’s a corner to turn.

Lord?

Where is the intersection?

Where is the corner of the page so I can turn to a new one?

Where is the corner of the street so I can take a new path?

Ever felt like your life was getting ready to turn a corner and go in a different direction, even a slightly different one? Like there was breakthrough close at hand but you couldn’t find the corner, couldn’t see where the threshold was to step over and into something new.

Yeah. Me too.

Many years ago, I spent a good part of a year saying those very words. “I feel like we are getting ready to turn a corner.” “I feel like we are so close to a breakthrough.” I don’t remember now what the situation was but I stopped saying it. It must have come to pass. I wish I could remember the situation and whatever the outcome was. Speaking that sentence is so vivid, it must have been important.

Anyway.

I’m feeling like that now. My mind, seeing a pages and pages filled with words and words and more words. Full of ideas and thoughts and scripture and poems. Full of desires and prayers, wanting to be closer to the presence of God, wanting a better way of being.

It’s good to have pages and pages of words and words. It’s good to have traveled blocks and blocks and to have had experiences and to have learned lessons and grown. There comes a time, however, that we need to put those thoughts and experiences to good use and do some good. Do something, rather than write them or collect them or keep adding to them. There comes a time when it’s time to turn the corner and change the path. There comes a time when it’s time to turn the page and write a new poem, or book, or travel a new road.

The time of “turning a corner”. That time of “turning a page”. It’s a waiting time. It’s a time of waiting just like waiting for the birth of a baby or waiting for Christmas or waiting for the medical report or any of the millions of little- and big- things we wait for each day. And we, in our Western culture are not good at waiting. We don’t like change thrust upon us but when we know it’s coming, or want the change to happen, it can’t get here fast enough. “Wait” is a four-letter word to many of us! The vague feeling that a change is coming, that we’re about to “turn a corner”, is exciting and at the same time, it’s frustrating or scary. I do remember feeling frustrated all those many years ago, that the next corner never seemed to be the one that finally got turned.

There can also be a feeling of having the key but not knowing where the lock is. Or vice versa, seeing the lock but misplacing the key. I know there’s a breakthrough for us. I know it’s close at hand. We pray and quote scripture. We believe and declare the belief. I know, in Jesus, we have everything we need. So, where’s the corner of the page so I can write something new? Where’s the corner of the block so we can walk a new path?

Of course, the answer is always, “in God’s time”. God reminds us the key is under the cushion the cat sleeps on, when it’s time to open that lock. Father God brings us to the end of the block when it’s time to take a different road. Not a minute too soon. Not a moment too late. Just at the right time, He whispers just the exact right words that set us free to turn the page and begin writing something new. At just the correct time, not too late or too early, He whispers, “this is the way, walk in it” or “here is the vision, write it down, run with it”.

God is not worried. He knows and He also knows how to let us know so we don’t miss it. We worry about missing it. We worry it’s too late. (We rarely worry about being too early!!) We worry there’s too much to do to make it happen, when He knows just one word will change everything and it will happen the way it’s meant to be.

God knew when He started mentioning “turning the page”, that I didn’t know the whole story. I still don’t. But He has reassured me, through following His lead with “turning the page” as a prompt, that all is well. So, as much as I don’t like to wait any longer… as much as I don’t know when it’s going to happen… as much as I feel like we need a breakthrough RIGHT NOW… all of that is in His hands and He knows. He knows what I don’t know. He knows, therefore I don’t need to know. I just need to believe and trust. And by His grace, I will do just that.

I still want that page to turn soon. I admit it. But I’m trying not to stress or force it. I’m resting, mostly. I’m waiting for God ‘cos He’s the only One who can make it happen. I’ll keep filling the current page with words. I confess, though, that sometimes I’m NOT doing a single positive thing in the waiting (just keepin’ it real).

So, turn the corner, turn the page. Change will come when it’s the right time. My job is to be prepared and look for it. My job is to realize that the changes we desire are not always packaged the way we expect them to be. Stressing and worrying about change doesn’t change anything. It only makes me think (sometimes) that I’m helping things along. I’m not.

Like the time change from standard to daylight savings, nothing really changes, the amount of daylight is always the same on a particulate day, whether you call it 7:00 or 8:00. You cannot add any light to sun time. The sun doesn’t say, “oh look, the Americans are wanting another hour of sunshine, I guess I should stay in the sky a little longer”. The world was set in place eons ago and it’s not changing at our whim and want. We cannot force more daylight than is already prescribed. Changing the hands of the clock only fools me into thinking there’s more day light. The only way to get more sunlight is to wait until the earth moves closer to the summer months.

We get to choose how we wait. It can be a messy, haphazard time if we just let it happen to us. (And, remember, not making a decision is a decision.) Or it can be a time of growth if we take charge of our inner conversation. We can narrate positively or negatively. Choose wisely.

All is well. Keep believing. Keep trusting. All is well.

The key will be there when it’s time. The threshold will be highlighted, the corner will become obvious, the page will finally be full. All in due time. All at the right time. My job is to keep writing, keep walking, keep paying attention, keep making the best of where I am right now.

Do you have a corner to turn? A key that seems lost? A page to turn? How are you doing in the waiting?

Celebrate US! International Women’s Day

Photo by Dennis Magati on Pexels.com

International Women’s Day, 2022

Macrina Wiederkehr wrote a prayer…

“O God, help us to believe the truth about ourselves, no matter how beautiful it is.”

And isn’t that true?

We ARE beautiful. We are created in the Creator’s image and carry the mother heart of God.  Yet we often have a hard time believing it about ourselves. I know it’s something I have to work at.

I want to publicly celebrate the beautiful, inspiring women in my life. I feel like, at my age, I should be inspiring other women, but I don’t hold a candle to my daughters- and that includes my daughter-in-love-, granddaughters and nieces. I am blessed with an amazingly inspiring sister. My sisters-in-love are truly sisters who (whom?) I cherish. Thank you to the strong and faithful women who have gone before me… my mother, mother-in-love, grandmothers and aunts. I am blessed and thankful for friends- old and new. With a special shout-out to my college roommates, Sue and Marg! (We still keep up with each other after 50+ years!) Women who have cut my hair or cleaned my house, brought a meal or held my hand or prayed for me. And women around the world who, while I don’t know them personally, call me closer to Jesus and make a difference in my life.

Thank you to my wonderful daughters, including my daughter-in-love, who are gifted nurturers and have raised 11 sparkling young adults who are making the world a better place. Ya’all inspire me!

Thank you to my 9 awesome granddaughters. Anna, so creative she wrote a trilogy when she was around 15, who inspired me to begin my blog. Maggie who travels the world, literally, who inspires me to be more aware of the environment. Emily is a courageous cook and baker who inspires me to try things I would not otherwise try. I won’t go through the entire list but each of these young women is unique and beautiful and caring and so smart in her own individual way.

There’s so much variety to celebrate in women.

Women have babies and raise the next generation of citizens. Women go into space; they clean toilets on earth. Women are caregivers: doctors, nurses, teachers, companions to the elderly, mentally and physically ill. We cook, clean, create, keep not only our schedule, but that of the family, school, or office.

We come in all shapes, colors, sizes, personalities, and abilities. We are models and athletes. We are moms and CEO’s. We teach Sunday school or preach the sermon. We change diapers and bandage boo-boos. We drive carpool and take our elderly aunt to the doctor. We squeeze in a coffee with a friend and rush to pray with another one. We invent computers and windshield wipers. We operate machinery and head up banks. We are lawyers and judges. We are farmers and makers. We can do anything!

Women are ministers at heart. It’s in our DNA. It’s the way we’re created, displaying the mother heart of God in both small and large acts of kindness, care, creativity, service, support, love. It might not come out as a gushy love of babies, or the need to feed everybody who walks through our doors. But we all have the deep desire to serve, to care for, to give, to fix, to create beauty, to help. In other words, to make our family and our world better.

And when women come together…

Like an illustration used at our Chosen Women’s Greatness Conference last weekend, we are a tapestry of shapes, colors, sizes, personalities, and abilities. And just like a tapestry, we need somber colors as well as bright ones to create a pleasing picture. Our contrasts compliment each other and draw us together into a stunning tapestry, a masterpiece of brilliant detail, an inspiration to those who see it… who see us!

The Conference shows just what can happen when women come together. A handful of women with a bold vision prayed, then invited other women into the vision, enlarging it. They must surely have spent hours in prayer because the presence of God was evident in joy and worship, in love and companionship. The teaching brought by our amazing guest speakers, Sue Horst and Vanessa Birkbeck, as well as that of our own Pastor Judy and Pastor Sheree, encouraged us to believe, to be bold; it was both uplifting and challenging.

For instance, I’ve known for decades that God calls us “royalty” but that wasn’t something I embraced. I didn’t feel it was really “me”. (Yes, I was being religious. Who am I to disagree with God?) After this past weekend, I am indeed comfortable in admitting that, if God says it, I believe it. I have a pink, die-cut crown on my frig that says, “Own it”. And I do! It’s a daily reminder that I am who GOD says I am. It’s a shift in my heart that’s been decades in the making! (I guess I’m a slow learner…). But thanks to faithful women, the shift was made. We need each other to inspire us, come alongside us and challenge us. We need our sisters!

So, girls, celebrate you! Celebrate each other! And believe what God says about you. You are beloved. You are powerful and you are great in God. Father God loves His beautiful daughters!

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” Eph. 1:19-20

The Hope of Juxtapositions and Thoughts About Looking UP

It’s the last day of February AND the first day of the week.

I love a good pattern or a juxtaposition. Not sure why but I do! I also love palindromes and today is the last one of the year… 22822. No more date palindromes for us.

Today has been sunny with a bright blue sky!

What a treat after almost a week of gray and cloudy skies, chilly temps and rain. Can anybody say “Dreary”? A lot can happen while you’re hunkered down, when you’re just focusing on getting through another gray day. A lot can happen, and you don’t even realize it happened because you’ve been looking down, trying to avoid puddles and mud. Just trying to stay dry. I realize there are lots of folks still dealing with snow and more snow, and that must be very trying. God bless ya’all.

But this is the kind of day that makes you feel alive again; joyful, even. The kind of day that makes you want to dance and twirl around.

In fact, that’s just what I did. I went out on the deck, took a deep breath, turned around and looked up at the gorgeous blue sky! Magnificent! And that’s when I saw it.

Look at that tree!

I had no idea! This is a good illustration of why we should look UP! One of the trees in the backyard is FULL of buds! It’s so full you can hardly see the squirrel’s nest in it! It seems like it could burst into full leaf at a moment’s notice!

I’ve seen some of the early cherries and crabapples blooming here and there, but not the hardwoods. So, I was surprised to see our elm so primed for leafing!

The juxtaposition is that right next to the elm is some kind of oak and it is bare. Absolutely bare! No sign of life at all. I know it’s not dead, though. It’s just not the right time yet.

To me, this whole experience is an example of life in general.

When you’re hunkered down, just trying to keep going, you miss what’s going on “up there”!

When you look UP, it changes your perspective and you perception.

When the time is right, the right things will happen.

So, keep looking up even when you risk getting a raindrop in the eyeball. At least take a quick glance once in a while!

The gray sky will, eventually, become blue again. You will see the sun again, and the moon and the stars.

Circumstances rarely last forever. Whether it’s good or bad, it will change. That’s life! Life is change and that gives us hope. The bare branches will again hold green leaves. And you know what? If the circumstances don’t change, we can change our attitude toward them.

What are you seeing? Are you looking down? Is there mud on your shoes? What do you see when you look up? Has your gray sky turned blue? Have the trees burst into bloom or leaf? If we can become less worried about getting mud on our shoes and more intent on creating and maintaining a positive attitude, wouldn’t we all be happier? Is there a situation that would improve with you changing your mind about it?

This evening we go to sleep in winter, tomorrow we’ll be waking up in springtime. Nope, the weather probably won’t always be spring-like, but we all know spring is nearly here.

So, there’s hope in our juxtapositions- the full and the empty, the down and the up, the gray and the blue, first and last.

And there’s hope in our bad days and good days.