Morning came quickly. I rolled out of bed, gave the evil-eye to the shrill, buzzing of the alarm clock and complained to the cold hard-wood floors against my bare feet. I stumbled bleary-eyed to the coffee pot and summoned my spirit to have a change of attitude, "Lord, thank you for the gift of coffee!"

The coffee pot began to perk and I stood looking out the kitchen window, fully delighted by the blanket of snow which had fallen the day before. It was a good 8-10 inches deep. Our snowman stood regally in the front yard waving at passers-by who dared to venture out into this winter wonderland. The surface of the snow had glazed over during the night causing it to glisten beautifully with bling from heaven. But the sparkling ice also transformed this serene and peaceful landscape into a deceptively slippery skating rink.

Enter our dog, Smokey.

Smokey was scratching to go out, so my husband obliged. Smokey is old and walks with a hobble even on a good day. She was not thrilled with the snow, but the glaze of ice? That beat all! From the kitchen window I watched dear little Smokey walk gingerly across the surface. It was like watching Peter walk on water - she didn't even sink enough to make footprints! Suddenly, she lost her balance and sat down. The more she struggled to get up, the more she spun in circles. She tried to get a grip with her front paws which pushed her hind-end into the air and her nose into the snow. Smokey was disgusted, but I was cracking up! The harder she fought her circumstances, the unhappier and more frustrated she became.

Enter my husband, who in Smokey's eyes is the answer to all of life's problems.

David carefully made his way over to his beloved pet, hugging a few bushes along the way. He steadied himself and lifted Smokey up on all fours. He stayed with her until she made her way back to the sure-footing of the covered porch.

Smokey's tail wagged.
Her eyes twinkled.
And her paws tapped out the happy dance of gratitude to her rescuer.

I sipped on my coffee and marveled at the parables of life. I could feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit reminding me of my frustrations as I struggled alone in my circumstances rather than waiting on Him. How many times did I fail to see the beauty surrounding me, the blessing of His presence, His provision and His love. And how often did I forget to laugh.

"Lord, teach me to wait on You. You alone are my deliverer and the rescuer of my soul."

Disturbed Soil

Corrie ten Boom is one of my heroes - I love this remarkable woman! Her insights into the kingdom of God have encouraged and enhanced my walk with the Lord for years. This morning I read in Corrie's book, Each New Day, one such insight that I want to share with you. Corrie refers to the common practice of removing stones when preparing a field for planting. Most of us gardeners (and farmer wannabes) consider stones to be a hindrance to our crops, but Corrie shared that scientific experiments have found that removing these stones is, in fact, UNfavorable for crop production. As it turns out, many soils need these stones because they attract and keep moisture and because they radiate heat due to the absorption of the sun's rays. Hmmm...do you see where I'm going?

I'm the first to want to live a stress-free life - no difficulties, no sorrow, no pain, NO STONES. Sounds nice, doesn't it? But, isn't it true that our difficulties cause us, yes - require us - to cry out to Jesus?! He IS the living water that the soil of our hearts need. He IS the light in the darkness, the warmth in the brutal cold of our nights when our souls are chilled to the bone. Isn't that beautiful? Can you see the picture? Our struggles act as stones to draw Him to us. These hardships actually attract the lifestream and light of Christ. "I will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you," saith the Lord.

"Lord, thank You for this life lesson. Your Word is awesome, powerful and grants us much understanding. Help us not to resent the hard times but to see them as an opportunity to know you better and to produce more fruit for this starving world."