Hummingbirds

Have you ever observed hummingbirds? My parents have a "hummingbird hangout" on their front porch. Late summer brings large numbers of these fascinating flyers as they prepare to journey south for the winter. They feast in a frenzy of zipping and diving and chasing one another, their high pitched chattering heard above the buzzing of unseen wings. While waiting for my parents to return home one Sunday evening from an outing with my children, I sat on the front porch in stillness and watched. I counted at least ten hummingbirds visible at one time, vying for the four precious spots on the feeder. One hummingbird, more aggressive than the rest, spent much of its time chasing off the others – all for a sip of sweet nectar that lasted for mere seconds. In moments of stillness like this, I often hear the whispers of the Spirit. What if all His precious children were as eager as those hummingbirds to feast on the sweet truths hidden in His Word? What if our sole purpose each day was to stay near the Savior so we wouldn’t miss an opportunity to be filled with His goodness? What if we actively defended our closeness with the Lord by chasing away the distractions that clamor for our time. Hummingbirds are focused on the nectar. They may zip and buzz around, occasionally landing in a nearby tree for a moment’s rest, but their primary goal is a sip of the sweet, life sustaining juice. Time alone with God is what sustains us as Christians. He must be our focus. We must seek Him in all we do, consistently hovering in His presence so as not to miss the sweet gifts He has prepared. Filling up on His love and goodness is what gives us hope and encouragement for the journey ahead.

Praying that you experience moments of stillness and whispers of love among the busy buzzing of today.

Sea Glass

During a recent trip to the beach, my children and I became fascinated with sea glass. There is a lot of interesting debris washing up on beaches, including pieces of broken glass, but true sea glass has distinct qualities that make it a more precious find. As pieces of glass are tossed by the waves and currents and tumbled through sand and grit, the once sharp edges become smooth. Prolonged abrasion, however, causes the glass to become opaque, having almost a gritty finish. This process takes decades to achieve, increasing the rarity and making each find a treasure.

On the last day of our trip, I was walking the beach with eyes peeled, and I began contemplating the refining of the precious sea glass. A piece of broken, discarded glass becomes valuable after being “roughed up.” I was reminded of God’s reassurance in James 1:1-3, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Consider it pure joy when life roughs you up – not because God wants us to suffer, but because He is using those trials to refine us, to make us complete. A beautiful creation in His image. And in 2 Corinthians 4:17, For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Our troubles don’t often feel light or momentary. In fact, most of us would probably describe our troubles as oppressive and continual. But in the light of eternity, our troubles are negligible. And, they are not in vain! They are part of our journey through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life.

My searching paid off as I found several pieces of sea glass in the early morning hours on that quiet stretch of beach. Suddenly, all those hours of searching faded away. I had a treasure – an old piece of broken glass made beautiful by the sands of time. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 2:23-24)

I long to be a precious treasure in the eyes of Jesus. I pray that my mind will be set on things above as I endure trials and tribulations. I pray that I will persevere in the waters of life where I can be refined rather than sitting it out along the shore. And I pray that God will take the broken pieces of my life and create something beautiful. I pray that I will be patient as the Lord works to finish what He has started in me so that when I wash up on the shore of Heaven, the Lord will rejoice in His precious find and welcome me as a treasure into His Kingdom.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog - Seeking Stillness! I am so excited about sharing how God reminds me in the little things each day that He is God! Enjoy!