Walked On Water Lately?

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."   ... 2 Corinthians 5:7


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It was weird.

Yesterday morning, Memorial Day, before Tom got out of bed, I kept asking myself, "If you could go anywhere on this holiday, where would it be?" And my answer was, "I'd go to my coffee shop."  Yes, the one where, two or three times weekly, I'm (usually) sitting alone, feeling as though it's my godly mission in Life to pray for and encourage the owners with my money and just being there.

But it isn't open Mondays.

So Tom and I went thrift store shopping, put away our treasures, then I made spaghetti (my favorite food since age 8. Seriously.), then we watched two movies. Later, Naomi stopped by with popsicles which I truly needed after stepping outside to give her garden plants I'd potted. 

Here in Buffalo, we had 2 1/2 glorious, Julie-Andrews-the-hills-are-alive weeks of Spring. But now it's sizzling, humid summer--the time where ol' Debra races around on cool mornings so she can earn her afternoon collapse. heh.

Anyway, back to the coffee shop. I walked there again this morning, sat alone in the room again (except for the sweet owner near the back), prayed again for people to come in, to become passionate about this place. 

I read there for an hour again, scribbled my To Do list, complimented the young woman on the muffin again and then stepped outside feeling joyful, as though I'd obeyed God, almost like I'd done something important. Again.

Often God asks me to go there, sometimes on mornings I'd not planned to. It's like a godly discipline: will I obey that slight nudging or must I wait for, like, eight confirmations? Must my head understand all the whys, first? Must I be certain of where all this will lead? Or will I just go because I think He wants me to?

In one simple area, God can teach us how to obey in future more complicated ones.

Some folks believe God just throws us into a pool then stands back and watches. But no. He gives us the desire to swim then teaches us how. Then He leads us to deeper places where oh! We could've sworn that, for a moment, we walked on water.

Often in Life with God, walking in obedience feels just that way. But only those who step out of the boat understand.

‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’   ...  Jeremiah 7:23


People who must have a map to exactly where they're going and know just what will be expected of them there, seldom accomplish much for God.  He asks that we walk by faith that He knows what He's doing--and that needs to be enough.


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                               My Prayer Garden. A peaceful morning place.

For Mother's Day, Naomi gave me a large bowl of potted bulbs, exactly what I'd been wanting! Loved that I found space for them.

The older I become, the more I train my flower beds to take care of themselves. You know, so this aging lady won't have to.

                                            It's only wisdom to do so, I reason. I believe they call it 'thinking ahead'.


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