Colleen James

Tag: Christian

  • My Interview on Christian Family Radio

    Larry and me with the book at the CFR station!

    I don’t think I could have imagined a worse attire to be asking for an interview. When I saw that Christian Family Radio (CFR) had a booth set up at the local pool, however, I knew I had to shoot my shot.

    Just weeks earlier, my family and I had stumbled upon their headquarters on our way home, and I had mentioned to JJ that perhaps I’d give them a call sometime to see if they would want to interview me about my gospel-centered children’s book. I definitely didn’t plan on giving them a call any time soon, however. And even if I did, I don’t know if they would have been interested in my book over a conversation by phone. So when I saw them at the pool, I knew I had to take my chance.

    After assuring that my oldest son was settled into his one-on-one swimming lesson that afternoon, I mustered up what little courage I had and marched on over to their booth in my floppy hat and flip-flops, waiting in line for my turn to talk to the staff.

    Fortunately for me, the young staff lady I initially talked to was really sweet and showed a lot of interest in my book, quickly pointing me to another staff member at the booth that was in charge of interviews.

    What made the moment even better was that I had been carrying a copy of the book in my purse for several days now. I almost never carry it with me nowadays, but I had told my realtor I’d give her one for her kids next time we saw her, so the book had been in my purse ever since.

    After showing Larry, the radio host, the book and briefly explaining the plot, he gave me his business card and told me to give him a call.

    I headed back to where my son was learning to swim feeling excited and humbled and so unworthy. What were the chances that Liam and I would be there when they were? Who was I that God would give me such an opportunity as this?

    Unable to contain my excitement, I told Liam’s swim instructor what had just happened, and she expressed a lot of interest in my book as well and told that she had never seen CFR there before. Turns out, they have only been there twice this summer. I truly believe that God ordained for me to be there when they were.

    We went up north to visit family the week after that initial contact, so I once again mustered up what little courage I had and left a message for Larry the Monday after we returned, and he called me back shortly after to set up an interview that same week!

    Just yesterday, I went to their headquarters to do the interview in their studio, and although I’m pretty sure I rambled quite a bit, I’m just so glad that God gave me the chance to share about my book. I had to keep reminding myself before the interview that the interview really wasn’t about me. It was about pointing children (and their parents) to their Maker and helping them to recognize that they had a wonderful purpose as an instrument in His hands.

    As Larry edits the interview and then begins to play it in clips on radio, I pray that that is the message that will shine forth and that God will use it to help others know Him more.

  • Problems and Promises

    Problems and Promises

    View of a sunset from outside our apartment in early June

    Before we moved to Kentucky, I stumbled upon a message from a Christian podcaster and author named Susie Larson who talked about occupying our “Promised Land.” In her video, she mentioned how Abraham went to the promised land as a foreigner and how it took faith for him to live there as such. 

    As I listened to her message just weeks away from our own move, I tucked away her message in my mind and the lingering idea that we may very well have our own challenges upon arriving to a new state.  I would soon realize just how true that was.

    We left Uvalde, Texas on May 30th a little before 6 a.m. in the middle of our first trial. Our youngest son was on antibiotics for an ear infection and was barely eating because his mouth also hurt. Listening to his occasional cries of pain as I drove was heartbreaking, and trying to coordinate times to give him his antibiotics and painkillers was a bit tricky too. Nonetheless, we made it through that first day and finally settled into a hotel room for the night a little past seven.

    By 9 p.m., we were ready to sleep when the smoke detector began to chirp. After I located the only hotel staff member on site, both she and JJ tried to resolve the issue, but it continued to sound despite new batteries. So, we were finally transferred to another room and got to bed around 11 that night.

    The next day, we got a later start and made it to our next hotel with no issues around five. CJ was also feeling much better. But just as we were settling down for the night, he threw up on the bed, resulting in several trips downstairs to obtain fresh bedding from the front desk. Fortunately, he slept through the night and seemed to be just fine by the next day. 

    The third day was to be our shortest drive, and I was looking forward to a relatively stress-free day. Twenty minutes in, however, it started to rain and didn’t let up the entire journey. At times, the downpour was so bad that I could barely see. 

    I would later discover that both JJ and I were thinking the same thing as we made that final leg of the journey. We were convinced by now that we were facing spiritual warfare.

    The rain stopped shortly after we arrived to our beautiful, new apartment, and JJ and I moved our stuff into the place as Liam watched CJ in our bedroom, the smoke detector incessantly chirping the whole time. 

    An hour or so later, the maintenance man fixed the smoke detector, fortunately. Unfortunately, it would randomly go off six times within the first two weeks of living here. The last incident we’ve experienced so far was on Sunday morning, and it went off four times in a row, waking the whole family (Is it a coincidence that we found the church we plan to attend here later that day? I think not!).

    In between these last two weeks, we’ve also experienced frustration as we’ve stood in long lines to get new drivers licenses and to deal with car registration, only to walk away empty-handed and with the knowledge that we’ll have to try all over again.

    Although most of these issues have been minor inconveniences that have been especially disheartening due to being newcomers in a relatively unfamiliar place, we’ve also faced some greater challenges more recently. 

    Last weekend, the toe that CJ ran over with his tricycle in the spring started hurting again after he accidentally stepped on it, and I ended up having to have the nail removed on Monday, which has caused me a lot of pain. And just as the pain was beginning to subside, CJ jumped off his bed yesterday and sprained his foot. 

    Home after the toe nail removal.

    I’d be lying to suggest that I haven’t been discouraged by all of these things. Lately, I’ve been praying for God’s protection and no more harm to my family or me.

    And yet, in the midst of all these hardships here, I still believe God has called us to this place. I still believe He has a good future for us here. And I’m still holding onto the verse that Susie Larson included in her video weeks ago and that was scrawled upon a stone that an older gentleman gave me at church earlier this year, that “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬b NKJV‬‬).

    I pray that we grow in our love for God and know Him deeper through this season as we watch Him work on our behalf and for His glory, seeing Him do what no eye has seen and holding onto the promise in Romans 8.

    We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

    Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭CSB‬‬

  • Ten Years In

    Picture of my husband’s and my hands, compliments of my sister-in-law

    JJ and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary last week. Our approaching anniversary had me feeling nostalgic as I remembered some of the highs and lows we’ve experienced throughout this past decade.

    Within these ten years, we have lived in three different cities and called four different apartments and one house our home.

    We’ve welcomed two precious sons into our lives and await to meet our other child in heaven.

    We’ve certainly had our share of grief—of sickness, loss, and heartache.

    But we’ve also had so much to celebrate, too.

    Besides the blessing of getting married and welcoming our two precious sons into our family, JJ has been able to experience a gamut of opportunities within his career. Most importantly, I’ve seen God use JJ in that place. He has grown in his love of the gospel and boldness to share it as God leads. We expectantly wait to see what God might have for him as we prepare to move out of state.

    As for me, I’ve found purpose in writing—a sense that God wants to use my words for His glory. It has been humbling and overwhelming in the best way. I pray it always is for as long as He wishes to use me in this way.

    Ten years ago, we were five weeks out from a move across the state. We just didn’t know it yet. Ten years later, we are once again around five weeks out from a move. This time, however, we are fully aware of it. We have been for quite some time.

    It is interesting to see how much our marriage parallels what it once was ten years ago. And yet so much has changed, too.

    We move forward with a bit of nervousness but also with a lot of anticipation, believing this is where God is leading. And I move forward with JJ toward this new place and new life with trust because I know the man he is and the one that he has become.

    I’m so grateful for these ten years and the ways I’ve witnessed God shaping JJ and molding him and giving him a greater love for prayer, His Word, and the lost. I’m also so thankful for how God sustained us. He has been our constant, faithful in all ways.

    We may not know what these next ten years may bring, and we certainly don’t know what it will be like to live in a new state. But to be in God’s hands, in His will, is the best place to be. Our security is found in Him, and I look forward to seeing what these next ten years will bring.

  • A Tool for His Purposes

    Picture of the glass jar I use when I paint

    Yesterday it dawned on me why I like this mason jar so much.

    I’ve been using it for years to paint and originally tried to keep it spotless after each painting session with my son. He was a toddler when we first started using it, however, so that was an impossible goal. Keeping the walls and furniture smudge free as I took him and his paint-speckled hands to the bathtub was much more of a priority. So, the jar stayed smudged with paint instead, and I soon kept it with all my paint supplies.

    Although I rinse it out after each painting session, it nonetheless has become more speckled and splattered throughout the years. Over time, however, a subtle beauty has emerged form that glass jar—a living story from each time it has been used.

    Yesterday morning, after painting rocks with the boys to remember the empty tomb, I rinsed off the mason jar at the end of our activity, and I once again studied each color, each streak, each testimony to its quiet and steady use over time. And in that moment, I felt a nudge—a silent challenge—to be more like that jar for God’s good purposes.

    The truth is, most people will never know about this glass jar that I appreciate so much. When they see my paintings (or, more likely, my oldest son’s artwork), they won’t comment on how well that jar cleaned off our paintbrushes in between paints. They’ll only comment on the colors, or perhaps even the size of the canvas and the brush strokes. They’ll certainly comment on the talent of the painter, as they’ve done so many times already with my son. The mason jar will never receive the recognition it deserves of a job well done. Not by a public audience, at least. But both my son and I know how important this jar has been, faithfully helping us to paint for all these years. And that is enough.

    As God uses me in different ways throughout my lifetime, I hope I will find a deep peace in knowing that pleasing Him is enough also. Often times, the roles we play and the things God calls us to may seem so secondary to the tasks to which God may call others. But perhaps, in our quiet and steady service to Him, a subtle beauty will emerge—a living story for His glory of a greater masterpiece.

    For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

    Galatians 1:10 ESV

  • A Season for Rest

    Photo from Pexels.com of a snowy path through trees

    Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

    Matthew 11:28-29

    It’s cold outside, which isn’t necessarily a given on these winter days in southern Texas. The trees have lost their leaves, and there is a general sense of dreariness outdoors, but I don’t mind it. Not this year, at least. This type of weather reminds me of my need to do what much of nature is doing on this side of the hemisphere—rest.

    Both Sunday school and the church service touched on this theme over a week ago, and I’m finding it in the verses I’ve been reading during my quiet time as of late.

    Cease from striving. Be still and know that He is God. Rest in Him.

    I generally jump into each new year with a lot of zest and a list of goals that I tend to only half-finish. This year, not only did I make the big list of goals, but I also started packing in anticipation of our move come May.

    A few weeks later, however, I’ve found myself scaling back on all the things I want to accomplish this year, and I’ve already unpacked some of the items I had stored away. The truth is, after a busy fall semester of book readings and farmers markets and all the daily tasks as a wife and mom, I’m tired, and I need a break.

    As I find myself in this slower season, I see God’s wisdom to have created this world with physical seasons—seasons to rest, to plant, to nurture and grow, and then to reap a harvest. And as I consider these seasons, I can’t help but think that our lives ought to follow a similar pattern too.

    We certainly see these different seasons in our lives at different times. As I grow older, however, I’m finding beauty in the idea of starting the new year at a slower pace, with lots of time to reflect on the past year and to prayerfully consider what God might desire for me this new year. To rest, just like nature is doing now.

    There will be plenty of time to tackle the projects ahead and to pack and prepare for a move come this spring. Perhaps the best way to prepare for the busyness ahead, however, is to find rest in the LORD and to physically rest as I commune with Him this winter season. After all, God created each physical season on purpose and for a reason. If the winter season that nature is given helps to lead to greater growth in the spring, then how much more do we need that time of rest and restoration so that we can experience abundant growth in our own personal seasons of spring! Let’s not take for granted the winter seasons God gives us. They happen to us on purpose and for a reason. Let’s take advantage of them to rest, reflect, and deepen our relationship with God.

    For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

    Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

  • A Year of Gratitude

    Picture of slips of paper with notes about the best of the year

    I did things a little differently this year. If you have been following this blog for some time, you know that I generally write a list of the best things about the year over the Thanksgiving weekend. It becomes a time for me to remember how gracious God has been to me and my family and to consider how much He has generously given to us throughout the year, which always causes my heart to well up with deep gratitude to Him.

    This year, I decided that I wanted to capture the best moment of each day, which I wrote down on little scraps of paper throughout the year. I must confess that I never quite got into the habit of writing down the best moment of each day every evening. I’m pretty sure I’ve skipped over a couple dozen days within the last 330 days or so that I have been doing this. At times, I wrote on several small scraps of paper at a time, trying to document the best of each day for several days at a time.

    Although remembering to do this activity in the evenings, and then also trying to determine or remember which moment was the best was a challenge, I’m really glad I stuck to it as best as I could.

    January was an especially beautiful month as I began this new routine. This otherwise dreary month turned into a vibrant 31 days for me as we enjoyed meaningful, often spontaneous moments together as a family, all orchestrated by God’s hand.

    I have yet to read the slips of paper from this past year and to see what all I have deemed as the best for each day. I plan to do so (or to at least start it) sometime this weekend. But I look forward to reading each one and remembering how good this year has been and how God has been so kind to us. While we have certainly had some triumphant moments to celebrate this year as a family, I have noticed more, in writing down the best of each day, how gracious God has been to us in the small moments. I saw it in the evening where I felt His presence close to me as I made dinner and the boys played peacefully together in the living room. Or in the cold, winter evening when we watched a movie together as a family that taught the importance of hard work and persistence. And a more recent moment, when, while the fire alarm was blaring in our apartment complex, the boys and I went to get something to drink on a whim at our local HEB (a grocery store here in Texas, for those of you not blessed enough to know! 😉). I’m really glad I chose to document the days of this year, because I would forget all the little ways in which God lavished His love upon me this year. I’m pretty sure I still don’t recognize half of it as it is.

    I don’t know what type of year this has been for you, but I pray that God will help you to remember how kind and faithful and gracious He has been to you throughout this year. In this world, we are not without troubles. However, Jesus has told us that He has overcome this world. I pray you can find comfort in Him and recognize that He has not forsaken you and is not withholding His love toward you. He is more generous to us that we’ll ever know—at least this side of heaven. The fact that He gives us each breath and sustains us and has provided a way for us to know Him personally is proof alone. May He bring to your memory all the little (and big) ways He has lavished His love upon you and generously given to you. Regardless of our personal circumstances, there is still so much to be thankful for, so may our hearts overflow with thankfulness to Him! Happy Thanksgiving!

    I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

    Psalm 9:1-2

  • To the New Mama

    Photo by Kailash Kumar on Pexels.com of a shepherd in a pasture with his sheep

    To the New Mama

    Go on up to a high mountain,
        O Zion, herald of good news;
    lift up your voice with strength,
        O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
        lift it up, fear not;
    say to the cities of Judah,
        “Behold your God!”
    10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
        and his arm rules for him;
    behold, his reward is with him,
        and his recompense before him.
    11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
        he will gather the lambs in his arms;
    he will carry them in his bosom,
        and gently lead those that are with young”

    Isaiah 40:9-11 ESV

    We read the passage above in Sunday school yesterday, and that last verse transported me back to a time when my firstborn was a newborn and I was learning how to be a mom. I have tender memories of those moments now, but the learning curve of motherhood was a steep mountain to climb, and those first few cold, wintry nights with a newborn seemed interminable to me.

    It was during that time that I truly understood the phrase “to drag oneself out of bed.” I would hear my baby crying in the wee hours of the morning, and it took all the strength and sheer determination I could muster to drag myself out of bed. Throughout the first month or so with little Liam, I prayed for God to make each day a little easier for me. Then, in the months to follow, I begged Him to cause Liam to sleep through the night so that I could get some much-needed sleep!

    I hope I’m not painting too bleak of a picture here—especially for the women who have yet to become moms. I loved my baby boy so deeply. He was so cute and sweet and precious, and he would continue to win my heart over and over again in the months to come as he learned how to smile and then started to coo and then crawl and walk and everything in between. Nonetheless, I quickly learned that motherhood, especially at this stage, was exhausting, and I sure didn’t have the energy I thought I should for it!

    It was somewhere around the time that Liam was born that I stumbled upon the last verse mentioned above, and in my sleep-deprived, foggy brain, I was immensely encouraged that God would gently lead those with young. The truth is, I needed that leading so much. I felt vulnerable and completely incapable of making simple decisions on my own. So, to know that God was tenderly leading me and looking out for my young family and me brought a lot of comfort to my heart back then. I wasn’t alone in this new journey of motherhood. God’s eyes were upon me, gently guiding me and protecting my family and me along the way.

    When I think back to when I first became a mom, it encourages me to share this verse with any woman who may be experiencing the same things as I did. As lonely as motherhood might seem (especially in those initial days), God has not abandoned us in it. As huge of a responsibility that it is, we can cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

    Sleep my not come for a good while in those early days (It sure didn’t for me with my youngest more recently!), and we may suffer the effects that exhaustion often brings. Still, God’s outpouring of love and compassion will still be there. His eyes will still be upon us in each joy and sorrow. And He will tenderly guide us like a good and loving shepherd, because He is the one who gave His own life for His sheep.

    “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

    John 10:11 ESV

  • Dwelling Place

    A house ornament

    My family and I recently came home after an extended stay out of town, and although the time away was pleasant in general, I felt homesick towards the end and looked forward to getting back home. Now that we’re here, however, I’m acutely reminded of the stresses and struggles that come with living in this space.

    We’ve been in this apartment complex for over two years now, and as the boys grow, this place gets smaller. The items in one of the kitchen cupboards are a haphazard heap, threatening to cascade to the counter below, and an avalanche of plastic cups, plates, and other containers is often unleashed by my toddler in yet another cupboard within his reach. This apartment is virtually impossible to childproof, and I find myself longing for a house of our own all the more as a result.

    There’s so much I want for my family that could potentially be fulfilled in a home. I want my boys to have a backyard in which to play and a neighborhood where they could freely ride bikes. Furthermore, I want to be able to throw Christmas parties and baby showers and to comfortably host out-of-town guests. But those dreams feel a long way off with no viable options in town, and I’m left longing for something better and wondering when things will change.

    JJ often reminds me to be grateful for what we have, which is a response I’m generally not too fond of. He’s right, though, and we have had special moments here that will make leaving this place bittersweet when that time comes. Nonetheless, I live under the constant stress of containers strewn across the floor and lack of storage space, and all I can do is bring my complaints before the Lord. And as I do, King David comes to mind as of late.

    The prophet Samuel anointed David as the next king of Israel fourteen to fifteen years before he would ever assume that position, and as David would wait for his role as king to become reality, he would face many hardships, often dwelling in caves and on the run for his life from the present-king Saul who sought to kill him. How must David have felt about his own waiting? Did he ever question his future or the timing of what God had shown him?

    While we aren’t necessarily given any answers to those questions, we certainly can read about all that he experienced in the book of 1 Samuel, and we are given access to his thoughts and feelings throughout that time in many of the Psalms that he penned.

    What most stands out to me in his Psalms is that, although his own feelings of sadness and discouragement are present, he never lost sight of God. He reminded himself of how God was his refuge and stronghold and deliverer. He saw God’s goodness in the midst of his trials.

    I originally thought to write this blogpost sharing about how David’s season of waiting (and all the hardships therein) prepared him to be king. I also planned to write about how, in that season of waiting, God would use him to bless and strengthen future generations in the faith through the Psalms that he would write. His wait was certainly not a waste of time, and neither is ours.

    As I write today, however, I feel most impressed by David’s hope in the Lord and not in any other thing. The words he penned in Psalm 16:11 are words I want to live by.

    You make known to me the path of life;
        in your presence there is fullness of joy;
        at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

    -Psalm 16:11 ESV

    My mindset begins to shift when I think of David’s attitude throughout his lifetime. God’s presence was with David, and he found fullness of joy in it. Similarly, God’s presence is with me in this place. His Spirit abides in me, so in essence, He has chosen to dwell with me here.

    All the sudden, this apartment becomes a place of worship. It is a place I can offer to the Lord, with all its imperfections and irritations, because everything belongs to Him in the end. I can pick up the plastic containers a second, third, and fourth time of the day knowing that I do it as unto my King. I can clean and organize as best as I can to worship Him and show gratitude for His providence and His continual presence with me here. And I can ask God again and again to help me let go of the trivial hardships of this place and to help me to focus on what He wants to do in and through me here. There is a purpose for me in this place, and God is not withholding good from me in setting me here for this season. May I learn to seek and to see Him all the more in this dwelling place and to understand the good work that He is doing in and through me specifically because I live here.

  • Beauty in the Midst of Wild Things

    The garden outside the library

    I was instantly enthralled with the garden outside our local library the first time I saw it over two years ago. With varying shades of green and vibrant pops of yellow, orange, and red flowers mixed throughout it, my oldest son and I soon found ourselves walking along one of the dirt-packed pathways, where we watched butterflies flutter by and saw lizards scurrying about as they looked for a place to hide.

    Our short journey took us further into the garden and to a wooden bench where we rested for a short while under the covering of shrubs and trees. That day, the garden felt magical to me, as if there were secrets within to discover and behold. Although I have not spent much time in that garden since then due to the often-insufferable Texas heat, my children and I still generally take the garden path that leads to the library whenever we go. And we still see the butterflies and pops of color as the lizards scurry below.

    As winter gave way to spring this year, I noticed how much the garden had been neglected during one library visit. Weeds covered the walkways, and the shrubs were overgrown into a tangled mess. It was sad to see what had become of it. We didn’t take the garden path that time. We couldn’t with everything so overgrown. With my oldest son busy with school and my own busyness after having begun a part-time job later that spring, we didn’t make it to the library much after that. We’ve been to the library a few times this summer, however, and the most recent time we went, I noticed that the garden looked less unkempt this time. Someone had trimmed back the plants a bit, and although the weeds were still running wild, there weren’t as many. The garden was starting to get the care it needed.

    Although I do not know if the garden will ever be restored to its former glory, I see the beauty of it in this stage—in the midst of wild things. The trees and shrubs are still vibrant alongside the pops of color from the flowers. And the butterflies are still enjoying this garden along with the lizards that find shelter under the shrubs. There is beauty in the life that is teeming within this place. The wildness and weeds haven’t taken away from that. But I also see the beauty of this place because I know what this garden once was and what it could once again be. It has a lot of potential. With the right care, this garden could become a place of solace once again with areas to explore and secrets to unfold.

    When I think about the garden in this way, I recognize how good it would do me to view people like this, especially the ones that are rough around the edges—the wild ones.

    We all have inherent value and beauty because we were created in God’s image. But how much potential we all have to become even more lovely when we surrender to our Maker and allow Him to prune and weed us, planting seeds in us that will ultimately cause us to look more like Him!

    I want the garden at our local library to represent that to me. I want to see people through the lens in which God sees them. And, in recognizing their potential, particularly for the ones that are a little harder to love naturally, I want to find myself showing greater compassion and kindness to them. To see their value and realize what a treasure they are to God. Because ultimately, we are all gardens in progress. So, let’s express God’s love to each other, asking Him to help us to further surrender to the work of His hands as He tends to the garden that is our lives.

    He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

    Ecclesiastes 3:11a

  • In Season

    I’ll eventually put another plant in the pot, but for now, the fake flower will do! 😀 Picture of three plants and a fake, purple flower.

    For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

    Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

    My tulip bulbs didn’t bloom again. It’s not too surprising, however, since I didn’t do any research to know when and how to plant them. I simply stuck them in a pot of dirt on our patio when Liam and I were planting seeds over a month ago. Then I watered them and hoped for the best.

    Now, weeks later, the rest of the plants have sprouted and are really starting to thrive, but the bulbs remain a potted patch of dirt. Come to think of it, I vaguely recall reading about planting them in the fall when I was originally researching how to take care of the bulbs after their first blossoms. Apparently, timing really does make a difference. Timing and the right kind of care, in this case.

    Being greeted by that barren plot of dirt each day as I water the rest of the patio plants has made me consider the importance of planting in season. This is certainly true for gardening, of course, but I can’t help but think it applies to so much more than that, too.

    Lately, JJ and I have been talking about some dreams that we would like to pursue in the near future. God seems to have planted certain desires in our hearts,  and those longings only appear to grow as we ask God to mold our hearts to His.

    Nonetheless, it is not quite the right season to plant in the physical world the desires that have been planted in our hearts, so we hold onto these hopes like seeds, watching and waiting for God to direct us to when planting season is here.

    Thinking about the dried-out bulbs is the encouragement I’ve needed these days to trust God when I grow weary of this watching and waiting. JJ and I could try to force things to conform to our desires now, but we know it would be foolish. Much like the tulip bulbs, our efforts would render little result if we didn’t let God determine the right season. Our labor would be in vain of God wasn’t in it (Psalm 127:1).

    Knowing that the good gifts God wants to give us will flourish in the right, God-ordained season brings me a sense of stillness, and as we wait on Him to receive these God-given dreams, I can rest assured that He is preparing the soil and climate of our lives to entrust us with those good gifts in due time. He is the Master Gardener; He does not plant a seed simply for the soil to remain barren. So, as I stare at this “patch of dirt” in my own life, seeds of hopes and dreams in hand, I’ll keep looking to Him and trusting that He will show both JJ and me when to plant. And I’ll trust that, in due time, we’ll have a beautiful garden by God’s help because we waited on Him for the right season.

    Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

    Psalm 27:14 ESV