April 14 2015

April 15 2015 Greetings My Friend It is a cloudy drizzly kind of day as I write. The weather outside is comfortable enough to sit out on the porch with no shoes on. I am eating lunch and drinking tea. I hear the birds sing, the slight bing of the wind chime and marvel at a bird on a wire fluffing itself in the rain. I spent the morning doing my computer time, Bible reading, prayers and then I swept the floors. With all our dogs and cats it is necessary to do this often. I nder thinking back to last week when I was roaming around the yard with my walker. Val (one of our many dogs) was following me. He would lay down while I bent down picked up debris and as I slowly moved from his line of vision he soon followed me. In his quiet way he was telling me “should I fall I will find help for you.” I’ve noticed our fur babies subtly taking care of me/us. Daisy is my inside friend always near. Bella stays right at my feet. These two are inside the most with me and while Junior works outside on building porches, sheds and such the rest of the children are taking turns keeping an eye on him. I go back inside to do a few more things like write, change the wax melts, fill the diffuser or clean the bathroom. As this bout of work ends I feel the tug of the porch on my soul like “It is time to come and see all of God’s glory”. I sense God keeps teaching me to quit trying to be so busy I forget to stop and smell the roses, to love a fur child. It is these time outs that beckon me to stay on God’s path to seek His input on the work He wants me to do and even in the time frame. I hear once more God teaching “ it is not how fast, how many or how long. It is about loving the lost, the lonely and the hurting.” I sense that a busy “Janet” would miss the hoarder who has no friends or the abused trying to walk away from their horror. I would also not see how creative Junior is and be strung out over the length of time it takes him to finish some projects. God shows me that Junior works slow because he is learning, he is disabled and needs to stop often. The more I understand this the more I appreciate the gift of a renovated home Junior is making for me for us. I learn Junior’s tenderness as he gives me the space to learn to live with my disabilities and find new ways to do old things. At this I hear God whisper on my heart “All this for you Janet because I want your best. Now go and do to others as I do to you,” Agape Love - seeking another person’s highest good continues to whisper on my heart. It isn’t about the ones most people see, it is about loving the “unseen.” God again reminds me that my work is not the same as a famous evangelist, a minister of a church and this work He is giving me to do is “just right” for me. In this I am content to be ADHD have Chiari Malformation, COPD and the list goes on. If I am annoying to some that is okay. If I am inspiration that too is okay. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet