Inside: Peaceful easy season of summer, waiting on green fields, and all the “little foxes.” Check out all the latest fresh from the farm.
Peaceful, Easy Season of Summer
Seemed like I entered this year with an unsettled feeling, but as winter dwindled away and I finished the last of my editing projects, I was led down an entirely different path. In the early part of March, my birth month, the Lord spoke to my heart and told me to take the month off. No commitments–aside from dinner and dishes, groceries and laundry. My agenda was rest and reading. And, of course, television watching, which helps me relax. So I thought April would be busy.
It wasn’t.
The only thing that changed the rhythm of my life was the addition of listening to my unedited novel being read to me by my word program. I did several chapters per week, which took me to the end of May and a visit from family. (Yay! Meeting my new nephew Asa!) June brought Mike’s first week of staycation and Mom’s out-of-state visit to my brother’s home for a couple of weeks, which added chicken- and cat-feeding duties and flower watering at her house–though the rain did nearly all of that! Still not very busy as we moved into July and Mike received a welcome surprise of five days following the Fourth.
Now we come to the end of July. Still in rest mode. No new projects.
Interestingly, during this time I’ve been drawn to short devotionals on rest. Obviously something I needed. It amazes me how we can know so little about ourselves sometimes. . .
But our Father knows. And He continues to lead me beside still waters, right when I need it most.
Waiting on Green Fields
And what of those green pastures? I’ve been on a watch. Since February. Remember that really two-week cold snap followed by warming trends? That warmth made the world start coming alive with the very first signs of spring, and as I often do during my prayer time, I found myself staring out the window, looking out over fields in the distance. I’d been talking to the Lord about waiting for a situation to change, and He directed my gaze to the fields in the distance. I noticed that the ground looked sort of gray with barely–and I mean barely–a tinge of green. You’d have to push to see it–or be an optimist. I heard His voice in my head.
When will this field be the most green?
August, I thought. The bean field would be at its deepest green in August.
Watch and wait.
And wait I did. Through very light gray-green, to light sage, to sage, then weeds of little yellow and white flowers as well as purple, to brown when the field was worked, to light green, medium green, and, finally, a deep and satisfying green. Meanwhile days and weeks passed, calendar pages turned. Seasons came and went. Some of the things I’ve prayed for have happened, yet I wait, still.
Sometimes what we pray and hope for takes many seasons. Years.
But change does happens. Tiny, barely perceivable bits of change, until, at some point, it overtakes us.
Or, rather, we overcome.
All the Little Foxes
Perhaps you’ve heard the term “little foxes.” The little difficulties, things that go wrong, harsh words, frustrating moments, draining situations (and people). Unmet expectations, delays, disappointments. It’s not always the big ordeals in life that can chip away at our soul. These little foxes can accumulate. Steal joy. Distract. Cause stress. Bring gloom. Avoiding these can be exhausting, particularly when they seem to be coming from all directions. Kind of reminds me of all these Olympic hurdle jumpers I’ve been watching lately on tv.
So how to deal with these little foxes? Be aware of them. Give yourself grace and rest. See the humor–if you can. Last week when Mike was on a bike ride, the catalytic converter was stolen from our car. (I won’t tell you how much that one cost to replace!) While we were able to fix the car the next day, it took a few more days to get in the right frame of mind–including prayers for God to help whoever stole the part.
This morning I met Mike out by the car after another bike ride.
“Still got our catalytic converter?” I said, smiling, joking.
“Yes,” he answered.
“All right,” I said and gave him two thumbs up and a grin.
Thankfully, there are also such things as little miracles. The ability to see humor in this situation was one of them!
Resources and related posts:
Is Perfectionism Holding You Back?
Farm Summer Days, Zinnia Field, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
This day in past posts:
Stay Cool with Water Infusions