Grains of Sand

We ran into this delightful sand castle on the beaches of Florida. Someone had spent lots of time sculping tiny white grains of sand to form this sight. There were motes and trees and tiny steps, windows and look out towers.

I am reminded of the tiny grains of sand - gazillion-millions of them, each created by God. They are washed back and forth into the sea and back onto the beach. They provide a soft landing for our toes. There are miles and miles of beautiful beaches full of sands of different colors.

I love walking the beach - wherever there is sand. Later this week I'll be walking the sand beaches of Lake Michigan. I'm headed to SALTS - Survivors of Abuse Leadership Training. I'm one of the leaders on the team. We have people coming from across the US and all over the world to learn how to go back to their home churches and start a ministry to the wounded and hurting. We use our stories of harm and the redemption God has written into us to walk along side others who have hurtful stories from their past. And we teach them to use their redemptive stories to walk with those God will bring across their paths.

It's always a mountain top week for me. It will have its difficult moments. Walking with others in their pain is hurtful. But seeing the glory God has planned for them as they journey toward His Light is such a gift.

If you are curious, the web site for Open Hearts Ministry, the host of SALTS is www.ohmin.org. It is through this training that I direct my ministry in my local area called Window of Hope. My passion is to use my story of redemtion to give hope to others who are struggling along the way.

Maybe I'll have time to built a sand castle of my own there on the beach.

Granpa Dane calls this the Secret Place. It's not very far from our house - just a couple of miles. The waterfall behind us is very high. I'm distance challenged but I'm guessing at least 25 feet high. Several of our grandchildren (and one of our sons) has climbed up the face and behind the waterfall.

Grandpa has been able to take all but four of his grandchildren to the Secret Place he discovered. He makes a pretty big deal of it. The drive takes us to a very old cemetary. The children get a very skeptical look on their faces and even a couple have said "Is this all it is?" I can see Granpa smiling discreetly as he heads them down a long path into the woods. He asks them to begin to listen and soon they hear water. Not too far into the woods we come upon this gorgeous sight. It's a perfect playground for children, with a pool of water, lots of rocks to skip down the creek and big rocks to make a natural bridge across the creek to the other side which is complete with "mountains" to be climbed and conquered. I think you get the picture. Add little ones to this and you end up with lots of wet and fun and adventure. Granpa and Grammie picnics are particularly memorable here.

The Secret Place is a beautiful scene that God has carved out of rock and water and nature. It's in a very unlikely place, and very unsuspecting. I wonder how many drive within a few hundred yards of it every day and have no idea that it even exists.

God has created a number of places of serenity in my life. Places I can run to in times of distress, needing a quiet place where I can hear nothing but God and His nature. We were challenged last week in our Journey Group (home church) about how hard it is to get totally quiet and make space to really hear God. I've noticed a personal struggle lately. I long to hear God speak into me the thoughts He wants me to ponder, but I tend to have some noise going, TV or stereo. TV brings it's own set of struggles and right choices, but my stereo is full of christian CD's that can bring me to worship. That isn't a wrong choice. But what else might I hear if I shut out all wordly noise and just listened. It's a new discipline I'm working on - not here yet, but still on the journey toward embracing silence in my life.

There are secret places where I can get really quiet and the only noise around me is that being made by God's nature. Are there those places for you? Do you need to go in search of a secret place of your own where you can really hear the voice of the one who created you, gifted you and is calling you to a special journey that only your can accomplish for Him with God working through you?

I'd share the location of Granpa Dane's secret place, but we really want to keep it to ourselves as long as we can. I challenge you to go in search of your own secret place. God has made many of them just for the finding.

Happy searching............

This is the view I have from my place of serenity in the North Woods of Michigan each August. Can you see the rainbow peeking out from the clouds? Life can be like that. The clouds of doubt, discouragement or despair can swirl around us. With news of financial struggles, loss of jobs and serious illness filling our world, it's easy to become discouraged.

We've faced some of that here in our home recently. Plans we had for our future seem to be tentative now because of financial changes. People are using their limited finances for the necessities of life, food, medicine and gas to get around. It makes for lean times for The Handyman (my husband, Dane). There aren't many requests right now for people to do any more than what is absolutely necessary in their homes to keep things running. Fortunately, despite a couple of viruses and a bout with food poisoning, we have maintained our health.

Our life has looked much like the dark, swirling clouds above in the photo. But if you look closely, the rainbow is there. And behind the rainbow, above the Canadian mountains in the photo is light - actually the Light. God promises us a rainbow to follow the storms and then His Light to shine on our lives with hope.

There is hope in our life. Each morning Dane and I list 5 blessings. They have to be new each day, not one we listed before. That is always a good reminder as we begin our day that God is bringing rainbows to us right out through the dark clouds. God promises us rainbows and He is faithful in His promise to Dane and me. Sometimes we have to look more deeply, but they are always there if we are willing to stand strong and take the time to look. Sometimes we have to swirl in the clouds awhile to appreciate the rainbow that is just beyond our human sight capability.

So is there a rainbow in your life today or just clouds. Want to talk about it?

I leave you looking for the rainbow God will bring..................