God's Garden

Mud soup in the red bucket on the back porch. Play pots and pans on the grass. Chalk and pretend food all over the playhouse floor.

Evidence.

While I was away, some precious children were here. Having fun. Playing as if – because – they hadn’t a concern in the world.

Oh, to be a child!

And yet, I was away at Cherish Conference, realigning my perspective, reconnecting with God on a newer, deeper level, and standing shoulder to shoulder with sisters from around the globe, sisters with many languages and colours and experiences and ages, all loving God, all worshiping together. We may not see things eye to eye – politics, child-rearing, whatever – but we experienced that deep family love which sees beyond the transitory to the eternal.

Just like those precious children who played here, I feel like I was away playing in God’s garden. I am so grateful.

Cherish

Off to Cherish women’s conference in Leeds tomorrow early. When preparing to go away, I find it hard to get the balance between looking at what needs doing right now, with thinking ahead to what I need to do/take to Leeds. I’m dashing between the garden and bank forms and correspondence, baking bread for Don (in the bread-maker!) and thinking of what I’ll need at Cherish.

I like variety in my life. Nothing worse than rigid routine. But too much variety can make me feel like I’m fraying at the edges. Like I’m bound to forget something critical.

Commit your way to the Lord. He guides my steps, and nothing critical will be forgotten. Maybe some frivolous trivia will be left undone, left behind, but I trust him to remind me of the important things.

It’s maintaining the right perspective, isn’t it? In this case, it’s the happy anticipation of a few days away, worshipping God in the company of thousands of women, hearing inspiring messages and eating out!