Welcome to my Friends and Fellowship Serenity Summer Soiree. Each week during the months of June, July, and August plan to enjoy meeting some of my favorite writing friends and fellowship around the goodness of the Lord. This week, we are encouraged by my sweet friend and fellow blogger, Deborah Rutherford, as she shares the Joy of unexpected blessings with us!
Welcome Deborah!
Ponder, dream, and sit with Jesus, asking, “Which way, my Lord?”
Life can be crazy, but God brings us the peace we need. If only we slow down long enough to experience joy in God’s unexpected blessings. We never know what our Lord will bring, but we do know it will be good.
Here we are in the last month of dear sweet Summer. Still pondering, stretching, being. And soon, the following season comes swirling by, but for now, let us rest right here. Right here in the middle of August 2023.
What better time to sit and be still and listen at the feet of Jesus?
God always has sweet, lovely surprises for us – if only we can be patient. We must slow down and open our space, schedules, and minds to provide room to receive God’s blessings – so that we can see and listen for them.
These blessings can be in the most unexpected places and the most mundane ordinary moments of life. This is where God often puts lovely precious blessings.
Here we can find the beautiful that He tucks away for each of us.
How can we open ourselves to receive God’s unexpected blessings?
- Ponder – take time to ponder, dream, and reflect. You can do this with a journal. I am reading and journaling Jennifer Duke Lee’s book “Stuff I’d Only Tell God,” which has lovely deep prompts but includes fun ones too.
You can find pondering in long walks, riding bikes, or in your garden in lingering conversations with God. Enjoy this space because here you will discover newness, refreshment, fellowship, and unexpected blessings in these reflections.
- Be Curious– When a disruption, problem, or mishap happens, instead of getting upset and thinking the worst ask God what He is teaching you in this lesson. What is God saying to you? What opportunity is there in this mishap?
God often uses disruptions to get our attention, to refine and mold us. And it is a beautiful opportunity to draw closer to God.
- Try something new. You may have a full schedule and think being available for something new will not fly. But it can be a small step toward something new.
It could be that instrument you never learned how to play. Or, if you are a writer, try a fresh style – have you drafted a poem? Or, if you bake, try a new recipe. It could be reading another type of book or tackling that book in the Bible you thought was too difficult, like Leviticus.
- Keep a gratitude journal. It is great to do this daily, but at least once a week, write down one thing or more for which you are grateful. Many of us do this with a video of all the month’s pictures. It is a way to reflect and realize – wow, God really blessed me this last month.
I thought nothing was happening, but there was Providence and delicious food, a thriving garden, a magnificent sky, animals galore, and the fellowship of friends and belly laughter and intimate conversations sharing love and joy in hushpuppies, pizza, and popcorn.
There is so much to be thankful for in our daily lives; these are all unexpected blessings that bring us joy.
Do you feel it too? Pure gratitude for all God does for us in our unexpected places? We have a choice when trouble comes along – which it always does – we can turn our woes and weary over to God and rest in His peace. Because we know our God is good and He commands the unknown. We can trust in our Holy One.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
We find our unexpected blessings in the early morn, soft daybreak, when the house is lovely, inviting, comforting, and we whisper, “thank you home.” In peace, before day begins, where God invites us into His Word.
In our family, friends, and fellowship.
In our garden delights and flowers bloom with electric green trees everywhere. With our backyard friends, the bunny, deer, cardinals, bees, and so many more. Our blessings are beyond our imagination.
Our beauty in our world is a glimpse of our Heaven.
Have a blessed Summer ending, and may God shine on you.
Deborah Rutherford is a Christian wife passionate about Jesus and loves to write stories, devotionals, and poetry. She is also an award-winning makeup artist. Deborah shares her journey of faith, joy, and beauty on her blog at www.deborahrutherford.com and social media at Instagram and Facebook.
She is on the writing teams for Kingdom Edge Magazine and Gracefully Truthful Ministries and has a devotional in the book “Shepherd on Duty: Promises of God you Can Trust” (Arabelle Publishing) and the Calla Press, Literary Journal Spring 2023.
Learning to eliminate hurry has been one of my richest blessings lately. I’ve found that when I feel rushed, I lose my peace altogether. And I don’t want to lose any fragment of peace that I’ve been given! 🙂
Amen, Lisa, learning to eliminate hurry seems a class I continue to repeat!
Taking time to breathe in God’s beauty is a “glimpse of our heaven.” I love all these suggestions on how to cultivate gratitude in our day. Thank you!
Lynn, I love the way you express that, truly taking time to breathe in God’s beauty is a “glimpse of heaven!”
Donna, thank you for sharing my story. You are a blessing in my life. Love, Deborah
My absolute pleasure to share your words here Deborah!