In this Season of Small beginnings, God has given me waterfalls, waterfalls that I can reach as I rebuild.

In April, my first hike (after January’s spinal fusion surgery) ended in an unexpected waterfall.

In May, while I was searching for a just-right creek for a pregnancy photo shoot for my DIL, all I found were waterfalls – all sizes and shapes. I finally found a creek, with a sweet spot called The Baptizing Hole once used by a church further down the road.

I was searching for creeks and my Father gave me waterfalls!

Every day has started with small beginnings since January 16. Moving to sit up in the morning is all about determination, steel, and muscle: Determination to steel myself to push muscles that are not hop-out-of-bed ready. I’m still rebuilding all the muscles up and down the spine cut during surgery so hardware could be installed to straighten Scoliosis/Kyphosis.

Small Beginnings for something as simple as getting out of bed can be hard, friends. Even daunting, even painful. I learned a long time ago, not to focus on the hard right now, or the messiness of now, but focus on where I want to be – and keep on walking one step at a time, one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time. I want to be in my kitchen cooking, reach under the counter for a soup pot without feeling stretched, lift my grandbabies into hugs. I want to play volleyball in the backyard, kayak – and hike with my husband. I want to run up my porch steps and rearrange furniture on my own.

Right now, my day starts with a challenge. Meeting the challenge means literally pushing through the pain and weakness to rise and go. It means self-discipline to do the stretches when I’d rather not. Small beginnings are hard, They’re harder if you never get out of bed. Harder if you never stretch. Harder if you never take the next steps that push a little harder.

Saturday, we hiked two miles. That’s the farthest walk yet. I negotiated uneven terrain and steep inclines. I squatted for the hard-to-reach photo angles. I’m learning tummy tucking makes my spine feel better – and I’m learning to walk head held high, looking six-feet ahead instead of at my feet (21st Century Elocution training LOL). I’m learning to walk, to move, to balance with a straight spine.

Rebuilding strength isn’t comfortable. Two miles isn’t much to many. But it’s not between me and many. It’s between me and God – never under-estimate what God has in the small beginnings!!! God doesn’t scoff at the small beginnings. He doesn’t belittle or mock the small beginnings. He’s right there beside me, my biggest cheerleader, telling me I can do all things with Him.

A tiny blue butterfly met my on my path – and his brothers and sisters took turns traveling with me down the path. My husband held my hand when my balance wobbled. As we moved down toward the falls, the cool morning air wrapped me in a refreshing, comforting-cool, “hello” – and when I walked through the water to see through the back of the falls, my feet made my soul smile at the crisp feeling that felt like new life.

After the falls, we walked to the cascades. “Not much to see,” one group said. A young couple passed us, commenting on the beauty of the cascades.

The water fell leisurely, unhurriedly over the edge and slid downward in dripping strands into a crevice, dripping on hour by hour, day by day, year by year until two rocks split apart, its vertical and horizontal lines telling a story. . . if one leaned in to read it. I was thankful my husband was there to explain, my geology man reading the story in the rocks to his humanities girl:

lines etched vertical ,
chiseled horizontal
by steady drips
abiding flows
rippling marks, dimpling marks
and cups carved by the steadfast
never-give-up
constant
drops of water
always moving
never knowing
where it’s going
except always moving
forward
always
moving forward
on a God-designed journey

The first group was mistaken: there was so much to see – in the details, in the story of the water and its journey forward, in the not-giving-up, in the evidence of the impact of those long ago small beginnings.

Thank you God for the small beginnings. Thank you that when I push myself in the hard to move forward, no matter how small the increments, it has impact on the journey you walk with me. Thank you for strength returning, for muscles healing, for the cool water washing my feet, a husband who opens my eyes to more of the story, and thank you for this season of waterfalls.

“Do not despise these small beginnings,
for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.”
~ Zechariah 4:10a

Remember Me Monday: # 8 & Linky

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week!

#remembermemonday #godwantsustoremember #godisthebestfather

---

This is a Blog Hop!

---

You are next… Click here to enter
This list will close in 4 days, 2 hrs, 9 min (7/18/2020 11:59 PM North America – Central Standard Time)

What is a blog hop?
Get the code here…

Linky Tools  |  Linky Blog

Places I’m linking with:
Grace & Truth/What We Learned/Inspire Me Monday/Legacy Linkup/Literacy Musings/Tell His Story/WelcomeHeart/Purposeful Faith/Recharge Wednesday/Worth Beyond Rubies/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected and Faith On Fire.

Share this:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...