The Trees of the Field Shall Clap Their Hands

"For you shall go out with joy,

and be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills 

shall break forth into singing before you,

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

Isaiah 55:12

If you've been keeping up with me here lately, you know that I am in the midst of a huge life change! It would be most appropriate to state that this is definitely an event that fits the title of my blog, Closed Doors, Open Windows perfectly!  If you go back to the very beginning of when I first started to write this blog, way back in February of 2010, you will see that the driving force behind my writing was the fact that I was in between jobs...one door had definitely closed in my life, and I was diligently searching for another to open as quickly as possible.  It didn't happen quite as soon as I thought it should...but in God's perfect timing He opened the window of His choice, 

The next five and a half + years were not always filled with joy and laughter...there were many trials to face during that time, not only in my work, but in the realm of my whole life..., (click on each link to go back in time and read the history), Read here about "The Last Farewell", "How Could I Not Want This Day to Come?".  But there were some wonderful blessings and times of joy as well...Read "Blessed to Be A Blessing", "An Offering of Praise".  

And now, today, a Monday, is the first day of my true retirement from working.  (Actually, last Friday was my last day of work, but today is the first day that I didn't actually have to set my alarm and get up and go to work).  The full reality of that probably won't hit me until I realize that I won't be earning regular paychecks anymore, and we are going to have to watch every penny to survive.  But I know that God is in this. He will provide...and so I am not going to worry about that today. 

(No, I didn't see him this morning...but I always have to be ready
just in case.)

So this morning, as soon as I was able to reasonably slip out of the door and get outside, I took at little "walkabout" our house and neighborhood, with my trusty whistle for protection from any strolling bears

or other "wildlife", and my camera ready to capture the beauty of this first morning of the rest of my life.  It was a rather chilly morning for us here in Florida, but the air was brisk and refreshing, the sun was shining...and I was FREE to wander!

Even though there wasn't much activity this morning, I found enough beauty to fill my senses with the joy of God's wonderful creation and the gift of this new freedom...it's all good. I was a little too late for the sunrise (and it was too chilly at that hour even for me), so this is the earliest picture I could get of one of my favorite spots in the neighborhood... and definitely "all the trees of the field" were clapping their hands for me today.

And all the holly berries are bursting forth in color, ready for the holiday season to begin...and also ready to feed the myriads of birds and wildlife as they store up food for winter...

 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, 

but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, 

That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

So shall MY word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, 

and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  

Isaiah 55:10-11

And this beautiful pink camellia is blooming...this was a plant that I thought had died last year, but I kept nursing it back to health over the summer, and now it is rewarding me with the earliest blossoms before all the other bushes that appear much healthier!  This must be its way of thanking me (and GOD) for rescuing it from an untimely death...

 "Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."  Isaiah 55:13

And there is this lovely Christmas Cactus plant blooming already...another one that I thought was about dead...and it, too, is the first to bloom of all the others!

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are My ways higher than your ways, 

and My thoughts 

than your thoughts."  

Isaiah 55:8-9

Yes, today is the beginning of a new adventure...an "Open Window" of opportunity...for what? I don't yet know exactly what God has in mind for my future...but I know He holds my future...and therefore I do not fear.

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, 

and eat what is good,

and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Incline your ear, and come to Me,

Hear, and your soul shall live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you..."

Isaiah 55: 1-3

(This photo was not taken today, but it still speaks volumes)

Yes, today is the beginning of a new day...an Open Window into the rest of my life!
Praise God, and Here I Go!

This, Too, Shall Pass

This picture may not say much to you, but if you could have seen that little golden cloud passing through, you would understand this better.  The white clouds were stationary...not moving at all. But the little golden cloud was flying past like it had someplace important to get to in a big hurry.

I was outside wandering around, talking to God.  Had some things come up today that sort of threw me for a loop. Nothing about me personally, but something with the potential to wreak havoc in the lives of others. After our evening walk I found myself looking up at the sky and asking God for some direction.  I can choose to act boldly and disrupt the universe (well, maybe not THAT bad), or I can choose to step back and let it blow over and not get personally involved.  

I wonder, "What would Jesus do?"  That's what I'm asking God to show me. Give me wisdom, Lord.
James 1:5 says~

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally 

and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and lean not unto your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He shall direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:19-23 says:

"The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;

By understanding He established the heavens;

By His knowledge the depths were broken up,

And CLOUDS drop down the dew.

My son, (daughter!) let them not depart from your eyes--

keep sound wisdom and discretion;

So they will be life to your soul

And grace to your neck.

Then you will walk safely in your way,

and your foot will not stumble."

I feel better now.  Reading from God's Word always gives me comfort and peace. I am still not certain what I am going to do, but I know that God is in this with me, and that He will guide me each step of the way.  The title above, "This, too, shall pass", is a true saying. When all is said and done, even the most traumatic events have a way of passing away in time and life goes on.  But wisdom gives us time to pause and reflect, and hopefully choose the right path, so that life can go on in peace for all concerned. That is my prayer, Lord. Thank you for listening. Thank you for speaking to my heart. Amen.

A Journey of Opposites

Light and Darkness

Life and Death

Fear and Courage

Seeming opposites...and yet they all go together.

Without the darkness would we ever understand the light?

Without life, there would be no death.

Without fear, would we ever need to have courage?

Last week my son, who has terminal cancer, was admitted to a Hospice House in a community near his home. (1500 miles away from my home). Obviously, this is a step that brings every parent to their knees.  No one wants to see their loved one, whether it be a child, adult, spouse, sibling, anyone come to that point in life where it has become necessary to admit they are nearing the threshold of heaven.

John 1:5 tells us that "And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."  I John 1: 5-7

This week I am being immersed in the Light of God.  His testimony of life and light is all around me. It is an unusual tale...but not when you know the God of Light.

The reflection shown above appeared on my wall last week, a couple of days after Matthew was admitted to Hospice House.  I walked into my kitchen and noticed the light reflecting behind the blue vase, and then my eyes were directed to the wall just to the right of the vase, and the reflection I discovered there was shimmering and vibrating with dazzling brilliant light. I was so amazed by this phenomenon that I immediately ran to find my camera, hoping that it would remain until I could capture it. I later posted these pictures on my Facebook page, and I said "I wish I had taken time to dust this vase before I photographed it, but then the reflection would have been gone."  I meant that by the time I dusted it the moment would have passed and we would have missed it.  One of my friends commented, "Without the dust the reflection would have been gone...interesting..."   And that got me to thinking a little more deeply about this whole reflection of light event.

Strangely enough, this reflection continued to dance before our eyes for several minutes, during which time I received a phone call from a lady at the Hospice house, who happened to be sitting with Matthew for the evening to give my daughter in law a break.  She said she was calling to let me know that Matthew was sleeping peacefully and comfortably and that he was being well cared for.  I was surprised by her call, and particularly at that moment in time, but it gave me great comfort.  And then the light began to fade away and the vase once again sat in somewhat obscurity on my little shelf in the kitchen.

Several of my Facebook friends had interesting, deep comments about this Light Reflection.  A couple thought for sure they could see an angel in the light...

and another said:

"Maybe his spirit was visiting you at the time. . I have had this happen to me several times with close friends and family members who were in the state that Matt it is. Beautiful experience and a look into the mysterious ways of the spirit.  A gift that is for sure."       
Certainly some food for thought...

A few days later my husband and I boarded a plane to head north to be with our son, most likely for the very last time here on earth.  As we walked down the crowded aisle of the airplane to claim our seats, I noticed right away that the seat next to mine was already filled with a young woman holding a very young baby in her arms.  My first thought was, "Oh great!  We get to listen to a crying baby all the way to Maine." Not a very pleasant thought in my current state of mind. After all, we were heading into very turbulent seas, and we needed all the calming we could get.  So I settled down in my seat and made pleasant small talk with the young woman, asking about her baby's age, name, you know, all the usual questions one would ask about a new baby.  And she was very sweet and I could see that she truly loved her little baby boy and she was excited to be taking this trip to visit her parents and extended family who would be meeting her child for the first time.  Little by little I warmed up to this precious infant as he looked in my direction and began to smile and coo and respond to my funny faces and goo goo-ing at him. Every time he would start to fuss, all I had to do was look at him and smile, and he would stop fussing and smile back at me.

As the plane began its descent, the flight attendant came by and asked the young woman next to me if she had fastened her seatbelt.  Obviously, with her hands full of a very young baby she could not easily hold him and fasten her seatbelt at the same time.  So I asked her if she would like for me to hold her baby so she could take care of the belt, and by this time she felt she could trust me to hold her precious cargo, and so she placed that sweet bundle in my arms and I just melted.

Here I was, headed for my precious son's death, and God arranged it so that I could hold a new life in my arms, even if only for a few minutes.  

Kindly, the young mother allowed me the privilege of holding her warm cuddly baby all the way until we were firmly landed and stopped on the ground. I cannot begin to express to you how therapeutic and marvelous those moments were to my sad, sore heart.  It was a joy deep within my soul that I could not contain.

A little while later we arrived at the hospice house to visit our son.  As I walked into his room, he immediately looked at us and said, "Daddy, Mommy!"  Our son is 41 years old, married and has a son of his own, but these childhood terms of endearment reached into our hearts and overwhelmed us with love and relief.  Relief that he was still alive...and that he still knew who we were.  He has been in a very agitated stated of confusion, due to strong pain medications and the progression of the disease that is ravaging his body, so we really didn't know what to expect.

Then my husband directed my attention to look out of the window. and this is what we saw:

And as it twisted and turned in the wind, we both gasped...as the shimmering undulating motion of this magnificent wind "whirligig" so strongly resembled the image of the dazzling light reflection seen on the wall of our kitchen on that day not long before...THIS is the image our son can view directly outside of his window as he lays in his bed....certainly some more food for thought of the ways of the spirit...

Finally I come to the last part of this trilogy of words...Fear and Courage...

Yesterday afternoon the Chaplain stopped by to visit, and as she was preparing to go she asked Matthew if there were any words that he would like her to pray for him. The words that came clearly and strongly from Matthew's lips were, "Fear and Courage."  I thought this was pretty amazing, as the only words he had spoken over the past several days were nonsensical...phrases that made no sense to any of us...distorted thoughts and collections of words that we could not identify as having any particular meaning.  

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

This morning my husband was quoting a most familiar scripture that sums up all of the above for us:

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want..

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters 

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness 

for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Psalm 23

I think that is all I need to say.

Make your own conclusions about the messages that God is giving me...and you...through

these thoughts today.

Thank you for your continued prayers for my precious son as he continues in this fight between

Darkness and Light

Life and Death

Fear and Courage.

It is obvious to me that we are not alone on this journey.

Outdoor pictures are from the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House of Southern Maine.

Postscript: Our beloved son passed in the light and love of heaven just five days after I wrote this, on May 25th, 2014.  I believe God gave him the courage he needed to face that journey, and we know that he did not make it alone..

Who's Directing YOUR Steps?

I've been talking a lot lately about "life changing moments", things that happen unexpectedly, whether good or bad, that change the direction of "our plans".  Most of us have some kind of plans for our lives...goals that we hope to reach by a certain age, places that we'd like to visit, degrees we'd like to attain, the way in which we would hope to spend our retirement years.  There is nothing wrong with having these types of plans and goals...they are actually good for us and keep us motivated to continued growth and mental development.

But what happens when those unexpected life changing moments occur, and our dreams and plans have to be scrapped?  Again, these are not always bad things...just perhaps different than what we had anticipated. For whatever reason, our "Plan A" gets shelved, and we have to come up with a "Plan B".  I love the resilience of our human spirit...we get back to the "drawing board" and develop a new idea. We regroup, take stock of our situation and our resources, examine the possibilities of new ideas, set new goals, forge ahead.  We may, at times, feel like quitting, want to give up, wallow in our misery, lick our wounds...but usually, after a time of reflection, we get back up and start all over again.

When we allow God to be the author of our dreams and schemes, we need not fear what the future may hold. 

Psalms 37:23-24 says "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand."

I know I've shared this verse before, but it is worth repeating again:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Our future is always secure when we place our plans in the hands of God.  He will direct our steps, and He (God) will delight in our way. Also, when we: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness, delight (ourselves) also in the Lord...He shall give (us) the desires of our heart." (Psalm 37:3-4)

So, again I ask, "Who's directing your steps today?"  I am asking myself the same question...

Lord, please help me to always allow YOU to direct my steps...and keep me on the right path. Amen.

Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."
Psalms 119:133 "Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me."
I Peter 2:21 "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps."