by Macy Johnson
“Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.”
(Proverbs 25:25 NIV)
I recently
babysat for Dahlia and Carver, who relocated with their parents back to
Birmingham, our former home. It was a joy to spend a week with my grandchildren
as we watched “Charming” and a variety of anime movies in between games, crafts,
walks, and other outdoor activities.
by Macy Johnson
“If you see your brother’s ox or sheep
straying,
do not ignore it but be sure to take it
back to him.”
(Deuteronomy 22:1 NIV)
My husband
and I drove through Siloam, Georgia on the way to Costco Wholesale in Augusta
one July afternoon. When we turned the corner to get on I-20, I noticed an ice
machine on the left. We like to have a cooler filled with ice in case we buy
items that need to be refrigerated for the hour-long drive home. “Why don’t we
stop here, instead of a store?” I asked Jeff. He turned into the free-standing
kiosk’s parking area.
by Macy Johnson
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the
Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.”
(Psalm 33:12 NIV)
I woke up
early on the Fourth of July to watch the sun rise on America’s 245th birthday. The United States flag unfolded in the sky before my eyes – red,
white, and blue, with stripes of clouds across the air! It was a gift from God
straight to my patriotic heart.
by Macy Johnson
“Jesus did many other things as well.
If every one of them were written
down,
I suppose that even the whole world
would not have room for the books that
would be written.”
(John 21:25 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I sat on the dock with my cousin at her lake house late one
evening. While we watched the almost-full moon rise over the trees across the
water, she told us of an encounter many years ago. As a young teen on her bike with
neighborhood friends, she was stunned when something unusually bright skipped
across the clear night sky. She scratched the surface of the unknown.
by Macy Johnson
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.’”
(Ecclesiastes 12:1 NIV)
My
husband, an Air Force “brat”, is enamored with military programs on television.
One of his favorite channels is the American Heroes Channel (AHC). I only
glance at our TV screen filled with fighter jets or soldiers climbing an
impossible hill in battle, because I was not raised in a military home. But I think
I know what a radar screen is.
by Macy Johnson
“Then David gave a loaf of bread, a
cake of dates and a cake of raisins
to each Israelite man and woman.”
(1 Chronicles 16:3 NIV)
Have you
noticed the dessert selections that sprawl on freezer shelves at grocery
stores? It’s like the manufacturers are at war, trying to beat out competition
with the most bizarre flavor varieties. I am on a mission to discover my very
favorite ice cream flavor. Some people prefer to churn their own creations and listen
to the ice crunch as children dance around in anticipation. Not me. I want it
now!
My very
favorite ice cream flavor, hands down, is anything that tastes like cake batter,
preferably a birthday cake – a white cake with white icing and bright, colorful
roses, and maybe a few sprinkles here and there. I am always on the lookout for
the best ice cream confection and have sampled quite a few.
One morning
before my birthday I received an email from my favorite grocer gifting me a
carton of their premium ice cream. I dutifully headed for the frozen sweets
aisle, resolved to settle on Vanilla for my selection. Then I saw the most
beautiful sight! Squeezing my way between an elderly man’s cart and the freezer
case I spotted a potential favorite. I opened the glass door and reached in to
get a carton of “It’s Your Birthday Cake!” from the top shelf. It was a gift
from God.
When I tasted
the new ice cream that evening after dinner, I was very pleasantly surprised.
It was by far the best cake ice cream flavor I had ever eaten! I could hear God whisper,
“I know exactly what you like. I made you and ice cream for you to enjoy!”
I will celebrate God’s revelations and rejoice in His presence. I hope you will, too!
by Macy Johnson
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your
finger here; see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it into my
side. Stop doubting and believe.’”
(John 20:27 NIV)
I felt the
nudge to stop doing something I had been doing, mostly by rote. Several signals
were pecking at my brain to remind me that God prepares us for all that He is
preparing for us. We need to be ready for something new. We have to be
available and flexible and all the things I am afraid of. I like routine - doing
the same things over and over.
I received
an email that said something I was participating in on a regular basis was going to
change. Would I continue work on that project, or was this a signal to move on to something new? What could the something new be? Should
I wait and trust God to reveal His will? Should I remain in my routine?
My sister
needed a place to live. Her landlord announced that the house they were renting
would be put on the market in a few months. Houses in her neighborhood were
selling like hotcakes and the owner wanted in on the windfalls. Then, an
unexpected, unsolicited email appeared in my sister's inbox. A house down the
street was available for rent in a few months for the same price she was
currently paying! My sister recognized it as a God-thing, an answer to prayer.
When
things stop, slide across the floor, burst onto the scene, or creep around the
corner, we can trust God to be in the middle of them. We can know He is in
complete control of our biggest messes, making beautiful masterpieces. The best
IS yet to come!
I will
look forward to all the wonderful things headed my way. I hope you will, too!
