The other day I was challenged by the thought of finding things to be thankful for even in this time; it's an exercise I've tried to do throughout this time. It's hard to see those you love have a hard time, have their world turned upside down and try to navigate this new "normal for now"; while in reality very little is "normal". Throughout history, more recently that of our own country, almost every generation has had to deal with some upheaval, whether economic, war, pandemic, racial animosities (yes, even these have happened before), etc. and each has found a way to weather that upheaval and carry those lessons to future generations.
Last week I was given a very large zucchini; and I knew immediately what I would do with it. My grandmother, who was born in Canada in 1923, made a delicious zucchini relish. This is one of the "tastes of my childhood"; we would look forward to when she would share a couple jars with our family. This week I pulled out my gram's recipe and made a batch of this relish. Once again, the taste transported me back to my childhood. I was thinking how that so much is handed down generation to generation from stories to recipes and there is such a comfort in the continuity of that; my kids will now know the story and taste of that recipe...another reminder of God's faithfulness. A little thing, yes, but it's easy to overlook those blessings and reminders in the "big things" that can overwhelm us. Stepping back and focusing on those opens our eyes to so many other "little" things that God gives each day to show Who He is.
Another blessing that I'm focusing on in this time are the books that God has brought into my life. Each summer the ladies at our church read through a book. It's a much more informal time of just reading and checking in to share thoughts on Facebook. This year we had four books that we were considering; after praying and looking through all four we chose the book "Humble Roots" by Hannah Anderson; honestly, all the books looked great but we chose this one because the number of chapters best lined up with the number of weeks. I love seeing how God orchestrates even details like that; this book has certainly been very timely. From the theme of finding rest to the lessons of humility, listening to others, and recognizing who we are and Who God is.
Another book that I read is "Jesus Over Everything" by Lisa Whittle. This is one of those "good hard" books and definitely one I want to go back to and review. In putting Jesus over everything we learn to let go and again find rest in trusting Him.
The latest book that I have been reading is not a study book but I'm finding it is another important book. It's called "The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isobel Wilkerson and is about the Great Migration of blacks from the Southern US to points North and West. There is not an in-your-face book; but it is powerful. While threading history and other personal stories through the book the author follows the lives of three of the people who migrated; one to Los Angeles, one to Chicago and one to Harlem. It is an eye-opening look at the tough and complicated issue of race relations even through a good portion of the 20th century. To see the issues caused by stereotypes and misunderstood motives; again an important reminder to listen to others, to honor their experiences (even and especially when they are so very different from what ours may have been) and to strive to see everyone as made in God's image; worthy of value.
And through all of this I'm asking God daily for reminders of all He is and all He is teaching me...to find rest in this time by seeking Him for all the answers and seeing His faithfulness in each day.
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