Wilde “gifts”

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Oh boy its time to dust off the old keyboard and see if I can remember how to write…… its been a minute since I have found the time to carve out to write. So much has happened in the last few months its tough finding a place to begin.

Today I find myself and the world’s best travel buddy…..AKA Rian (my 13 yr old son) in a beautiful, ghost town of a hotel, in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. We are here with my husband for just over a month. My husband is working on a movie and has been here since Dec 26th., he will remain through the middle of March. Rian and I followed behind a bit later, arriving on Jan. 23rd and we will cut out early around the beginning of March.

This hotel resembles a ghost town due to the current pandemic, making this beautiful resort eerily quiet and creates a sense for Rian and I of being “forgotten”………some mornings I wake up, walk outside, frantically look about and wonder did the rapture happen without us? The photo above was taken yesterday as Rian and I were walking back from a morning surf. No one around….no one to talk to…….the crew leaves every morning to work leaving this place deserted and silent. Now you are understanding why I suddenly find time to write;)!

Let me share with you what else we have been up to…….

That’s Right!!!!! We found all these beauties in one walk down a forgotten Dominican beach. Rian chuckles at me each morning when our toes hit the sand and I begin my quiet requests to the Lord…….. “please God help grow my faith, start with the little things so that my faith will mature into a faith that can tolerate the big things, can you please give me the gift of a beautiful, intact, shell…….”. He never fails……I always find my shell…..it sounds juvenile, ludicrous even that something so silly, so insignificant a request could be answered. But even in the insignificant, small, unimportant things that we place little value in…..He finds value in because He finds value in us. The Creator of the universe, who’s hands hold the galaxy in place, finds the time, the care and concern to give us these little gifts to grow our faith. Gentle reminders that speak quietly to us saying, “I see you, I hear you, I care about what you care about, I am with you.”

You see…. Gods Word says,

John 15:7 “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”

It also says….

Matt 17:20″…..Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”.

Ok but do we even have the faith to believe that IF we had that kind of faith the “mountain” would move??

Thats where John 15:7 comes into play…..”whatever we wish will be done”…… um thats pretty rad!!!

Ask God to start growing your faith…… and don’t feel discouraged, start small, start with the things you may think the Lord doesn’t “have time for”…… needing a parking spot……needing to hear from a friend……needing help finding your keys….. I’m not trying to be silly, try it…….. Here is your encouragement:

2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, HE remains faithful- for he cannot disown HIMSELF”!!!!

You have nothing to lose…..

Say this prayer with me, out loud, open up your heart and your hands to the Father, “Heavenly Father, Creator of the universe, Prince of Peace, forgive me for my lack of faith at times, forgive me when I forget that through you all things are possible, even finding my car keys…… I ask in your sons Jesus name that today you would begin to grow my faith. I trust in your goodness, I believe your Word. Thank you for inclining your ear to hear me. I love you. Amen

I would love to hear back from any of you about your faith journey, and hear about all the “gifts” you received from your Heavenly Father as he grows your faith!