Right when I was making traction with my platform, podcasts, and manuscripts—right when I was getting ahead editing my manuscripts—the joyful sounds of my grandson’s giggles and gurgles stole my heart and time.
Sometimes love demands action. Because greeting cards can’t and don’t say it best. Putting down your pen and rolling up your granny sleeves when you’re prompted by necessity is how true love lives out its mandate.
I’m not a humour writer. But please don’t misinterpret that. I love to laugh. In fact, I have a gold necklace that says: Live, love, laugh. And it turns out that spending extra time with my grandson has absolutely given me much more to live, love, and laugh about. Some days my face hurts from all the smiling and laughing I do with “Little Guy.”
He’s a tickle-bunny of an Anne Geddes baby for sure.
For not only has he become the inspiration for so much of my recent writing, his image appears throughout my photography files too. I’m smitten even if I haven’t written half as much as I used to. Because love doesn’t say “no” when “yes” is the biggest blessing for all involved. Sometimes God trims our army so we can witness His marvellous interventions and multiplication miracles.
An inspirational writer won’t be fruitful if she ignores the call of God to leave the crowd to serve the one. And just to prove God has a sense of humour, He has indeed been multiplying my portion despite the extra downtime my pen has taken.
Trials trim the fat out of life when we lean into Christ.
I believe God’s using my busyness to trim out the unnecessary areas of my writing life. I’ve suspected for a while He may have plans I hadn’t planned on. So while I lean into Him and lift up my hands, I trust Him to trim what needs to be removed to make room for His plans.
God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God,
and God in them.
1 John 4:16 NIV
And as far as my gold necklace goes, I would love to have it changed to: Lean, learn, love. If we’re doing these three things, there will be plenty of true living and true laughing to go along with all the leaning, learning, and loving. I know because I’ve never felt so alive, never felt so loved, and never felt like laughing as much as I do since “Little Guy” was born.
Lean, learn, love; it’s good for your soul.
I’m nosey-to-know if you’ve ever been called away from the crowd.
(Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is wendylmacdonald.com where she enjoys interacting with readers.)
Oh Dear Wendy, yes and yes! I've witnessed this again & again in my life. And He seems to be taking me through another one of those trimmings in my current season too. This touched me so much today: "Sometimes God trims our army so we can witness His marvellous interventions and multiplication miracles." Thank you for reminding me of His Faithful ways today. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Bettie, for reminding me I'm not alone. My devotional Bible mentioned this morning that God consistently chose the weak to display His strength through. He's a trimmer so we can see the glimmer of His glory. What an honour we're given when we're trimmed by Him.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac
"leave the crowd to serve the one"...What a perfect line. We would all be better off if that was the case. Thank you for these words.
ReplyDeleteDear Karen, you are living out the perfect example of leaving the crowd to serve the one. Thank you. I have thought of you often over the last few weeks.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac
Such wonderful advise! it's a gret spin on the 'stop and smell the roses' theme - but in this case, stop and smell those wonderful baby smells!
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Tracy. My grandson and I love stopping by each flower to "discuss" its colour and test its fragrance. He reached out and touched a rose petal this weekend.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac
Good morning, Wendy. Yes, yes, and yes. God has rearranged my life many times. I agree with you on the lean, learn, love. For me, it's the only way. Blessings, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, dear Gail. I agree that lean, learn, love is the only way. God's rearranging can be messy but His will's always a blessing.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac
"An inspirational writer won’t be fruitful if she ignores the call of God to leave the crowd to serve the one." This sentence has really got me thinking. Due to health concerns, I've had to take a leave from some of my activities, including music ministry. Recently I was asked to fill in when no one showed up to lead music.
ReplyDeleteOne of the hymns I quickly chose was a favourite of mine, "What do you want me to do, Lord?"--a choice that left me standing in a puddle of tears. Reading your blog has again blurred my eyes, but corrected my vision. Thank you, Dear Wendy, for helping me see what I am to do at this stage in my life. "I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) Amen.
What a powerful song that is, dear Sharon. I wasn't familiar with it, so I looked it up. Thank you for sharing it and the wonderful verse from Jeremiah. That old saying: "Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans," is so true. But faith challenges me to believe the best about God. It's a daily choice I need to make. Love believes the best about the beloved. So often I fail at trusting God knows what's best.
DeleteBlessings & hugs ~ Wendy Mac