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Category: Peace

What Will Be Will Be

What Will Be Will Be

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What Will Be Will Be--double rainbows over fields and white fencesWhen I was a little girl, one of my favorite songs was Doris Day’s “Que Sera, Sera” (Whatever Will Be Will Be). She sounded so happy. The music’s rhythm made me skip and swirl as I sang along.

Only later did I pay attention to the song’s meaning.

The words were not as optimistic as I originally thought.

In some ways, what will be will be sounds hopeless.

In a nutshell, it seems we have no control. We cannot change the future.

If we have no control, why do anything at all?

Yet, we do have some control.

We cannot change everything, but we can change some things.

What will be will be tells us not to worry about what we cannot control.

  • Natural disasters
  • Disease
  • Other people’s actions
  • Death

Will worry stop any of those from happening? No. If they do not happen, did worry prevent them? No.

As my friend Marian Woosley often said, Why worry when we can pray?

Control what we can. Let the rest go.

Rather than wring our hands about the future, let go and let God lead us today.

  • Prepare as much as possible for natural disasters.
  • Practice good health habits
  • Treat other people well.
  • Be ready for death, whenever it comes.

When we do what we can under God’s leadership, life may still be hard. Yet, God gives us peace and joy.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NIV).

Thanks to Laura Lee Leathers for the suggestion and to Mary Lou Rafferty for the photo..

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Right as Rain

Right as Rain

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Right as Rain--raindrops on leaves and flowerLike a gentle rain on a hot, dry day, some things feel right as rain. Plants need refreshment, and so do people. After a long, dry spell of trouble, we love calm showers of peace.

Right as rain often means life is all right.

We enjoy:

  • Good or improved health
  • Everything working as it should

We feel well. Problems are solved. Work is complete.

Right as rain also means something is correct.

  • We give the right answers on a test.
  • Our work meets or exceeds requirements.

At times, right as rain means dependable.

People are as good as their word. We can take what they say to the bank. Regardless of their circumstances, rain or shine, they do what is right.

God offers a good, correct, and dependable life.

That does not mean everything always goes as we hope. It does mean everything will eventually work out.

Sooner or later, people fail. God never has and never will. We can trust God with our lives and our futures.

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants” (Deuteronomy 32:2 NIV).

Thanks to Regina Graham for the suggestion.

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Let Up

Let Up

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Let Up--Ice covered shrubA few years ago, everyone hoped an ice storm would soon let up. The heavy ice:

  • Covered and broke limbs on shrubs and trees
  • Downed power lines
  • Made travel impossible

Sometimes we feel like we cannot get a let up from life’s storms. When it rains, it pours. Problems overwhelm us. We reach the end of our rope.

Recent tornadoes:

  • Destroyed homes and property
  • Injured and killed people going about their daily lives
  • Damaged entire communities

To let up means to slow down or stop.

This can apply to:

  • Weather
  • Speed
  • Hard times
  • Physical, mental, or emotional pressure

This expression often applies to relationships.

  • Children want parents to let up on rules.
  • Employees want bosses to let up on work.
  • Many times, we need to let up on ourselves.

Whatever our pressures, God offers relief.

Problems do not always go away. However, God offers peace, hope, and comfort in every situation.

“We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8 NIV).

Thanks to Sue Davis Potts for the suggestion.

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Under Wraps

Under Wraps

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Under Wraps--gifts under a Christmas treeDuring Christmas, we keep a lot of things under wraps. We hide gifts in closets and under beds. When no one is looking, we wrap our gifts with paper and bows. Once under the tree, everyone wants to know what those packages contain.

If we keep anything under wraps, we keep it a secret.

We don’t want others to know our information. Our secret usually lasts a short time. Examples, other than Christmas presents, include:

  • News reports
  • An engagement
  • Whether a baby will be a boy or girl

We don’t want others to know what is under wraps until the right time.

If people spill the beans, they ruin our plans. Therefore, we tell them to bite their tongues – to stay quiet.

Not everything we wrap is under wraps.

We want to share most good news.

The greatest gift came wrapped in strips of cloth.

When Jesus was born, angels announced His birth to shepherds. The shepherds found Jesus lying in a manger. Afterwards, they told others what they had heard and seen.

Let’s not keep the good news of Jesus under wraps.

Instead, let’s share with the world what the angels proclaimed.

“A Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NIV).

Thanks to Joy S. Taylor for the suggestion.

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Swan Song

Swan Song

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Swan Song--swan with wings spreadSwans capture our attention like few other birds. Their grace and beauty amaze us. The image of a swan song increases their attraction.

A swan song is a last performance or work.

We usually relate it to singers or other performers. Farewell tours have become common. However, swan song refers to any worker’s final effort before death or retirement.

This expression comes from an ancient legend that swans sing before they die.

The legend says swans remain mute until their final beautiful, mournful music. According to The Phrase Finder, the legend is false. All swans “have a variety of vocal sounds and they don’t sing before they die.”

Yet, the legend does tell a beautiful story. It appears in several well-known works, including:

  • Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
  • The Orlando Gibbons madrigal, “The Silver Swan”

May we never wait until our swan song to do our best.

God created us for a purpose. Whatever our gifts, let’s give life our best, from the beginning to the end of the road.

“I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live”
 (Psalm 104:33).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion. Image by miniformat65 from Pixabay.

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Shoot the Breeze

Shoot the Breeze

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Shoot the Breeze--two women in rocking chairs on a porchOur family loves to sit on the porch or under a tree and shoot the breeze. Like Mom and Aunt Ersie always did, we enjoy time together. We talk almost constantly. However, our conversations usually focus on fun.

We get serious when we must, but we rather not.

To shoot the breeze refers to casual conversation.

Talk stays:

  • Friendly
  • Informal
  • Light-hearted

We chase rabbits rather than discuss world news. With no plan, we talk about whatever comes to mind and seldom lock horns in debate.

When conversations slow, we relax in one another’s company.

Occasionally, we must rest our vocal cords. If that happens, we  find pleasure in the wind’s breeze. Quiet time prepares us for another round of conversation.

Or we eat. Of course, we usually talk while we eat. After all, food is one of our favorite topics.

We cannot shoot the breeze forever.

Although we love fun times, we must still tackle life’s hard issues. A few moments to rest and shoot the breeze help prepare us to deal with life’s problems and sorrows.

“There is a time for everything, a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Take the Cotton Out of Your Ears and Put It in Your Mouth

Take the Cotton Out of Your Ears and Put It in Your Mouth

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Take the Cotton Out of Your Ears and Put It in Your Mouth--cotton balls in an earA friend’s mother-in-law used to tell family members, “Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth.” Many of us have probably heard the same or similar expressions.

Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth means to stop talking and start listening.

When we talk all the time, we fail to hear what others say. Their words go in one ear and out the other.

God gave us two ears and one mouth. That tells us something important, don’t you think? If we listen more than talk, we have fewer conflicts and greater cooperation.

We learn more when we listen.            

If we listen closely, all ears, we hear – not just noise or words, but also what the other person means.

We regret less when we listen.

If we wait to talk until we hear the other person’s point of view, we have fewer problems. We avoid putting our foot in our mouth.

The next time we want to talk too much rather than listen, let’s remember how God created us– one mouth, two ears.

“You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen” (Isaiah 42:20 NIV).

Thanks to Brad Palmer for the suggestion and to Travis Gosser for the photo.

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Dollars to Donuts

Dollars to Donuts

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Dollars to Donuts--a collection of various kinds of donutsDollars to donuts (or doughnuts):

  • Prices will rise.
  • Taxes will increase.
  • People will die.

We can predict some events with confidence. We expect them to happen.

If we say dollars to donuts, we express certainty.

No doubts. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Many of us use the expression with no idea it comes from gambling. Whether we bet or not, we say dollars to donuts to voice confidence. To risk money against donuts or anything of little worth would be a safe bet.

We act with certainty on many issues, but hardly anything is definite.

  • Prices occasionally go down.
  • Taxes usually rise, but not always.
  • Jesus rose from the dead and offers eternal life to all who follow Him.

God’s promises never fail.

We can count on God’s offer of:

Those gifts are worth more than all the dollars and donuts in the world.

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5 NIV).

Thanks to Tillie Cowherd for the suggestion. Image by Edward Lich from Pixabay.

Remember: On Saturday, October 30, I will randomly select the name of one person on my mailing list to receive a free copy of Tracy Crump’s book,  Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness. Please encourage your friends to also subscribe to my mailing list for a chance to win.

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My Heart Is Full

My Heart Is Full

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My Heart Is Full--four generation family photoMy heart is full when I spend time with people I love. It’s also full when I miss those same people. The first feels good. The second hurts.

My heart is full means I feel strong emotions.

I usually feel glad. However, it also refers to times I feel:

Emotions affect physical reactions. My heart beats faster with strong emotions. It beats slower if I feel relaxed, snug as a bug in a rug.

My heart is full of different emotions when I see this picture.

  • Memories of good times fill me with joy.
  • Missing our get-togethers brings tears.
  • Knowing my dad, mom, and younger nephew are in heaven comforts my heart.
  • Looking forward to seeing them again makes my cup run over.

I give thanks for God’s never-failing presence and the emotions to deal with every life event.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalm 28:7 NIV).

If your heart is full of painful emotions due to experiencing a medical crisis, walking alongside someone who is, or caring for a loved one, my friend Tracy Crump’s book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness, may help. On Saturday, October 30, I will randomly select the name of one person on my mailing list to receive a free copy of Tracy’s book. Please encourage your friends to also subscribe to my mailing list for a chance to win.

Thanks to Jane Ashley Pace for the suggestion.

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Butterflies in My Stomach

Butterflies in My Stomach

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Butterflies in My Stomach--butterfly on flowerI love butterflies, don’t you? I watch for them in gardens, yards, and on walks. Their colors and the way they flutter through the air thrill me. A butterfly makes any day better. However, I don’t love butterflies in my stomach.

Butterflies in my stomach mean I feel nervous.

Finding butterflies brings joy. Feeling them in my stomach … not so much.

Common causes for butterflies in my stomach include:

  • Public speaking
  • Job interviews
  • Singing or acting in public
  • Tests

Feeling a little nervous can be a good thing.

It makes me:

  • Prepare better
  • Try harder
  • Do my best

Feeling too nervous hurts my health.

It causes me to tie myself in knots, I suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally.

When butterflies flutter too long or hard, I remind myself not to sweat it. If I shake off the stress and give God control, God leads me through every challenge.

Thanks to Darrin Jenkins for the suggestion and the picture.

What causes butterflies in your stomach? Please comment .

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