Shafts of morning light shine through the pine branches and cast shifting patterns of shadow and light on Cassidy’s bedroom wall. Another day is here. All is quiet in the rambling farmhouse. Her cats Violet and Panther raise sleepy heads in response to her feet rustling the quilt they are snuggled on together. In the distance a rooster crows his daily greeting to the rising sun. Predictable.
Leaning against the counter by the sink, Cassidy gazes out the kitchen window at her terraced backyard. The birdbaths are full of clear water and the summer flowers in full bloom. The cats know the routine well and are waiting for their breakfast. The smell of her morning coffee brewing brings her happiness. The stronger the better!
This is her favorite time of the day. Early morning usually reminds her of new adventures, hidden treasures and second chances. It’s a clean slate to create and color the day with hope and the promise of blessings. But she’s struggled this past week finding that joy and seeing any blessings. The simple things that often bring her pleasure and peace feel just out of reach and elusive.
That first rich, earthy sip of coffee lifts her spirits a bit, but even this tried-and-true morning ritual is falling flat. It’s frustrating and disheartening.
Taking her coffee to the backyard she sits in her favorite lounge chair. Her spot is nestled under a Jasmine arbor that offers the most beautiful fragrance. As she stretches out, Cassidy’s mind turns toward the unwelcome thoughts and scenarios that seem to be on repeat lately. They are intrusive and bothersome. Sticky…
She worries over the future of her small business, the health of a family member, and an ongoing disagreement with a dear friend leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. These worries churn in her mind like a chaotic dance with no clear steps. Nothing comes together the way she envisioned, and the way forward is cloudy and obscure. The debris and clutter of overthinking stick to and tangle up the passion and dreams He breathed into her spirit. The sticky webs of worry and unbelief begin to wrap and weave themselves around her heart and mind, pining her in place and preventing her from moving forward. She feels trapped and tears form in her eyes.
“Please Lord, will you help me?”
Cassidy isn’t sure how much time has passed when she hears the faint, cheerful sound of her tinkling wind chimes and the busy fussing and clucking of the neighbor’s chickens. Peaceful.
The sweet, heady scent of flowers and a deliciously spicy mix of herbs and something heavenly perfumes the air around her lounge chair. As her muscles relax and her busy mind slows, Cassidy feels His presence in the garden and such comforting peace. It blows over and around her as she remembers His gentle whispers of protection, acceptance, and love. She knows His voice. She feels it resonate deep within as He begins His work of clearing out and untangling her from the sticky webs of unbelief and worry. “Help my unbelief,” she whispers. I trust You with me.
There is pain at times, in the clearing out, but His compassion flows into the wounds and the relief she feels is glorious. She wants to live life letting go of all she can’t control and enjoy the contentment of living in the moment. She wants a life spent capturing glimmers and glimpses of the divine as He whispers and calls out blessings and hope to surround and enfold her.
She remembers all of the answered prayers and divine encounters – a way was made when she couldn’t see one, and blessings appeared where she least expected them. He turned things meant for evil into good and things meant to harm to bring life. As her mind is released from the frantic worry webs that consumed and wounded her, Cassidy’s favorite verse gently settles in her mind – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”1
He is the Divine Artist creating beauty, hope and promise in her spirit. He nurtures and tends to what He’s created with a fierce joy, purpose, and a dash of divine mystery.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (NIV)
- Romans 8:38-39