Deep waters. Great trouble. Rivers of difficulty. Sucking us down. Pulling us under. Sinking down, down, down…. Gulping in water. Losing hope. Desperately crying out to the only One who can save us from drowning.
We may wonder where God is. We may feel abandoned and forsaken. But God is still there. Walking on the water through the storm. Reaching down His hand to save us. Grab hold and hang on, My child. I AM with you.
God Cares
We are never a waste of His precious time
We are never in His way.
He truly desires to be with us
To take our hand and lead us
To lift us out of the pits of darkness
To hold us through the stormy seas of life
He knows our struggles.
He empathizes with our pain.
He understands our fears.
Itās ok not to be ok.
Itās ok to step out inadequate,
Afraid,
Downhearted,
Even upset with His plans.
Because no matter what,
His love towards us will never falter,
His acceptance of us will never waver.
His grace within us will never diminish.
“…I will carry you
Through your darkest night
When you’re terrified
I will carry you
When the waters rise
When your hope runs dry
I will carry you…”
God Cherishes Us Just As We Are
Hurtful words or actions can trigger feelings of insecurity and worthlessness that we still hold in the deep recesses of our hearts. We can find ourselves desperately reaching for and clinging to who we really are in Christ Jesus.
I donāt know if youāve ever read the childrenās story by Max Lucado ā You Are Special. It’s a 1997 book with such an essential, timeless message. Recently I came across one of my old blog posts about it and I have included an excerpt here:
The Wemmicks are small wooden people created by a wood carver, Eli. Theyāre always sticking either stars or ugly, gray dots on each other. The pretty and talented ones always get stars. But the ones who have chipped paint or can do little get the gray dots.
Punchinello was covered in ugly, gray dots and was really down on himself, but Eli helped him to feel better about himself no matter what the other Wemmicks may think. He tells him, āYou are special because I made you and I donāt make mistakes.ā It was hard at first for Punchinello to believe it, but Eli said, āThe more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers.ā
Perhaps in your life youāve been told youāre a mistake. Perhaps you are covered with negative labels others have thought of you, labels that cling to you like leeches. But to God you are no mistake. And no matter what others think of you, God cherishes you just as you are. You are special!
As Punchinello realized how special he was in his wood carverās eyes and how much Eli loved him, the ugly, gray dots began to slide off. The more grounded we become in our Master Craftsmanās great love for us, the less we will care about the labels others have pinned on us. The more we see ourselves as He sees us, the more we will view ourselves as a loved, special, and beautiful creation with a specific purpose in Godās plan.
āYou werenāt an accident. You werenāt mass produced.
You arenāt an assembly-line product.
You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted,
and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman.ā
~ Max Lucado
Nature Retreat
āOpen your eyes to the beauty around you,
open your mind to the wonders of life,
open your heart to those who love you,
and always be true to yourself.ā
~ Donna Davis ~
Photos I took at
Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum
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š Photos from My Brother John š
Freed to Fly 
Your post here is beyond inspirational, Trudy! Between the words and photos, you transported me to places I have never been before. It’s like a cool breeze on a hot summer’s day.
I do hope and pray that you and yours are enjoying every moment of your summer. Blessings!
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Awww… Thank you for your kind encouragement, Martha. I’m so grateful you were inspired. š Summer blessings to you, too! May the God of Comfort fill our hearts with the warmth of His love and peace in these troubling times!
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Oh thank you for your precious encouragement from the Lord here, Trudy! The amazing display of God’s creative abundance in your and your brother’s photos is incredible! We dismiss so much beauty when we just look from a distance. That detail of the waterfalls you took, followed by your brother’s close-ups really helps us to just pause and take in God’s greatness. And to think that He has put that much care into the making of each one of us! Truly we are “no mistake.” It brings to tears to my eyes today. Hugs and love to you dear friend! ā¤ļøš¤
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I’m so grateful your were encouraged, Bettie. God’s greatness in creation is so comforting, right? “And to think that He has put that much care into the making of each one of us!” Yes, it truly is amazing. Thank you for your encouragement, too, my friend. Hugs and love back to you! May we open our hearts more and more to the wonders of His creation and the beauty of His love!
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Oh, ow beautiful this post is, Trudy! The photos are gorgeous, and I feel so refreshed just visiting here. Thank you for your sweet words of wisdom and encouragement!
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Aww, thank you, Donna. I’m so glad you found refreshing encouragement here. May we feel the Hand of God holding us and leading us through the dark and stormy seas of life!
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Such a beautiful calming post! Thank you, Trudy!
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I’m so happy it was calming in this chaotic time, Cheryl. May God give us grace and strength for each day in this journey towards our Heavenly Home with Jesus!
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Trudy, this is such a tenderhearted message. This spoke volumes to me. And, your and your brothers photos are stunning.
Visiting today from Joanne’s
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Thank you for your kind encouragement, Paula. I’m so glad this spoke to your heart. May God give us grace to open our hearts to His voice and leading!
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Trudy, I meant to comment on this post last week but it appears I needed to read it again this morning. š I love the words and photos you’ve shared–both your own and those of others. My heart is encouraged, dear friend.
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Thank you, Lois. I’m so grateful you were brought back here and were encouraged, my friend. May God strengthen our hearts day by day and moment by moment!
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My heart is breaking today as fire burn around and in the townsite of Jasper National Park, my favourite place in Canada, and where most of my nature pictures are taken. So, your prayer today that God Cares is very timely, goes out to all the Jasper residents and all of us that hold Jasper close to our hearts. I so look forward to the nature pictures you share, Trudy. Thanks for showing God’s beauty and God’s beautiful creations!
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Oh Lynn, I’m so sorry. Big hugs to you! How very sad! I read of the fires and wondered how close it was to where you live. Yes, God cares about each and every one affected by those awful fires. But it’s still hurts our hearts and is so hard to understand, right? I didn’t realize most of your beautiful nature pictures were taken there. Do you still live around Calgary or Edmonton? May God supply each and every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus!
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Thank you for this encouragement, Trudy! I love Ellie Holcomb’s song, and it was great to be reminded of Max Lucado’s story. I remember reading it several years ago. The photos are amazing too – the waterfalls look beautiful!
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I’m so glad you’re encouraged, Lesley. And thank you for your kind words. Whatever we may be going through, may God give us grace and strength through each trial and difficulty!
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oh Trudy, the snapshots of the fascinating faces of those creatures brings a big smile to my face. God certainly has a sense of humor in His creation. thanks for taking us outdoors on this humid summer evening, friend …
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Oh, I’m so glad the snapshots of God’s creatures brought a big smile to your face, Linda. My brother has a gift for catching them at unique moments. š May we keep opening our eyes and hearts to God’s beauty around us!
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