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Shanda Dodd

Life and the streets of Venice: The choice is yours

Life and the streets of Venice: The choice is yours

Aug 23, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  Leave a Comment

I used to think that life was one giant highway going in a very specific direction. And if by chance you wandered off the highway, took the wrong exit, or stopped for a while at Waffle House, you inevitably had to find your way back to the highway and continue on the path that was laid out for your life. 

I don’t know where I got this idea from, it was just there deeply ingrained in my brain. My life had a predetermined path that I was supposed to live. If I followed all of God’s promptings, if I never lied, cheated, or made a bad decision, my life would play itself out in the straight line that it was supposed to follow. 

Somewhere in the middle of my college days, this thought process started to give way to something entirely different — choice! What a novel idea. I don’t know why it was so hard for me to realize that I had a choice in life, but strangely enough, it took me awhile. 

I remember having a deep conversation with one of my best friends, Levi*, about God’s will and free will and how they were similar and different, and how ultimately they go hand in hand. My mind was blown!

However, it wasn’t until a few years later when I was visiting Venice that I felt God drop a new picture into my head. Life is not a highway that we must always be on, life is like the streets of Venice. There are multiple different ways to get to where you’re going — some long, some short, some scenic, some drab, some with lots of people, and some pretty deserted. The best part is we get to choose our route!

I firmly believe that there are specific points in life to which God directs us. Sometimes it’s a place, a person, or even a calling. But I also believe He not only allows but often encourages us to choose how we get to those points. It is part of God’s character; He likes partnership, He likes to know what we think. There have definitely been times in my life when the choice was crystal clear, but more often than not, and the older I get, it seems like God is more excited to know what I’m feeling and thinking. 

Imagine feeding a baby. You don’t really ask them what they want to eat, you just know what is good for them so you prepare it. Imagine feeding a 4-year-old. You probably don’t ask them to plan dinner on their own, but you might ask them if they prefer pasta or pizza. Imagine feeding a 23-year-old. Weird, eh? You don’t feed a 23-year-old. You ask them what they want to eat. If they are in a new place you might advise them against a sketchy food truck, but in the end, the choice is theirs. At 23, they have been through the phases of being fed, picking out the best of two options, and they are now fully capable of making a choice and feeding themselves. 

This is a very basic example, but it resonates with me when I think of God and making choices. How tiring it must be for God if we never give our opinion, if we never put ourselves out there and try something new, if we simply wait to be fed. He gave us a brain for a reason!

One more disclaimer, I’m not discrediting that sometimes God is VERY clear. I have had those moments in my life and I know many other stories when God spoke and directed with precision. I’m also not ignoring the fact that sometimes there are obviously bad choices and we should use our wisdom, maturity, and common sense to veer aware from those. However, I am saying that I think more often than not, we have a choice. 

So what decisions lie before you in this season of life? Is God speaking clearly or is He asking you to speak up and share your thoughts with him? Which way do you want to go? The options await 🙂 

*Thank you, Levi, for many great conversations at 3 am over cups of tea after you completely annihilated me at Goldeneye.**

**Still one of the best video games ever made!

Category: Reflection

The Art of Active Waiting: Trust and Show Up For Life

The Art of Active Waiting: Trust and Show Up For Life

Aug 9, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  Leave a Comment

I’m in a season of waiting. I have plans that I’m attempting to make happen, but I also know plans take time. In this process, I am realizing more and more that waiting isn’t just a passive act, rather it requires a fair share of action as well. It is a fine balance that I am learning to navigate each day — the balance of trust and responsibility. I fully trust that God has good plans for me, but I also know that I have a part to play in it all. 

It is a funny thing to balance and the only way I know how to do it is to wake up every morning and ask God what today is supposed to look like. Sometimes it lines up with my plans and sometimes it is completely different than what I was expecting or what I thought was needed for the day. I’m constantly being surprised.

During this time of waiting, It is evident that I don’t know all the details of my life, but I can rest assured that God does! I know what options lay before me and what they appear to be, but God knows the ins and outs. I know what a job looks like on paper, but God knows how it is going to make me feel at the end of a 40 hour work week. I know the potential that lies within me and the desires I have, but God knows how my passions will unfold. 

There have been a few times in life when I strongly felt God tell me to sit down and wait on Him to make something happen, but more often than not, my life has been a partnership with God. I am called to show up to my life ready to act. God wants to know what I think, which passions are pulling at my heartstrings, and what opportunities make me smile. He wants me to start moving and trust that He is guiding me along the way.

Each day I am choosing to trust God, but it can still be easy to let worry weasel its way into the equation… What if I don’t hear God clearly? What if I miss an opportunity? What if my plans don’t work out? What if my plans do work out and I’m not happy? What will people think if I don’t succeed? Why do I even care what people think? The list goes on. 

Sometimes it feels like worry is the only action we have, but worry is a pretty pointless act. I think Baz Luhrmann and Matthew sum it up quite well…

“Don’t worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubblegum.” 

-The Sunscreen Song* 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” 

-Matthew 6:34

There really is no point in worrying. So what actions are left? Trust and show up for life, even in a time of waiting. It is my part to actively trust God and to step forward the best I know how in wisdom and faith. 

What are you waiting on right now? Is God asking you to sit back and let Him work or He is wanting to partner with you and encouraging you to make the first move? If it is the latter, move forward with confidence, trusting God, and not allowing worry to be part of the equation.

*I highly recommend listening to this! I’ve listened to it numerous time and it doesn’t get old. 

Category: Waiting

Say It Out Loud

Say It Out Loud

Jul 15, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  Leave a Comment

Recently, I was coming through immigration into Dublin, Ireland, and spent a hefty amount of time answering questions at the border. You see, my life doesn’t really make sense. I’m an American, but born in Norway… a missionary/non-profit worker/artist who has been living in Spain for 8 years and originally got there on a retirement visa… but now I’m trying to move to Ireland, researching jobs, and visiting friends for the summer… and I have less than $300 to my name for the remainder of the month. I don’t live a ‘typical’ life and I don’t look like your ‘typical’ tourist. 

This was not my first time being questioned at a border. I am well trained in what to say and how to word my situation so it can be best understood. However, I surprised myself this time. When asked what I would be doing over the next six weeks and what my days would look like, I responded: “I’ll be working on some writing; I write blogs.” A) I know better than to mention anything about working in a foreign country (This can lead to a lot of questions to make sure you’re not working illegally) and B) Since when did volunteering to write blogs once a month become official work that I tell to customs officers? 

A few hours later, after settling into my cozy Airbnb, I sat down to write this blog. There is always a frenzied conversation in my head when I sit down to write… What do I want to say? What do people need to hear? What has already been said? Does anyone even read these? Tonight, while pondering all those questions, my answer at the Irish border popped into my head… “I write blogs”… the answer had come completely by accident, but on reflection, it hit me in a profound way. 

I want to be a writer in some sort of capacity. I’ve dabbled in copy editing, done a smattering of poetry, and even talked about writing a book. Back in the summer of 2015, I took three weeks of intentional time to start my book and I loved it. I have yet to write more for my book since then, even though I occasionally look over the first few chapters and get super excited again. There has been a block in my mind about writing that has stopped me from moving forward into my dream of becoming a writer.

To be honest, I sometimes doubt whether I have the skill, style, and message to be a great writer. Those thoughts have created a block, but unbeknownst to me, writing these blogs has been a breakthrough in my subconscious. I don’t know when it changed, but I’m now calling myself a writer in my mind. In the past, I would say I’m an artist, a creative, and maybe add on that I like writing, but I don’t recall ever saying I was a writer. And then, under mild interrogation, it slipped out to a ginger customs agent who was trying to piece together the confusing story that is my life… “I’ll be working on some writing; I write blogs.” A clear and definitive proclamation that I write. I am a writer. 

They say that the battle is 90% between our ears. They say practice makes perfect. They say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. They say a lot of things. But I think in these cases they were right. The battle has been in my head. A battle of doubt and insecurity. But with a little practice, like writing these blogs, I’ve begun to believe in myself more. I am nowhere near the 10,000 hours supposedly needed to become an expert, but I’m on my way. 

This is a small revelation, but I think a powerful one if we allow it to transform us. What do you love? What do you want to be good at? Start practicing it NOW and begin taking steps forward. It might be a poco a poco journey, but they say every bit counts, eh? 

For me, it took committing to this blog, something I wasn’t sure I had time for or even 100% sure I wanted to do, to begin practicing what I love. And as fate would have, or more likely God’s grand plan, with each blog I have broken through bits of my fears and worries. I am learning that I have a message, the skills needed, and that my style is developing more and more with each word I write. 

What can you do to begin wearing down that 90% battle in your mind? Is there something you can begin practicing to help you move forward in your dreams? Try saying yes and see what unfolds. Say it out loud. Your dreams are waiting!

Category: Reflection

Taking Off The “Not You” Layers

Taking Off The “Not You” Layers

Jun 23, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  6 Comments

By the time this blog is posted, I will be celebrating my 33rd birthday, south of Dublin, in a little seaside village with some great friends. I’m really looking forward to it! Partly because I love the way the Irish say “Turty-tree”, and partly because it means I am well into my thirties and that is exciting. I’ve made it another year —another year older, another year wiser!

I remember being a teenager and thinking that I knew it all… didn’t we all! If I knew half of what I thought I knew when I was a teenager I would be the smartest human alive*. The teen years are an odd time —a mix of over confidence and a dash of self-doubt, toss in a bit of awkwardness, some fickle hormones, and don’t forget the unrealistic pressure to know what you want out of life before you’ve actually lived it. I am happy to have survived my teen years with as little damage as I did. 

Then came the twenties —a time of figuring out who you are and more importantly who you are not. Somewhere along the way of growing up we put on a lot things that aren’t actually us. It might be societal pressures to look or act a certain way, expectations from parents when it comes to career, religion, education, or relationships, or maybe it is just a self-preservation idea that we have attached to our identity. Regardless of the origins, I think most 20 somethings walk around with layers and layers of not themselves clothing. 

I feel like I spent my twenties taking off those layers to uncover who I really was — who God created me to be, the inner me with all my unique and beautiful characteristics. I took off layer after layer…  the coat of I need to be more outgoing in order to be taken seriously, the sweater of a good Christian girl acts and looks like XYZ, the socks of I will never be as pretty as the friend that had all the boyfriends in high school, the boots of my dreams are selfish and not realistic, the scarf of no one wants to listen to what I have to say… and so many more. Some layers were taken off in the blink of an eye when I replaced a lie with truth, and other layers were like peeling your skin off a leather seat in the heat of summer, slow and painful. But each layer was worth it. 

I was able to enter my thirties a lot lighter and more confident in who I am, but a little wobbly when it came to walking out life. After years of extra layers and restrictive clothes, it takes some time to get used to walking in freedom and true identity. As I celebrate another birthday, I feel like I am getting steadier in my walk each day. I know who I am and I know what it looks like to be fully me. There are still days when I put on some old ‘clothes’ out of insecurity, doubt, habit, or self-preservation, but I am getting quicker at stripping back down to the real me. 

What clothes are you wearing that aren’t really you? What things are restricting you, holding you back, weighing you down?

Whether you are in your teens, 20s, 30s, or an age older and wiser, it is never too early or too late to strip down to the real you, the one God made you to be. Strip down to the glorious and beautiful human that God created. Trust me, it feels really good. 

Cheers to 33 and another year of walking out who I am!

*That line is from my mom 🙂 She is a smart one. 

Category: Reflection

A Habit of Gratitude

A Habit of Gratitude

May 21, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  6 Comments

Life can be overwhelming. No matter what stage of life you are in, there are days that feel heavy, when the air is a bit stifling, and you feel like you are floundering. Maybe you are surrounded by books and papers as you study for an upcoming exam. Maybe you are putting in crazy hours trying to impress your boss in hopes of a promotion. Maybe you are a new mother trying to get your baby to sleep so you can rest a bit yourself. Or maybe, like me, you are in the midst of a huge transition with countless details to figure out when nothing is really coming together yet. Whatever the situation is I bet you are tired. I’m tired too.

In these moments it’s so easy to focus on the hard things and let them steal your peace and joy. But life is always going to be full of challenges, sleepless nights, pressure from work, deadlines, etc. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to always think “One day, once this has passed, then I’ll feel happy again”. 

Over the years I have created a habit for myself that seems to be working so far. I’m not going to say I have found the secret to happiness, but just maybe I’m on to something big. The habit I have created is one of gratitude. It started a few years back when I was going through an emotionally difficult time. Whenever I sat down to journal out my thoughts I would clam up with frustration and anger. It was easier to sit in my sadness and slowly start to feel like I was drowning. But one day I felt a prompt to notice the things I was thankful for and actually write them out to God in a spirit of gratitude. It looked something like this…

Thank you for the coffee in front of me, even though it’s not really good. Thank you for my journal that has unlined pages and for a pen that actually writes really smoothly. Thank you for the window next to me and the little breeze that is coming through the opening. Thank you for the ability to write and time to do it. Thank you for music that brings me peace. Thank you that I am able to feel, even when it hurts. Thank you that I know joy because I’ve known pain. Thank you that pain doesn’t define me. Thank you that I have been given a spirit of peace and joy. Thank you that I can tap into that peace and joy at any time. Thank you that I was made for a purpose and that I am able to share my peace and joy with those around me. Thank you for life and for friends and family to share it with. Thank you for this day. Thank you.

Within minutes I went from sulking and angry to feeling a complete sense of calm surround me. My situation had not changed. I was still going through a hard time, but my attitude had shifted. I was focusing on the positive and not just the negative. Taking a moment to express my thanks reminded me that not everything was bad. It brought me back to a place of contentment, a place that then allowed me to process my feelings in a healthier and hope-filled way. 

I have been doing this for years now. Sometimes when I’m feeling sad, overwhelmed, or frustrated. Sometimes just because it grounds me and reminds me that God is good and life is good. And then there are times when I forget my own advice and I catch myself wallowing in discontentment and disappointment. But the minute I’m able to stop and be thankful, everything shifts – not the situation, but my attitude! There are so many things in life that we cannot control, but we can choose our own perspective!

I know it sounds simple, but I honestly think a spirit of gratitude can realign our spirits. I don’t know your situation or how hard it is right now. Truthfully, maybe you don’t even have a second to spare to write down things you are thankful for, but I bet you have a minute to think… as you brush your teeth, as you wait for the water to boil, as you ride the elevator to your office floor, as you sit at a red light, as you walk to the bus, train, or your car… you get my point. There is time to be thankful if we make time. If you are stuck, start with the small things that are right in front of you. Perhaps your thanks can start with your most comfortable pair of boots, weathered and worn, but so special or maybe it is your new shade of lipstick or the fact that you are having a great hair day. I guarantee you there is something to be thankful for, even if it is just the fact that there is oxygen to breathe and water to drink. That is a start. See what unfolds as you let intentional thankfulness take over. 

In the midst of my unknowns… like where I’m going to live in two weeks when I hop on a plane and move to a new country… I’m going to choose to be thankful for the here and now and cast my worries aside. 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

Thank you God, for Ólafur Arnalds and his music that soothes my soul. Thank you for my super soft leggings that I bought last minute before flying back to Spain. Thank you for leftovers in the fridge and the fact that I don’t have to cook tonight. Thank you for life’s unknowns. Thank you for adventures and for being a God that is not only good, but faithful. Thank you that I am known even when I know nothing. Thank you that I am loved!

Category: Thankfulness

Aging with Purpose

Aging with Purpose

Apr 23, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  4 Comments

Birthdays often make you think about the future. I am turning 33 soon and the inevitable thoughts about aging are starting to pop up. But nothing makes you think about getting old quite like being around old people.

My grandmother is a joy-filled 99-year-old firecracker who probably has more friends than I do. She is a social butterfly who is always looking forward to an occasion when she is able to wear one of those skirt suits, even if the occasion these days is, more often than not, a funeral. She is feisty and still pretty sharp. Just last week she beat my mother and me in a game of Phase Ten and we were definitely not trying to let her win. She is quite amazing for being almost a century old. 

Like any elderly person, she can be stuck in ways. Without throwing my wonderful 99-year-old grandmother under the bus, I’ll just say that there are qualities I love about her and qualities that I do not wish to possess when I am her age. 

So how do I become the 99-year-old lady that I want to be? I start now. The person that I want to be in 66 years starts today. Heck, the person I want to be tomorrow starts today! And not just who I want to be for me, but who I want to be for my family and friends, who I want to be as a wife, and even who I want to be as a mother. 

I have been blessed with a great family and awesome friends. However, the husband and kids are still in the “praying for” stages. But that shouldn’t stop me from wanting to be the best wife and mother I can be and working towards those characteristics now. 

Ask yourself, what kind of an old person do you want to be? The type that everyone loves visiting? The one that listens well? The kind that shares wisdom or the type that people avoid? The one that is known for being crotchety and grumpy? The miserable sort that complains about everything? The type that is plagued with bitterness and cynicism?

Decide who you want to be now and begin that journey.

I have decided that I want to be the kind of old person that shares stories out of wisdom. That means that I need to get better at sharing my story NOW. I need to be more vulnerable with the hardships in life and not shake off the difficult moments by turning up the music and dancing in the kitchen (although that can be a great remedy at times, I don’t recommend it for all occasions). I want to open up to others when I’m still in process and not only once I’ve figured things out on my own. 

I want my kids to know that their creative dreams matter. That means that I need to show them by example and start living out my creative dreams NOW. I want to pursue art. I want to be an artist. And I cannot wait until the day when I say that and it feels real and not like a silly statement. 

I want my children to know that they are loved. But I have to model that by first knowing that I am loved NOW and diving into what it truly means to be created by a loving God who wants nothing more than to love me. 

I want to be a caring wife who is slow to anger and quick to forgive. I can practice all of that NOW. I may not be married yet, but there are plenty of people in my life that I can be caring towards and plenty of moments when I can stretch my muscles of being slow to anger and quick to forgive. 

I want to live until my body gives out peacefully in my sleep (don’t we all wish that!). To do that I need to be healthy NOW. Which means fewer cookies and more vegetables, less sleeping in and more early morning walks, and since I live in Spain, probably a bit less Spanish wine. 

At my funeral, I want people to talk about how they have never met anyone as peaceful and joyful as Shanda _________ (come on husband with a new last name!) I am a naturally peaceful and joyful person, but even in the areas that we are naturally gifted, there is still room for growth. 

I want people to see me as a woman of faith and thankfulness — a woman who trusts God’s voice and jumps headfirst into the unknowns, a woman that thanks God for the little things and rejoices easily at His provision. Those start NOW!

If you want to be known as the sweet patient old lady, start being sweet and patient now. If you want to be the understanding and supportive wife, find friends to understand and support now. If you want to be the mom that throws the best birthday parties, start throwing some awesome dinner parties right now. The practice for who you want to be starts NOW.

To put it simply, if I want to lift 100 pounds, that doesn’t happen in one try. It takes time and repetition. It starts with little weights and works its way up as my muscles get stronger. What muscles do you want to be known for later on in life?

If you’re around in 66 years when I am 99, please come visit me. I hope to be alive and well, telling stories on a front porch somewhere surrounded by a cloud of peace and joy as my husband, children and grandchildren gather around to listen to my stories of living a life of creativity, faith, and love. And if all goes well with my workout plan, I might still be able to play a game of badminton in the front yard. 

Category: Reflection

Don’t Let Fear Drive

Don’t Let Fear Drive

Mar 29, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  5 Comments

I am not a fearful person in the obvious sense of the word. I love a good adventure! Motorcycles, skydiving, exploring abandoned buildings… I’m there. I will hold a snake, walk to the edge of a cliff and look down hundreds of feet, and I’m not just fine, but great. I simply don’t live my life with a lot of fear. 

Imagine my surprise when I realized fear had sneakily infiltrated my thoughts and was slowly taking over.

Currently, I am in the middle a huge transition. The life-changing, career-changing, location-changing kind of transition. It is the kind of change where there are more unknowns than knowns and nothing is finalized or remotely concrete. I feel like I’m floating above life with nothing to tether me to the ground. It is understandable that there is a bit of fear. I just wasn’t expecting it to be so powerful.

A few weeks ago, I sat down with my journal and began writing an endless list of questions. I quickly realized my questions were not out of my normal curiosity and wonder, instead, their root was worry and fear. Fear had slowly worked its way into my subconscious and was creeping around causing stress, anxiety, and evening stealing some precious hours of sleep. And I love my sleep!

I spent a few hours going through all my fears. Writing them down one by one and realizing I had two kinds of fears — those that are rational and actually deserve a bit of my time and others that are completely irrational and a waste of precious energy. 

There are fears that are normal and even good. We need those to survive. Are you scared of walking down a dark alleyway at night? There’s probably some wisdom in not going that direction alone. Are you scared of lighting your gas stove with a match? Rightly so, you can totally singe the hair off your knuckles or worse. A healthy amount of survival fear is what keeps us alive. Then there are fears that make things exciting. The thrill of skydiving comes from the fact that it is terrifying to jump out of an airplane thousands of feet above the ground. Think of that joyous feeling after you have mustered up the courage to talk to the cutie sitting at the table next to you. These fears push us towards wisdom and sometimes towards exhilarating risks. Again, we need these. 

However, most of our fears do not fall into the rational fear category. If we allow it, our lives can be plagued by the irrational fears that hold us back and crush our dreams. When we let those types of fears drive our decisions, we give them all the power! And that is truly a sad and scary place. 

As I was examining my fears, I quickly realized that most of them were pointless. The irrational kind. The ‘what if’ kind. They were worries that were pushing my peace to the side and trying to smother my trust in God’s plan. 

A few years back a good friend recommended Elizabeth Gilbert’s ¨Big Magic”. As fate would have it, I picked up a copy at a used bookshop a few weeks ago in the middle of my fear analysis. I began reading only to discover the book begins with an entire section about courage in overcoming fear. Cue perfect timing!

Elizabeth acknowledges that fear has a place in life, but that left unchecked it is “a desolate boneyard where our dreams go to desiccate in the hot sun.” I couldn’t agree more. I was finding it harder and harder to dream the more I allowed fear to infiltrate my thoughts.

But how do you fight fear if you are fearful already? Fear breeds fear. It is all it knows how to do. So if we fight back we are fighting it with more fear. Elizabeth explains “It seems to me that the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back. If I can relax, fear relaxes, too.”

It is not about getting rid of fear, but about bravery in the face of fear! Once you muster up the courage to call your fears out on their bullshit and irrationality, it gets easier to ignore them and start actually living life. 

Think about your dream. The idea that brings you the most excitement, fulfillment, and joy. Get a clear picture in your head…

Now think… what if I fail? What if someone is better at it than me? What if it looks different than I think? What if it looks the exact same as I think? What if it doesn’t last? What if it’s more work than I think? What if I look ridiculous doing it? What if people think I’m crazy? What if people realize I don’t have it all together? What if, what if, what if….

Were any of those questions scarier than the joy that thinking about your dream brought you? I would venture to say that if your dream truly is what brings you the most life, then none of those fearful questions will come close to stopping you. Those fear-based questions do not deserve to drive your decisions at all. They will only hold you hostage and hinder you from actually living out your dreams and purpose.

Allow fear the space it deserves, the rational space that keeps you alive… but like Elizabeth says to fear “You’re allowed to have a seat, and you’re allowed to have a voice, but you are not allowed to have a vote. You’re not allowed to touch the road maps; you’re not allowed to suggest detours; you’re not allowed to fiddle with the temperature. Dude, you’re not even allowed to the touch the radio. But above all else, my dear old familiar friend, you are absolutely forbidden to drive.”

Once you have embraced bravery and called fear out on its lies, the key to keeping it at bay is to replace those thoughts with peace and trust. Remember that you were created out of love and love casts out all fear. Our creator is the most trustworthy and peaceful presence out there! Drawing near to Him will help to realign your thoughts as you find freedom from fear and begin to follow what you love.

It is definitely a case of easier said than done, but I am choosing bravery in the midst of all my unknowns, peace in the mysteries, and trust in God’s bigger plan. It is a daily, sometimes hourly choice to not give into fear, but I am confident that my dreams deserve my courage! And so do yours!

Category: Reflection

Lessons in Gardening

Lessons in Gardening

Mar 5, 2018 //  by Shanda Dodd //  Leave a Comment

The older I get, the more God finds creative ways to speak to me. Right now it’s through my plants– an ever-expanding mini garden in my bedroom window. The process of planting seeds and watching them grow has brought endless amounts of joy, along with some beautiful God lessons. It is amazing to watch the growth in our lives be reflected by the physical representation of a few awesome little green plants.

To grow a plant it takes a seed, soil, water, and sunshine. With those 4 ingredients, you can get endless amounts of plants, but each seed has its own process and journey to make. Just like us, no seed is the same and no process is identical.

The Slow Grower

This is the seed that you plant with care, water regularly, and keep in the well-lit corner of your coffee table. You wait with anticipation, each day hoping to see a little bud break through the surface of the soil. And you wait… And you wait… You begin to wonder what is happening beneath the surface. Is anything actually happening below? Doubt starts to creep in. Did you do something wrong? Is the seed just a dud? Does the plant need more water? More sun? You have done everything according to the book, yet nothing seems to be happening. You are tempted to throw the whole thing away and give up on the little patch of dirt that seems unchanged since the beginning. But then, all of a sudden, there it is… a tiny little sprout, a hint of life, a little growth to show you that your faithfulness has been worth the wait. Your plant is finally growing! It will probably continue to grow painstakingly slow, but now you know and now you can see it with your own eyes – growth is definitely happening!

Sometimes life is like this – we plant seeds in our lives or in the lives of those close to us. We plant good seeds of self-esteem, joy, love, forgiveness, but each of those can take time. It is a beautiful journey in trusting God and his timing, of trusting that even when you can’t see a single tangible glimpse of something growing, you know that God is still at work. These seeds are faith builders. They require continual care when nothing appears to be happening.

It’s the friend who just cannot seem to grasp the fact that she is beautiful. You tell her every chance you get how pretty she is, inside and out. You keep watering the seed of self esteem and self worth, trusting that one day she will finally understand her beauty in a real way.

It’s the old man on the bus that you smile at every morning, yet his face seems to remain permanently stuck in a disgruntled grimace. You continue smiling each day trusting that one day the seed of joy you are planting will break the surface of his face with the most wonderful smile.

It’s God telling you over and over again that you are loved. Each day giving that seed a healthy dose of water and care, and then one day it clicks, the little sprout breaks through the surface and you finally begin to understand how much God really does love you.

The Fast Grower

These are a rare delight! It’s the seed that you plant on a Monday and by Wednesday there are tiny little shoots breaking through the surface of the soil. It seems to happen overnight, like the seed was magic. The plant continues to sprout and grow. It’s almost as if you can literally watch the little leaves growing taller and taller right in front of your eyes. This is the growth process that encourages you to continue on. It’s a gift, a faith booster, an almost instantaneous feeling of purpose and of a job well done.

These are beautiful moments in life – when something takes root so fast and so strongly that it can’t help but burst through the surface with an insane desire to grow.

It’s the rare, but amazing story of someone hearing about God the first time and deciding right then and there that they want to give their life to God. It’s powerful!

But more often than not, these faith boosters are smaller.

It’s the friend that walks into your house and immediately feels at home – welcomed and loved. You didn’t have to do anything special, but in an instant they are able to feel love in a way that they have not known before.

It’s the times when you hear a sermon or a teaching and a revelation drops into your spirit instantly. Something clicks in a very personal way and you know that your spirit has been longing for that revelation for some time.

The Sun Searcher

Then there are the plants that are growing fine and looking good. You planted a seed, you waited, and they’ve been through a slow and steady growth process, but then all of a sudden they begin to lean. The tall and strong stem begins to bend in a strange direction. Everything seems to be growing sideways. It’s a curious sight, but then you realize all your plant is trying to do is find more sun. It’s searching and longing for the light and stretching its leaves in whichever way it needs to find the source of light.

We have friends like this too, people that are so drawn to the light, and it’s written all over them. They know something is missing, they know there is something more out there, they know they need a source of light in their life. We have the opportunity to show them the way, to point them in the right direction and to help them get the light they so desperately need.

It’s the friend that has only ever known a religious and tyrannical God, but is so longing to be loved and know the Father’s heart.

It’s the friend that just can’t seem to stay on his feet. Life keeps knocking him down again and again and he is beginning to see that his own strength is failing him. He is searching for a foundation, something that won’t let him down, something that can sustain him.

It also happens in our own lives. When life gets busy and we find ourselves running to and fro frantically trying to get everything done. When something seems off and you realize it’s been way too long since you rested in God’s presence. Your body, mind, and spirit are all telling you to stop, take a moment for yourself, and sit with God.

– – –

Our lives and the lives of those around us are all in the process of growing. To stop growing is to stop living. Be encouraged no matter the process. If it seems sooooo very slow, remember that God is faithful. If it seems quick, almost instantaneous, thank God for the gift of being able to tangibly see Him at work. If you need sun or know someone that does, position yourself to get it, or show them the way to the light. Soak it up and let it build you up to your full strength. Let it make you whole.

God is at work in all of us and it truly is a beautiful process when we stop and enjoy it.

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:6

Category: Reflection

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