Hiatus Discontinued-- Blessings of the Day

How's a year long hiatus for you?

Not very faithful of me, I admit. I have not had a reliable source of internet, so I haven't been dedicated to routine blogging.

I do enjoy writing, though. I also find that my life produces seasons where writing is productive or beneficial to me for various reasons. Other times, it's not as important.

This season of my life is forcing the figurative pen in my hand, and as I am afraid my memory will chase away these precious moments, I had better begin writing. (Unfortunately, I am using my phone to write these posts. That means I will likely not be posting pictures regularly, since my camera downloads to my laptop.)

To begin... again:

Today, I have moved about my home like my honeybees move about my garden. As efficiently as possible, visiting one room and then another, gathering toys and dishes, clothes and books, transferring these items to their cells of organization- all in the hopes that my home will have an as inviting appearance and fragrance as honey.

But, it doesn't smell like honey. It smells like 90°F of clear blue skies. As I took my baby son's tiny clothes off the drying rack outside, I couldn't help but inhale the happiness of sunshine, that delightful smell that sun dried clothing absorbs as it releases its moisture.

Our first 90° weather day has not impressed the broccoli in my garden. But, as with most things in life, everyone has a difference of perspective. The seeds are excitedly sprouting because of the heat of the sun and wetness of recent rains-- an excellent combination for germination.

I once read that plants respond to music and their gardener's loving voice. I like to pray over my garden when I visit it each day. Not because I expect my plants to hear and respond with growth and fruit, but because I am deeply convicted that the One to whom I pray hears and responds. He-- YHVH, as He called Himself to Moses, and Yeshua (or Jesus) as He called His earthly form-- is the One Who blesses with rain and harvest.

Deuteronomy 28 resonates with me today. I call it the 'blessings and cursings chapter' because in this chapter God describes the consequences of right doing and wrong doing.

Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:

³ “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

⁴ “Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.

⁵ “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

⁶ “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

⁷ “The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. 

⁸ The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

⁹ The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.¹⁰ So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you.

¹¹ The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

¹² The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 

¹³ The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, 
¹⁴ and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them (NASB).

Repeatedly-- and not in this passage only-- God says He will give rain and abundance of produce to those that keep, or guard, His commandments. As I seek to obey Him as evidence of my faith, I cling to these promises of blessing over my garden! (To balance this perspective, though, remember that it also 'rains on the just and unjust.' Just because someone is being blessed does NOT mean they are walking in YHVH's ways.)

Today has been ordinary. I have sung the songs of a two year old. I have rocked with a baby's tide of tears. I have watched the chickens peck at specks in the grass, and thrown the stick for Titus to fetch until he runs to the stream rather than me. I've prepared our meals with diligence, and cleaned our home with efficiency. I've kissed my hard working man in greeting who was laid off Monday, unemployed Tuesday, and hired for Wednesday.

It's been a good day, a blessed day. Filled with gratitudes that radiate joy. Filled with opportunities to be a blessing in return. My son's toothless, face wide grin that beams with adoration. I am his everything. My daughter's cuddles, as we read the Scriptures together-- and then her restful snores. I am her safe comfort. My handsome husband's sparkling, but tired green-brown eyes. I am his peaceful helper.

My God's ever present presence. I am His disciple and betrothed.

May God bless you and keep you,

-Raquel