“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” —Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NKJV
Sitting in the shade of the patio in the heat of the afternoon, plum in hand, my mind is transported way back into my earliest days. Plums do that for me every time.
I grew up in a simple way of life. We lived on a farm out in the country, with cows in the pasture, wildflowers along the dirt roads, a hard-working dad, and an equally hard-working, stay-at-home mama. Though my dad had a steady and dependable job, it didn’t pay much in the early years. We relied heavily on New England ingenuity and thriftiness, produce from diligently-tended gardens, milk from the cow, eggs from the chickens, and, to heat the house, wood from the forest. We didn’t go on vacations or buy expensive stuff. Hand-me-downs were a given, and we made do. The family car was secondhand and driven by no one but our daddy. Our farm was our life. We found pleasure in the occasional evening walk on the beach, picnics under the trees, random visits to and from neighbors or nearby family, seeing the season’s first flowers, spotting a deer in the field, and the brilliance of the fall leaves exploding in color. Daddy was our hero. No one messed with mama, and family was everything. Little things meant the world. Plums were one of them!
Saturday mornings my daddy would make his usual run to the dump, gas up the car, buy the Saturday newspaper, and then make egg deliveries to his customers. In the summer months, I got to go with him. I loved my Saturday morning dates with my daddy. Sitting in the front seat … without seatbelts, and horror of horrors, sometimes daddy would even let me sit on his lap and let me pretend to be the driver. Now, I have dated myself!
Inevitably, he would stop at the local vegetable stand and buy me a plum. Plums seemed so big in the hands of a little one back then, juice everywhere. Never once do I remember Daddy ever telling me not to make a mess. I suspect he cleaned his fair share of them once I was out of view. I remember the sheer joy on his face as he blessed my day with such a simple pleasure, a plum. I felt like I’d been given the world. Simple moments with my daddy reassured me of his love and bonded us tightly together.
Oh, the big events with my dad were critical and life-altering for sure, like when he and mama adopted me complete with my health challenges and all, the day he paid for my nursing school adventure, the moment he drew me close in a hug only a daddy could give and wouldn’t let go when I was so afraid we were going to lose our little girl after a sledding accident, his gift of land to build our home on … I could go on.
Those were monumental events in my life with my dad that I will never forget. But it’s the everyday, seemingly insignificant living-life-together moments that are branded on my mind and heart. The walks in the woods. The smell of his pipe lingering in the air that told me he was still nearby. Seeing him stand on the ridge looking out over our home. Teaching me it’s okay to laugh with folks when they share memories at a funeral because, in Christ Jesus, we have hope after death. His deep commitment to his wife and dedication to his family. His love and awe of wild animals and love of the woods he instilled in me. All these wonders and the time I spent with him helped to shape who I am today.
Each one of these precious moments is a picture to me of the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus—because of the death He died in my place on what should have been my cross, but He made it His instead.
We’re always looking for the big moments with God. We anticipate grand revelations and mountain-top experiences with Him. Sometimes we feel like we’ve missed out or that we’ve not “done Christianity right.”
Those grand God experiences that dot our lives are critical and wonderful for sure. More often, it’s the moments we have with Jesus in the mundane of daily living and walking with Him that are little hugs from heaven. Little things just for us: Plums on a patio. Rainbows that appear over my yard on a day I’m overwhelmed by life changes and desperately in need of His reassurance. A mama bobcat that comes out of the woods on my birthday, lays down right in front of me, and lets me get close enough to click away with my camera. A timely card or call from a dear friend. A needed scripture that jumps out at me just at the right time. These are the daily encounters that take one’s breath away.
How do we experience these little moments with God? The same way I did with my daddy. Spending time with God. Letting His Word permeate every fiber of our beings. Letting Him be continually on our lips. Being so tuned into God, looking for Him everywhere so that seeing Him in the little things becomes instinctual and second nature. When we do that, we find out that He doesn’t “show up” but we begin to see Him right where He has been all along.
Well, my plum is gone, and true to form, I’ve made a mess! True to His form, God has yet again refreshed my soul and renewed my spirit with something as simple as a plum and a little journey back in time to remember.
Thank You, God, for monumental moments when You come roaring into my circumstances. Thank You too for the simple day-to-day hugs You send from heaven. Thank You for opening my eyes to wondrous things. Help me to be so in tune with You that I miss nothing! I love You, Lord.
“Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise.”
—Robert Robinson
Safe in His care,
Donna Perkins
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
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