He will renew your heart.

 If you know me, or you have been reading my blogs for any length of time, you know that I often find God out in nature.  I know that He is always with me, but when I am in the thick of things-when I am planning the school schedule, the meals for the week, the cleaning that needs to be done in our home, working through American Heritage Girls and Trail Life activities-hearing that still, small voice is a lot harder than it is when I am in the woods.

So I am sure it is no surprise to you that when I begin to feel like I am drifting I make sure to schedule in some nature time for myself.  And God never fails to reveal Himself to me there.  There was the month He used dandelions to teach me about how we are each unique, how we can be transformed, how we can impact the world, and to be aware of imitators. (That's a lot for a little garden weed!)  Or the time He used growing garlic for the first time to teach me that sometimes being the one who is "seen" by the world can cost us the growth we need to serve the world. And there is the time he used a garden mushroom to teach me about overcoming temptation.

But my time in nature walking with Him isn't always about a lesson.  Sometimes I just need to feel His presence.  It's hard to live in this world I don't care who you are.  I feel safe to say that at some point you have felt alone, or unloved, or unseen, or unappreciated. We are all fallen humans who have a tendency to get wrapped up in our own lives at times, which means that we aren't looking around us to do good (Galatians 6:10) or to notice others burdens, much less help carry them (Galatians 6:2). But God always sees us (Genesis 6:13), is always with us (Deuteronomy 31:8) and is always working things for our good (Romans 8:28).  

And on those days that I just need a hug from Him, a reminder that I am loved by Him, He always comes through.  For example, on a recent walk through the woods I was feeling especially down, so I started praying for God to just let me know He was there.  So He slowed me down with an adorable squirrel that stayed right by the creek I was crossing, playing.  I couldn't resist stopping to watch.  My heart settled, I even laughed a bit with a young squirrel joined the first and began emitting his warning sound once I saw me-quite a while after he made his appearance.

I moved on feeling a bit lighter, but still wanting a bit more. So I continued praying as I walked.  At the next creek crossing I glanced to my left and back to the front.  I felt a nudge to look a bit closer to the scenery on my left.  

 There on a solitary tree in the bleak winter landscape was a heart.  It wasn't carved into the tree.  It wasn't a stray leaf caught on the bark. I ventured closer to discover that as I changed my vantage point it looked less like a heart and more like what it was, a strange lichen growing on the bark.  But I knew.  

This was God showing me that He was with me. That He was listening. That He loves me.  Now, I know it is just some lichen on a tree.  But I also know who put it there, and that He is personal, relational God who has often taken the time to show Himself to His children to further that relationship.  

I share this to remind you that if you too feel alone sometimes, ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a special way.  He will renew your heart.