God's Art Gallery

Written by: Jessica Russo

Co-blogger for Truly Fed Ministries

This week I am writing you from the base of a California redwood tree the size of my first apartment. Lying against this tree with my bare feet sharing its soil, I feel like a tiny spec in such an enormous creation. We are on day 27 of our journey. The boys have grown comfortable in the wild as I knew they would. What they once feared, they now embrace. What once felt like solitude, now feels connected. What once seemed dangerous, now has become our refuge. 

We have crossed paths with grizzly bears, seen wild swans, listened to birds in the rainforest screeching so loud we held our ears. 

There is something in my spirit that needed to leave everything man-made and take my boys on a journey they will not soon forget. I am not sure what I was seeking but I am positive I found it. 

Job 12:7-9 - But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

Although I see God working in people everyday it is much different to find Him working in all of His creation. I feel like we have been on a tour of one tiny wing of His enormous art gallery. This is where we found him working:

In the sunflower fields of Texas where the flowers never take their eyes off of the light He provides them. 

In the eagle soaring over the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado carrying a twig for sping upgrades to the nest. 

In the canyons of New Mexico that are so red the sunlight bouncing off seem to set them on fire. 

In the winds whipping fiercely across the Wyoming rangeland as the prairie dogs scurry underground for safety. 

In the skies of Montana that reach farther than the eye can see or the soul can grasp. 

In the glacier lakes of Alberta, Canada that are the most brilliant hue of turquoise that they look artificial. 

In the waterfalls in British Columbia that burst right out of the side of the mountains and seem to fall for miles. 

In the mossy trees and 5 foot ferns of the Washington rainforests that feel like you have stepped into a nursery ryme storybook. 

In the waves crashing against giant rocks jetting out of the pacific ocean on the Oregon coast. 

In the redwood that I am sitting under right now. Yes, God is working here too. 

Every climate, every animal, and every plant works in a cyclical dance carefully created and orchestrated by Him. 

It is more than we can comprehend. We were not created to fully comprehend it. What we can do is give him all glory and praise saying "My God How Great Thou Art." 

Blessings,
Jessica

Surprises!

It takes a lot to shock me.  I rarely feel the need to gasp and shake my head in disbelief.  But something happened a few days ago that literally took my breath away. 

It was Father's Day, and Bobby and I were both going a million directions.  Traveling, working, writing, baseball...a wonderful puzzle we gratefully try to put together each day.  Bobby got home from a road trip late in the evening, and we decided to head over to our daughter Ally's house so Bobby could give our grand baby Reese a big hug before she went to bed. 

Our son Colton came with us, and even though he seemed a bit jumpy I didn't pay much attention.  We were smothered with hugs and wet kisses from Reese, and after about 20 minutes we started to say our goodbyes since it was late.  Ally strangely asked if Bobby could take a look at one of their landscaping lights that supposedly wasn't working, and could only be seen in the dark.  So with Reese in my arms, the whole family headed to the driveway to check out the problem. 
I was looking at all the pretty lights on the yard when suddenly something flashed in front of me. The headlights of a big black truck with a red bow on the hood! 

I started screaming "What?" "What?"  I couldn't get another word out.  All I could say was "What!"
Bobby's face in that moment was priceless.  Each wrinkle in his smile reflected a 30 year longing for a truck.  Since the first week we were married he's talked about buying one, but life's unexpected demands and needs have always stood in the way.  On this night, three decades of desire turned into reality for a man that typically places priority on everyone else's wants, not his own. 

It was a rare moment of surprise. A delight that swells in your spirit like fireflies let loose from a jar.  You try to grab hold of them, but they swirl around you, lighting up a dark sky with a spark of abandoned pleasure.  Even if you tried to put that delight back in a jar, it couldn't contain it.

This wonderful gift has me wondering something about God.  What surprises Him about us?  Are there moments when He is so excited about us that His smile rips a hole right through heaven? 
I've pondered this for the past few days, and one scene keeps coming to mind. 
Remember when Jesus sent the disciples away in a boat after a long day of helping people?  Jesus stayed back to send the crowd off and spend some much needed time alone with His Father in prayer; while the disciples pushed out into the depths of the Sea of Galilee. The water got rough as a storm tossed the boat around; sometimes yielding waves as high as 10 feet high towering over their small wooden fishing boat.  Somewhere between 3:00-6:00 am Jesus began to walk towards the shaken boat--on top of the water!  The disciples had been tossed around for upwards of nine hours and probably thought they were losing their minds when they saw Him sauntering over the waves...but here's where the surprise comes in. Peter shouts out to Jesus "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you on the water." 

In that moment I believe Jesus was surprised.
Complete trust.  Sheer abandon.  Delight that sang from the whistle of the wind and the waves undertow.
"Come on!" He shouted back.  And Peter put his feet in the water. 

So often people focus on the fact that Peter doubted once he was on the water, but I believe that view completely misses the point.  He surprised Jesus with his guts.  He wanted to be brave for Jesus in a display of confidence in the man he called Savior... I think that's the point.

So the last few days as I drive around in Bobby's truck, I keep whispering to the Lord, "I want to surprise You.  I want You to smile as I bravely come to You regardless of my fear or circumstance."

As long as I live I'll never forget the look on Bobby's face as he realized this surprise was meant for him.  He hasn't stopped smiling!  I want to give God the gift of surprise, and even though it may not have a big red bow on it, it will be wrapped in sweet affection and trust that hopefully brings a smile to heaven.

Blessings!
Gari

Geysers or Mud Pots

Written by: Jessica Russo

Co-blogger for Truly Fed Ministries
 
Over the past week and a half my two boys, my mother, and I have been on the road. With big plans and a not-so-big camper behind us. We started in Houston, TX and I am currently sitting in Glacier National Park (Montana) with my toes 4 inches from a campfire trying to over-compensate for my ill-prepared wardrobe I packed in the 98 degree Houston heat. It's been 13 days of gorgeous landscapes that can only flow from the paintbrush of our awesome God. There are still two and a half weeks left on our trip as we move into Canada tomorrow and head back down along the West Coast. Since we have only just begun I will not go into all the things we have seen and done until my next blog. 

We spent several days at Yellowstone National Park. I was amazed by the landscapes and thermal activity there from geysers to boiling, stinky mud to gorgeous waterfalls. The land was so peaceful and beautiful that you would never know the instability and turmoil going on under the surface. 

A geyser will sit silent building up pressure until it erupts and spews water over everything in range of it. We decided this represented me very well. I stay calm and silent until I can't stand it any longer then I spew venom over whoever is in range. I must give myself a little credit I have gotten much better with this but nonetheless this is how I cope with things. 

A mud pot is a constant release of gas that appears to make the hot mud boil as it comes to the surface. We decided this was my husband Chip. Not because of the gas aspect but just the fact that he deals with and releases issues as they arise. Pressure does not buildup so there is no large display or release. It is a constant, much more moderate way to approach issues. 

A wild fire is a common occurrence in yellowstone in fact the pine tree that grows there is dependent on the wild fires to re-seed. The tree Produces a pine cone that only a fire can penetrate but once it is burned it will break open and re-seed. So not only are the wild fires common, they are necessary for new growth. We decided the wild fire was our oldest son. His fire burns voraciously only controlled by the winds of his anxieties. But when it burns out something new has taken growth, something new is learned, and something new is felt. 

A waterfall is body of water that is sent on a path that causes it to change direction, lose control, or take a leap of faith. This is my youngest boy. If his path flowed to that cliff and he knew the only way to get back on track was to follow that fall he would not think twice before he took that leap of faith with wild abandon.  Although at times a slight change of direction might solve the problem more appropriately. 

God created us all to perform and deal in ways unique to us.  He chose many different personalities, complete with their own faults, to be his Disciples.  We are not created perfect rather we are asked to do our best. 

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Whether a Geyser or a mud pot, a wild fire, or a waterfall we were each created differently with our own purpose and our own methods and pathways to fulfill that purpose. I look forward to writing my next blog where I will be able to share with you all the highlights of my trip. 

Blessings,  Jessica

Whatever...

"Dear Friends, God is good.  So I beg you to offer your bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing.  That's the most sensible way to serve God.  Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think.  Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him."    (Romans 12: 1-2)

I've been sitting and staring at my lap top for over a half hour.  It's blog day and my mind is going ten directions but not at the speed of light.  More like the speed of laundry drying outside on a muggy day.  The only word that keeps popping into my muggy mind is the word "whatever"...
Not very spiritual sounding at first glance; it actually sounds more like what teenagers say when you tell them to make their beds.  But in God's vocabulary the word whatever is the hallmark of utmost maturity.  Only those that have given their lives over to His holy touch can utter this word with complete abandon. 
Whatever isn't a sign of lazy indifference, it's a sign of release and trust.  When we say whatever to God we are stating "You're in charge--I'm not.  You're the point--I'm not."  What freedom the word whatever brings!

Recently I had a whatever moment that makes me feel a bit shaky as I've watched it play out.  The picture above shows me dancing with orphans at Musana Orphanage in Uganda.  I was there two years ago leading a teacher's in-service on reading comprehension, but in all honesty, saying yes to that trip wasn't easy.  My doctor begged me not go, fearing my immune system wasn't strong enough to handle the immunizations needed to travel there.  To further complicate things, we moved from Colorado to Houston just days before I flew to Africa.  It was a flurry of boxes, sweat, and prayerful whatevers that pushed me onto that plane, resulting in a glorious time of holy release.

Sitting in a cafe overlooking the dusty main road where the orphanage was, I met with a local pastor named Nicholas for lunch .  He knew my background in ministry, and shared something that nearly broke my heart.  He said "Gari, we have thousands of women who would come to hear you speak God's Word.  They are willing, but we have no women teachers to lead them."
I wish I could say I instantly jumped on that opportunity.  It was the end of a long, hard trip and I was tired, broke, and ready to see my family.  I was polite, but wondered if I'd ever see him again.   So here comes my big whatever moment...

This fall I began to pray about Uganda.  Was I supposed to go back?  I was in the middle of my first big book contract, writing my head off, teaching like crazy, and preparing for another year of insane travel with my husband's beloved Houston Astros... but suddenly the word whatever began to circle a the rim of my spirit.  One day I literally said to the Lord "This is the day.  I need you to either close the door or open it, because if I'm going back to Uganda, it needs to be clear." 
A half an hour later I opened my messages on my phone and there sat a message from Pastor Nicholas.  He simply wrote "Have you forgotten your friends in Africa?" 
Nothing like getting your prayers answered so clearly...

So in 14 days I head back to Africa to speak at a conference that has already grown beyond capacity.  As a matter of fact, they've had to change the venue because they know the crowds will be too big.  The local pastor's have met and decided to open the conference to both men and women, and they've named the event the Miracle Crusade.

 I know the real miracle occurs when we simply say whatever--and you don't have to go to Africa for that to happen.  Whenever you choose someone else's needs before your own, you say whatever.  Whenever you choose to trust God instead of settling into panic, you say whatever.  Whenever you dare to hope for good rather than tolerating evil, you say whatever. 

Whatever is what Mary uttered when Gabriel told her she'd birth a Savior.  Whatever is what Moses said when he led a nation out of captivity, and whatever is what Jesus brilliantly uttered from the cross. 

So here's my question to you:  What's your whatever?  I'd love to hear about it sweet friends. Let's keep saying it together; daily, hourly, minute by minute...whatever.  Watch God take your whatevers and turn them into forevers.

Blessings!
Gari