Taste and See

Photo credit: Free-images.com

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Lake Superior. After setting up camp in Muskallonge Lake State Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we and our kids walked across the street from the campground and then followed a trail that led to Lake Superior. When we emerged from the lush trail and stepped onto the beach, the sight of this gorgeous Great Lake took my breath away. As I gazed at the expanse of beautiful blue water and multi-colored stones covering the beach and extending into the clear lake, the song “How Great Thou Art” welled up inside me. I remember feeling convinced that anyone who’s an atheist has never stood on the shores of Lake Superior.

We don’t have to travel hundreds of miles to experience the wonders of God’s love. Sometimes all it takes is a conscientious effort to look for the amazing blessings that He’s showering upon us right here. Sometimes, we just have to see what’s already in front of us. 

For example, this time of year we can look beyond the corn in the field and the tomatoes in the garden and see God’s loving hand behind them. We can use our imagination to picture Him dreaming up and designing all the different vegetables to feed our bodies with His loving, joyful creativity. Also, we can see our family and friends as gifts from Him to feed our souls and look at them with renewed gratitude. Sometimes we just have to look around with fresh eyes and try to begin to grasp how great God is. 

When we seek God – when we look for expressions of His unconditional love – we move closer to Him. When we acknowledge how He provides for us, we begin to trust Him more. Sometimes, when we look for Him in the beauty of nature and the people we care about, we may experience His presence – not on an intellectual level but sensing with our heart that He’s with us. Sometimes, when we seek Him, we may get just a taste of the magnificence of His goodness. All of this brings us deep joy, as I experienced on the beach of Lake Superior that summer day. And so we keep seeking, drawing nearer to Him, trusting Him, and opening our hearts for a greater understanding and experience of His love.   

God’s goodness is all around us. Let’s seek Him; let’s look for the many blessings He’s gifted to us – in the wonders of nature and the people we love. Let’s let a song of praise rise up to Him from the depths of our hearts for the immeasurable love He has for us.

“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” – Psalm 34:8  

Let everything I do be with You, for You, and because of You.

Thank you for reading my reflection.  All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words!    © 2025 Gina Bedell   

  

Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life. 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below.  Comments are always welcome! 

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list. 

You can also find my posts on my Facebook page!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home and around the world. Donate to a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the people around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

"I Am With You"

Photo credit: Free-images.com

During recess, adults who serve as playground monitors tend to stay in the background. They don’t interact with the kids much but are ready if a child needs help. Sometimes, especially if a big kid is chasing him, a small child will run over and stand next to one of these adults. He knows she’ll protect him as long as he’s standing close to her. The playground monitors are always present but, until they need help, the kids don’t pay much attention to them.

We can take this image and expand it, and apply it to God. Though we’ve heard it many times, we sometimes need to remind ourselves that God is always with us; there’s never a time when He’s not with us. Unlike the adults on the playground, though, our Lord isn’t a distant bystander. He’s not watching us with indifference until we need a favor from Him. Rather, He’s watching with a loving, burning desire for us to acknowledge His presence and ‘stand close to Him.’ He wants us to come to Him many times throughout our day to share with Him not only our fears and concerns but also our joys, as we do with a dear friend. He wants us to include Him even in the ordinary happenings of our lives. He wants us to see every moment as an opportunity to stand close to Him.  

What does this look like?

In the morning, we thank Him for His loving presence and ask Him to show us what He wants us to do as we go about our day. We’re mindful of Him as we work, whether at home or outside the home. Being mindful of His presence with us, we look for ways to go out of our way to be kind and compassionate – to show Him to the people around us. Before we make a phone call or join a meeting, we ask Him to guide our words and help us listen with an open heart. When someone does or says something to us that’s kind or helpful, we thank God for that person. Even while we’re driving or doing a mundane chore like folding laundry or mowing the lawn, we talk to Him honestly about whatever is on our mind. Talking with Him about it draws our hearts closer to His. When we do these things, over time we’ll get to know better, first-hand, His deep Love for us; we’ll want to align our will with His, and we’ll find joy and peace in doing so.

Let’s remember that God is always with us, not as an indifferent bystander but as our loving companion, friend, and confidant. Let’s do our part to look for Him and stand close to Him, not just in times of trouble but in every moment of our day.

“Know that I am with you… I will never leave you.” – Genesis 28:15

Let everything I do be with You, for You, and because of You.

Thank you for reading my reflection.  All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words!    © 2025 Gina Bedell   

  

Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life. 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below.  Comments are always welcome! 

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list. 

You can also find my posts on my Facebook page!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home and around the world. Donate to a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the people around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.