While sitting in my lounge chair for the past several days recuperating from recent surgery, I have been filling in part of my time watching the world go by, gazing out of my large picture window.

During this these days, I have been entertained by the antics of a little black squirrel racing around the yard across the street, searching for bits and pieces. Then he would scoot up a tall tree that he had chosen for his home to store them in his nest. He seemed to have boundless energy, and I often wished that I could have some of it.

Then one day, he disappeared. I found that a bit disconcerting since I had come to look for him every morning. As the days went by with no sign of him, I began to wonder, "Where is he?"

Finally, after several days had passed by with no sight of my furry friend, I came to the unhappy conclusion that he must have become some animal's dinner.

One morning during my prayer time, I found myself wondering, not for the first time, why God didn't seem to be answering some of my urgent requests for guidance in what I considered to be important matters in my life. It seemed as if He had turned a deaf ear to my pleas. I heard what sounded like a familiar question running through my thoughts, "Where is He in this situation?"

Then it dawned on me that I had asked that very same question when my little black squirrel had disappeared.

It seemed like a rather silly comparison, but it caused me to take a quick glance through the window, and much to my amazement, there he was. But this time he wasn't alone. A second little squirrel was there with him dashing about, collecting bits and pieces, then racing up the tall tree to deposit them in its nest.

Obviously, God was using this rather humorous situation to teach me a very important lesson. My little black entertainer had not been lost. He was there all the time, doing what he was designed to do, simply out looking for a mate. It seemed that God was saying that He was also there all the time, carrying out His divine plan for my life. There was never any need for me to anxiously wonder, "Where is He?", for He is there all the time.

It simply involved my learning to trust Him with all the affairs in my life. In that moment, a verse from a familiar song by Barbara C. Ryberg fluttered through my mind like a gentle feather:

What need to worry then, or fret?
That God, who gave His Son,
Holds all my moments in His hand,
And gives them one by one.

All of this wonderful revelation began with a little black squirrel! What a wonderful lesson! What a wonderful God!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, in times of anxiety and uncertainty, when we tend to become fearful, we need Your reassurance so much. We ask You to teach us to slow down our noisy, anxious thoughts so that we can hear the gentle words of reassurance that the Holy Spirit is longing to whisper into our minds and spirits. Forgive our trembling faith, strengthen our weak hands, and make firm our feeble knees. We know that You are always with us. Amen.

Let us pray.

Our loving heavenly Father, please hear and answer this prayer of desperation. We need You. We realize that You love us and that You have said in Your Word, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)

We are finally listening, Lord, and crying to You for mercy and assistance. We worship You, Lord, and ask Your forgiveness for neglecting times of worship and thanksgiving, prayer and reading Your Word. We have been too busy with our own concerns to take time for You.

We come asking You to intervene in a world tied up in knots, fighting against this dreaded virus. Other than You, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68b NKJV) We need Your wisdom to know how to run our lives, Lord, and to teach us how to cope with the situations that are filling us with fear. Since many of us have literally been imprisoned in our own homes and deprived of spiritual solace from our churches that have had to close their doors, we ask for Your guidance and intervention in these desperate matters.

We who are parents ask You to teach us how best to home-school and entertain our children who are feeling so isolated from their friends. Guide us as we attempt to obey the rules set down by our governments to avoid exposure to the virus, or endangering ourselves and others by passing it along. Heal suffering victims, and comfort the families who have lost loved ones.

We pray for the protection of those who must leave the safety of their homes to go to work to carry on the functions of daily living, helping in the production, transportation, and availability of food, and provision of necessary services. We pray for the protection of the medical staff nearing exhaustion in overcrowded hospitals, as well as for those producing necessary medication, researching effective drugs, and developing a successful vaccine. We pray for the availability of ventilators and hospital beds, and for enough masks and gowns for workers to wear to prevent the spread of the virus. We pray for those who must deal with unrest and crime in our larger cities, as well as for those coping with threats resulting from global warming.

There are many different world situations that require Your help, Father, such as protection from threat of attack by countries seeking to be in power, and help for persecuted Christians and those under threat of starvation in poorer countries.

You are our only source of help in these situations and others too numerous to list. We trust that with Your help, we will get through this, and that You will bring good out of this mess. We are listening, Lord of all wisdom and help in time of need. Show us Your answers and the part that we are to fulfill in carrying out Your directions.

We bring all of these requests, as well as many others which are named in our hearts, to You, our loving heavenly Father, in Jesus' name — and we are thankful for Your answers. Amen.

While glancing out my large bay window this morning to check on the weather, and hoping to catch a glimpse of what the squirrels were up to, I was amazed at the sight of a large wave of starlings soaring overhead. They seemed to be performing a kind of dance as they wheeled together back and forth several times, as if they were programmed to follow a specific pattern of flight. I was absolutely awestruck, as I had never seen anything like it before. After what seemed like several minutes, they broke apart, and flew off in different directions, many choosing to land in the tall tree where the squirrels live.

I was so captivated by this amazing display that I continued to search the sky for several minutes, hoping that I might see a repeat performance. However, it was just wishful thinking on my part. The wheeling flock never returned.

I immediately turned on my computer to see if I could find an explanation for this strange phenomenon. I discovered something that I had never heard of before: this patterning is called a "murmuration of starlings". Since I had worked as a teacher in outdoor education for many years and had never heard of this term, I knew that I had to continue to explore the reason behind this fascinating phenomenon. Apparently, this form of flying is not unique to starlings, but different flocks of birds fly in a variety of patterns. I was further puzzled to read that this usually took place in August or September, while this was only April.

Once again, it gave me just the tiniest, mind-boggling glimpse of our Creator's glory. He created mankind in His image with the many different traits, abilities, physical forms, and appearances unique to man. These are depicted in the countless races inhabiting this globe that humans call earth. But that He took the time to create such amazing details unique to each of the countless species and sub-species living on this planet caused me once again to whisper in awe from the depth of my heart, "O my God, how great You are and Your ways past finding out."

All I could do was to bow my head and once again breathe out my personalized version of today's verse, which thrilled my soul: "And this God is my God forever and ever, and He will be my God even until death", and I added the words, "and for all eternity", because of the glorious gift of salvation granted to all who give their lives to Jesus.

Prayer: Father God, once again, we give You thanks for Your amazing love which caused You to send Jesus, Your only begotten Son, to all mankind to offer us the precious gift of eternal life. We ask that You would open the ears of the millions who have not yet chosen to ask You for this gift. May You be glorified by the many who do choose to ask and receive. Amen.

The sound of the violent wind roaring around the house was terrifying. As I peered nervously out into my backyard, I could see the wildly swinging branches of the trees tearing at my eavestrough as they whipped back and forth along the edge of the roof. I could see large pieces of debris flying across the yard and hear them crashing up against the walls of the house: pails, lawn chairs, lawn umbrellas, and even a small table. I felt totally frozen with fear, expecting at any moment to see a broken branch or something else come smashing through my large back window. I quickly moved away from the window, just in case. Then, the rain came, adding its pounding ferocity to the howling wind.

In that moment, God quietly spoke into my throbbing heart and whispered the gentle words of a chorus that I had learned many years ago:

He knows, He knows,
The storms that would my way oppose;
He knows, He knows,
And tempers every wind that blows.

In that same instant, the roaring stopped. There wasn't a whisper, except for the sound of huge, splattering rain drops.

As I stared out at the clutter left in my yard, my eyes rested upon a huge stump. A week before, the large tree, which had provided me with privacy and shade over the many years that I had lived here, had been cut down because it had died. I felt very sad about this loss, and hoped to put it off as long as I could. However, when I put in the work order, I was astonished to see the workers arrive the following day to remove my beloved tree.

Then, I began to see God's hand in the wisdom and timeliness of that act. Had it not been cut down right away, it would very likely have come crashing down onto my house because of the force of the powerful wind. One thought stood out in my mind: God knew. God knew, and He not only led me to arrange for the tree's removal, but He also led the workers to come as quickly as possible. I am so grateful that I listened and obeyed that sense of urgency, rather than putting it off, as I am so prone to do.

From the Lord's comforting words, I realized that this truth applies to every area of every believer's life. Instead of bemoaning our losses, we need to thank our Lord in every circumstance. We may not yet realize His part in saving us from what might have turned out to be a much more serious problem. We need to praise Him that He knows every little thing about us and that He plans for us in love, because He cares.

Prayer: All-knowing and all-loving Father, thank You for speaking Your guidance into our hearts. Thank You for Your Word that always confirms Your leading. Thank You for the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit. May we be continually amazed at Your timeliness as You lead us day by day. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

The answer was very simple. The squirrel was doing what he was created to do. Suddenly, a verse strangely popped into my mind, followed by a very blunt question: What about me?

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Yet, here I sat, day after day, doing nothing. Where were my good works? Having been housebound for a long time due to medical problems, I had been taken in by the subtle whispers of the enemy, who had convinced me that I couldn't do anything of value for the Lord — a "helpless" mind set. It was that "poor me" syndrome that caused me to find excuses for myself not to do anything and to blame everyone else.

For example, I had stopped attending church for fear of driving in bad weather or because of the pain that kept me awake at night, making me too tired to get up for church. No one cared anyhow, I reasoned, or someone would have offered me a ride in the bad weather. I had conveniently ignored the fact that I had never bothered to phone anyone who might have given me a ride to church.

As I pondered this uncomfortable revelation, I had to admit that it wasn't just a physical problem any longer. It had become one of attitude. "I can't" had become my mantra.

God, forgive me! It took a little black squirrel to prod me into removing the convenient, comfortable blindfold from my eyes.

Right then, I decided to put forth the effort to go to church the following day, as long as I slept well and God wakened me by 7:30. He very kindly heard my prayer and wakened me at 6:30.

As I sleepily peered out the window at the sunshine, very clear words of Scripture came to my mind: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). In that moment, the fear that had kept me from even trying turned tail and ran. I was excited at the prospect of returning to church, and I didn't want to be late.

I felt that God must be smiling that morning as I sang His praises in church, and I thanked Him for sending that little black squirrel.

Fear is such a debilitating, useless emotion. Our minds can trick us into believing that God has forgotten us in our times of pain and difficulty. Let us not allow fear to wrap its tentacles around our thinking and hold us until we feel unable to cope with anything. Let us remember those Scriptures that have strengthened us on previous occasions.

Prayer: Dear Lord, how easily we fall prey to the whispers of the enemy. In such times, Lord, open our eyes and remind us that You love us and that You are there for us. Help us to call on You and see how quickly You will answer and deliver us from these traps into which we have fallen. Amen.

This morning, from the moment that I got up and prepared to sit down for my devotional time with God, so many things have come to distract me that I was sure that it had to be the enemy. It couldn't be simply coincidence.

Before I settled down to read and pray, I decided to take some special tea that I had brewed and drain it through a strainer into a large container. However, instead of draining it into the container, I drained it into the sink. I growled with annoyance at my stupidity. I guess that I wasn't completely awake. Then, I noticed that there was still some left in the pot, so I poured that into the container, thinking that I would at least have some of it to drink. But the next thing that I knew, for some unexplainable reason, I dumped the tea remaining in the container out into the sink as well. In His mercy, God kept me calm, where normally I might have blown my top. He understood that my intentions were good, and waited patiently for me to make some coffee before I sat down.

As I slowly began to drink the coffee and was waiting to hear the Lord's voice, I raised my eyes upward with the intention of worshipping Him. There on the ceiling, just above my head, I spotted a ladybug.

My first thought was to sweep it down, but I realized that it was another distraction, so I decided to wait until I was finished with my devotionals. However, my eyes seemed to have a mind of their own, and they continually wandered to where that insect was sitting, despite my determination to ignore it.

As I picked up my devotional book and began to read, the doorbell rang. I felt a slight twitch of annoyance as I got up to answer it. It was my postman with a package for me. As I sat down again, I took a deep breath. Perhaps now, I would finally be able to spend some time in prayer and meditation. Just to be sure, I asked the Lord to keep any further distractions away so that I could have an uninterrupted quiet time with Him.

As I began to read my Bible, I relaxed, assured in my mind that I would have no further distractions. Then, the doorbell rang again. This time, I simply decided to ignore it. However, something seemed to tell me that I should answer it. I'm so glad that I listened. My neighbour, whose husband is dying of cancer, had come over in tears, to ask me to pray with her.

How great is our God! Indeed, His ways are past finding out. What a blessing for both my neighbour and me came as result of my listening for His still, small voice and heeding His promptings.

As I was retiring this evening, I thought over my rather strange day, and I wondered if there were any way for us, as believers, to distinguish immediately the difference between mere distractions and specific situations that God has designed for His purposes. As we prepare to spend time with Him, we should always ask for His discernment on this, to avoid any possible annoyances or change of plans that might arise from various distractions, to keep us from hearing His voice.

As I put out the light, it seemed almost as if I heard the Lord saying, "A word to the wise is sufficient. Now go to sleep." — and I did, peacefully, with a smile on my lips.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your still small voice. May we never allow our human reactions and emotions to deafen it, and may we always obey its leading. Amen.

One morning in November, a lady brought me a lovely cyclamen plant, and it made my day. It was such an encouragement to see someone and have a chat, since I had been housebound for what seemed like forever. Days dragged by when I could not get out, and I waited and hoped that the phone would ring. Each day seemed to grow longer. So that morning, in addition to enjoying the beauty of the magenta-coloured blossoms, I was also left with a lift in my spirits.

Later that day, as I was having my coffee time with God, He put a challenging thought in my mind. While I might not be able to go out or visit, I could reach out to someone who, like me, might be waiting and hoping to hear a friendly voice, and perhaps in so doing, I could make that person's day.

It seemed in that moment of reflection that the Lord brought vividly to my mind a recent experience. I had been out walking when I noticed my neighbour sitting on her front deck, and I waved a casual greeting to her as I passed. When I was on my way back, she stood up and called out somewhat hesitantly, "Do you have time for a cup of tea?" This took me by surprise, since I didn't know her very well, but I knew by her trembling voice that she was very upset, so within a few short minutes, I found myself sitting beside her as she unloaded a heavy weight on her heart. When she asked me to pray with her, I realized that this amazing experience likely would not have happened if I had not taken the time to wave. It was a simple act on my part, but God used it to open a door to bless both of us.

As I thought further about this experience, I once again marvelled at how God will use us if we are prepared to listen and obey His voice. A smile or a simple hello to someone we meet along the way can be an encouragement to them, and I determined to put it into practice more often when I was able to get out and about again. From now on, during our early morning chats, I will be sure to ask Him if there is anyone that He wants me to call. In this way, I can make their day, and, in turn, it will also make my day.

We all want and need to be encouraged, and we have the ability to do that for others. God has given us the gift of speech, and we can use our words to bless and encourage others that He may put on our hearts.

Prayer: Teach us, heavenly Father, to turn to Your Word for encouragement in those times when we tend to forget that You have lovingly planned every experience in our lives. Then help us to commit each situation we encounter to You, and trust You for the necessary strength and guidance that we will need to deal with it. We ask this in Jesus' powerful name. Amen.