As we all deal with this challenging season, I’ve invited a guest blogger to share her source of encouragement with us. She’s fully recovered from Stage 4 cancer and serves as a bright spirit who keeps mine moving in positive directions. Enjoy her perspective…
What are the chances of finding a four-leaf clover? Then is there a lesser chance of finding a five-leaf clover?
I have always loved spending as much time outdoors as possible. In the summer months, barefoot, all the better!
Growing up, that meant meandering around the farm. Hanging out and helping my dad in the barn or riding alongside him in the cab of the big green John Deere tractor. I also enjoyed assisting my mom with the chickens, and any household chores that needed to be done that day. I have such fond memories of growing up on the farm. There were always momma cats and their baby kittens to cuddle or try to sneak into the house. Plus, Rex or Queenie, our farm friendly german shepherd dogs following me around to protect me.
When I was about ten years old, we moved off the farm. This new place was a couple of miles closer to town. Luckily, still in the country. What’s that saying, you can take the girl out of the country, but never take the country out of the girl? We went from raising milk cows, chickens, and pigs to lots of potatoes, sweet corn, carrots, watermelons, cantaloupes, and tomatoes. We had two large vegetable gardens that totaled more than an acre. My family raised and sold fresh vegetables during the summer months.
There was nothing like being up early on a bright and beautiful summer day. To be out weeding in the big gardens before the summer sun got too hot. That was if I woke up by myself. I disliked it when my mom or dad would wake me up “to have to go weed the gardens!”
On this particularly hot summer day, I was just so tired and frustrated with being the older child. I would normally do just about anything for my younger brother. However, this day he had a way of really getting on my nerves with weaseling his way out of weeding, again. Upon finishing my rows, I was exhausted and just wanted to take a nap. It had been a long hard week, so far. I was frustrated with all the weeds, my dad not cutting me any slack, and just wanting to be a kid, doing kid things, this fine summer day. Finally, we were calling it quits for the day.
I found a light blanket, my pillow, and headed to a nice shady spot under our big oak trees. Tossed down the blanket and pillow to take my much-needed nap. In hopes that my brother was going to leave me alone. I thanked God for such a fine summer day and mumbled something about how upset I was with my dad for always letting my brother off the hook. It was always me that had to go back and re-weed his rows from the previous days. I attempted to readjust my blanket as there was something that was poking me from underneath it. As I’m about to lay back down, my eyes are drawn into the corner of the blanket. There sticking up at me was a four-leaf clover. WOW! now, how lucky is that?
God heard my mumble and sent me a little sign that He was reminding me to count my blessings for the day. I was getting a nap in, and my brother was nowhere to be seen.
From that day forward, it always seemed like if I needed a little comforting from God, there would be a four-leaf clover waiting for me in my path. I began to take a lot of comfort in this sign of His. If something was bothering me, I would head outdoors, if I could, and go for a walk to talk with Him. These clovers were always such a treasure that let me know, He was holding me and listening to me. He is always there for us. Just waiting for that conversation, in thanking Him, and appreciating Him. He stands up to let us know just how close He is, at any given moment.
All those years of fond memories of being by my dad’s side, or maybe the times we didn’t see eye to eye. I always knew my dad loved me. I was just twenty-one years old when God called my dad home. It was probably the hardest thing I had ever had to go through by this age.
Two months earlier to the day, he had walked me, his only daughter down the aisle. I felt safe in my new husband’s arms, however, it has just never kept me from missing my dad every day.
In the years to follow, if I ever felt like the world was giving me more than I could handle or wanted to think about at that given moment. I would go for a long walk, sit by the water, or just lay on a blanket in the yard. Thinking about my sorrows or the troubling tomorrows, I didn’t want to face. It was my dad watching over me, through God’s grace- there would be a four-leaf clover grabbing my attention. Several times I had so much I needed to talk over with God, I’d maybe find two or three in one day. The comfort of God simply saying, it is all going to be okay as I’ve got total control of your days!
It wasn’t until the big move that I started attaching the date to my comforting clovers, that I finally realized just how big God’s love was guiding me along my way.
For the most clovers found in one day. I don’t think I hold any record, but I do have four Aunties who were a bit surprised that I had one for each of them. One day during my recent cancer journey, I was out on a walk trying to figure out what I could do to show the appreciation in my heart for them taking time out of their busy lives to visit and hang out with me. Chemo brain blank, I was not coming up with any ideas. Happen to glance down and there, right before my eyes were four four-leaf clovers. I’ve read the chances of finding a four-leaf clover are one in ten thousand.
It is the comfort in my FAITH, trusting the HOPE in all things He has planned, with gratitude for the trials and tribulations of life, and His LOVE that continues to guide me with HIS designed walk of LUCK for me.
Well, what about those five-leaf clovers that I have found? I would have to consider myself very lucky and simply blessed. It is His love for me that has never wavered. I am so honored to be a daughter of His and have Him as my only God, who has truly held me in the palm of His hand, with so many clovers for comfort, over all these years.
An original by Cyndi Koble
