- Speaker #0
Welcome back to Promise Hill. Today we're doing something a little different. Every few episodes we'll take a breath, a sacred pause, to reflect, gather what we've learned, and learn more tools to take care of our hearts. And I couldn't think of anyone better to join Kimberly for this first fireside reflection than someone who carries so much quiet wisdom, Grandma Eden. Welcome to the fireside. Take it away, Kimberlee.
- Speaker #1
Your backyard, Eden. It really does feel so charming.
- Speaker #2
That's just the firelight and the smell of cinnamon in the air. I may or may not have baked a little something earlier. It's entirely possible there's a pecan pie cooling on the kitchen windowsill.
- Speaker #1
You're amazing. No wonder people open up around here.
- Speaker #2
Food and fire, my secret ingredients for truth-telling. Now, what's stirring in that head of yours today?
- Speaker #3
I've been thinking about Mira and everything she's going through.
- Speaker #2
Yes, and you know who saw it first? Hope Meadowlark.
- Speaker #3
Yes, little Hope. She's a little lighthouse. That girl sees right through people in the best sort of way.
- Speaker #2
She came up to me after I met with Mira and said, Miss Mira's sad. Even though you helped her, I can see it behind her eyes and around her shoulders. I can't help her, but you can help her again since you are a grown-up. She may be a young prophet, that one, since she can see things others can't. What a gift! that girl is. It reminded me that sometimes it's the little ones who notice the most.
- Speaker #3
They don't try to fix things. They just bring them to the light.
- Speaker #2
That's what Hope did. And I knew in that moment I needed to follow up with Mira. Not push. Just be there. and I brought her here.
- Speaker #3
But Eden, do you ever wonder what Mira is carrying that she hasn't said yet?
- Speaker #2
Oh yes, but she will get there in time. There's a quiet in her that isn't just about this season, it feels older. Like she's learned not to speak everything she's felt. And sometimes when she thinks no one's looking, she stares at the hills like she's listening for someone who never answered. Most of us with difficult pasts do that, don't we? But the soil remembers, Kimberly. Even things we forget are still planted. And sometimes all it takes is the right kind of rain to make them bloom again.
- Speaker #3
That's beautiful.
- Speaker #2
She reminds me of someone I used to be.
- Speaker #3
You, Eden?
- Speaker #2
Before I had silver hair and a crockpot of wisdom. I was just a girl with too many secrets and not enough peace. I carried a grief I didn't name for years. People thought I was strong because I smiled, I was tangled up. And Mira, she's strong like that.
- Speaker #3
And what entangled you?
- Speaker #2
Someone who didn't ask me to explain everything before loving me. They invested in me, and then God met me where I was. I took long nature walks with quiet prayers. Sometimes that's all it takes.
- Speaker #3
Sounds like what Mira needs as well.
- Speaker #2
But she'll get there. You know what I think?
- Speaker #3
What's that?
- Speaker #2
I think she didn't stumble into Promise Hill. She was sent. People show up here when their souls are whispering for rest and breakthrough, even if they do not know it.
- Speaker #3
I believe that, too. And her journey is a big one, just like the rest of us.
- Speaker #2
Um, Kimberlee, I am curious about you. Have you ever had hard times? Or has it been lollipops and roses for you? Ha!
- Speaker #1
Broken could have been my middle name for many seasons in my life. Heartache and grief are close friends, unfortunately. My experiences coupled with God healing my heart and helpers helping me along the way. have brought me to a place of growth and transformation. All of us experience heartache and difficult times in our lives. Mira's story reminds us when life gets loud, we have to slow down and listen a little closer.
- Speaker #2
Oh, yes. I am sure you are going to be teaching all of us how to do that, right?
- Speaker #1
Of course. You, me, Charity, and others will be. That is what this podcast is about, sharing counseling and faith-based tools to help anyone that needs them.
- Speaker #2
I have a tool I would like to share with our listeners, if that's okay, Kimberlee?
- Speaker #1
Of course, Eden.
- Speaker #2
Friends, back when I was younger and just beginning my relationship with God, I met a quiet soul who taught me something I never forgot. She called it the Sacred Three. Just three little questions to end the day with God. Not a big ritual, just a quiet moment. First, I ask myself, where did I see God today? Maybe in a smile from a stranger, a bird tapping on the window like it had something to say, or maybe in a pie.
- Speaker #1
Especially in a pie.
- Speaker #2
Then I ask myself, where did I resist Him. Sometimes I get a little too proud. Did I just say that out loud? Well, good. It's all right to say these things. None of us are polished statues. We're more like wobbly clay mugs still on the wheel. It's okay to notice when we resist. That's how we grow. You can't change what you don't see as a problem. We're not finished yet. Just little works in progress with smudges and stories. And lastly, where do I need his help? Easier question might be, where don't I? There's always something to hand over. A worry, a wait, a to-do list that feels like it grew teeth. Whatever it is, he's got bigger hands.
- Speaker #3
Oh, I've got a whole HOA of worries living up there, rent free. Time for an eviction notice.
- Speaker #2
Yes, you are the owner of that real estate in your head. Evict away. The sacred three aren't chores. They're a cozy check-in. They're like holding God's hand at the end of the day and saying, whew, that was a lot, but I'm here and you're here. Let's rest now. So tonight, before you lay that lovely head down, try the sacred three. You might just feel his breath in your hair and his smile on your heart.
- Speaker #3
Oh, that is wonderful. So to recap, ask the three questions. Number one, where did I see God today? Number two, where did I resist him? And three, where do I need his help? Thank you so much, Eden.
- Speaker #1
you are welcome dear friends god is with us all the time we just need to pay attention to the clues all around us so if you're listening right now and feeling a bit like mira like life's done a cartwheel and forgot to stick the landing i want you to hear this i know it feels like you're broken but you're not mending is coming you're not buried you're planted and you're becoming Now, I know some of you might be thinking, Oh, Kimberlee, you have no idea how bad my situation is. And you're absolutely right. I don't. But God does. He sees you even in the messiest moments. And he doesn't flinch. His promise, he's with you. Not just when things are tidy and trimmed, but in the wilderness too. And I believe with all my heart, he's not done with you. There's still a plan. still a purpose, still good things growing beneath the surface. So if you need help, ask. Ask God for guidance. Ask him to send the right people, the helpers and the hand holders. But also, don't just wait. Walk with him. Even if it's a slow shuffle some days, it still counts.
- Speaker #2
That's the truth, little pilgrims. You're not in this alone. Whatever season you're in, even if it feels like winter with no signs of spring. spring, he's working. And here's a gentle reminder. You're doing better than you think. So we'll see you next time by the fire. Until then, you're seen, you're loved, and yes, you're still growing, even when it's dark.
- Speaker #3
Grandma Eden, will you pray over us today?
- Speaker #2
Of course. Lord, tonight we sit under stars you... spoke into being by a fire you knew would gather hearts like this one. For the listener who's holding something unspoken, give them courage. For the one who feels like their story's too tangled, Show them you're already holding the thread. Let laughter return. Let peace settle in. And let hope whisper again. In Jesus' name, amen.
- Speaker #3
Thank you, Grandma Eden, for praying for us. Remember, friends, God is always with you and working in you. Take moments this week to notice him, learn about him, and invite him into your hearts and circumstances. Until next time. May you find peace in the presence and hope on the hilltop. This is Kimberlee Herman and Grandma Eden cheering you on from Promise Hill. Can I get some of that pecan pie now, Eden?
- Speaker #2
Oh, yes, darling. Follow me like I am the Pied Piper.
