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Encouragement, Comfort, trials, Weary, Spiritual Growth Dana Rongione Encouragement, Comfort, trials, Weary, Spiritual Growth Dana Rongione

When You’ve Prayed, Planted, and Still See No Fruit

I've become a bit of a field-watcher lately, and I promise it's not as strange as it sounds. As I've mentioned, there's a pasture directly behind our house here in Wales. Over the past several months, I've had a front-row seat to its entire transformation, and let me tell you, it's been quite the show.

It started out gorgeous. Tall grasses waved in the breeze like something out of a storybook, and I'd look out my window and think, Well, isn't that just lovely? It was rhythmic and calming, much like watching ocean waves. Honestly, I could have watched that field sway all day.

Then one morning, I looked out, and the grasses were gone, cut clean down. What had been lush and lovely was now dry, short, and a little sad-looking. I remember thinking, Well, that's depressing!

But the field wasn't finished with its dramatic arc. Next came the manure.

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prayer, waiting, comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione prayer, waiting, comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione

When God Feels Silent

Have you ever felt like you're praying into a void? You cry out to God, begging for wisdom, direction, comfort—for anything—and all you get in return is silence. The heavens feel like brass. Your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and fall flat at your feet. You wonder if God has forgotten you, if He's too busy dealing with someone else's crisis, or worse yet, if He simply doesn't care.

If you're nodding your head right now, friend, I understand. I've been there. In fact, I've been there more times than I'd like to admit. There are seasons when God's voice seems so clear that I can almost audibly hear Him speaking to my heart. And then there are those dry, difficult seasons when it feels like He's packed His bags and moved to another galaxy entirely.

But here's what I'm learning: God's silence doesn't equal God's absence.

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waiting, Dog Devotions, encouragement Dana Rongione waiting, Dog Devotions, encouragement Dana Rongione

Biting Off More Than We Can Chew

Our little terrier, Tess, has quite the peculiar eating habit that never fails to make me chuckle. Despite her boundless enthusiasm for food, she's incredibly particular about portion sizes. Give her a treat that's too large, and she transforms into a whimpering wanderer, carrying the morsel from room to room like it's some great burden.

Just yesterday, Jason gave her a piece of stale muffin, and the drama began. Round and round she went, from the kitchen to the living room, then upstairs and back down again, all while making the most pitiful sounds imaginable. Finally, I took pity on her (perhaps because I just wanted some peace and quiet) and broke the treat into smaller pieces. You'd think that would solve the problem, right? But no! Our clever girl promptly scooped up all the pieces at once and started her woeful procession all over again! Crazy mutt!!!

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Patience, waiting, God's goodness, Life's Journey Dana Rongione Patience, waiting, God's goodness, Life's Journey Dana Rongione

Finding Hope and Blessings in God’s Timing

Waiting can be a real test of patience, especially in our fast-paced world where everything seems to be just a click away. But you know what they say - good things come to those who wait. And trust me, God knows how to make us wait.

Think about it - we live in a culture of instant gratification. We want our fast food, our express checkout lanes, and our next-day Amazon deliveries. Waiting is not exactly our strong suit. Yet, time and again, the Lord puts us in the waiting room of life. It's like He's saying, "Hold up, my child. I've got something better for you, but you'll have to wait a bit."

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