let's just get real: it's been an "interesting" few weeks.
BUT, the Lord has been faithful to remind & encourage with Truth along the way - in the form of...
sweet times w/ heart friends,
divinely-appointed times in His Word,
unexpected encouraging emails from strangers/new friends,
perfectly-timed songs
& God-moments w/ students...
among many, many other things!
so far THIS week, it's seemed as though one thing after another has "gone wrong" for the team (i.e., OUR plans failing). i could make a list here that would seem neverending, but the focus so should not be there. the simple Truth is this:
our plans fail - His never do.
rom. 8:28
not a single part of this week has been a surprise to Him. we are not responsible for holding plans together...we are responsible for our responses when they crumble. we are responsible for staying by His side.all that being said, i have to share some of these oh-so-apparent Daddy moments - moments so obviously & intentionally of & from my Father that i just have to smile & whisper, "thank You!"
monday as we pulled into the school a teacher greeted us before we even got out of the car. there we sat, while he stood at the door chatting. he was asking about a training coming up...& the moment he asked was the moment i realized i'd forgotten to bring the registration forms that HAD to be filled out & returned THAT DAY. immediately my mind began to spin (much like i feel it's been doing for weeks):
- have to drive back to the house 20 mins away!
- have to teach 2 classes...that start in 5 mins!
- have to meet with 3 different teachers!
- school ends in a few hours!
- can i get all this done in such a small amount of time??
- it's raining...great, we need a rainy day plan for after-school...
- what time is it??
- wait, what's this teacher been saying? oh no...i haven't really been listening...
at the same time all this is going on, the younger kids were being released from school. a large group of them ran towards the car, yelling with thumbs up, "mlungu" (white person)! the teacher laughed & began to corral them back after we said hi. & as he continued talking & my mind kept spinning suddenly i looked down & a little girl - tiny as could be - had pushed thru the crowd, up & in between the teacher and the car door.
i've never seen her before.
i'm not sure i've ever seen someone so small.
i don't know her name.
BUT the Lord spoke loudly to me thru this little one.
before i knew it, she'd grabbed my hand and laid her tiny head on my shoulder as i continued to sit in the front seat of the car. there, she just rested for a moment. and then, she looked up at me & smiled - a short moment of peace in the middle of absolute chaos. she took my left hand in both of her tiny ones, leaned over & kissed it.
& she walked away.
& it was in that moment Daddy just whispered, "that's all i really want from you."
& it was in that moment, i was incredibly humbled & my mind stopped spinning.
with a stunned smile on my face & a tear in my eye, i finally just took a breath.
like Jairus - the man who was pleading for the life of his dying daughter (mark 5)
like the woman who was plagued with bleeding for 12 years (luke 8),
i think He sometimes just so desires that we would push through the crowds of chaos to simply be face-to-face with Him & express our adoration of & faith in Him to do that which seems impossible...He so wants to hear our expressions of trust in His power over death, life, illness and the like. and if He has this kind of power...surely, He's power enough to sovereignly...to lovingly be in absolute control of every detail of our days.
so, i share this challenge with anyone who's made it this far..just push thru the crowd of chaos today & spend some time in adoration of our Lord.
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, & the majesty.
Everything in the heavens & on earth is yours, O Lord, & this is Your kingdom.
We adore You as the One who is over all things...
Give praise to the Lord your God...
& they bowed low & knelt before the Lord & the King."
-I Chronicles 29:11, 20
No comments:
Post a Comment