Two
I woke up at 5am and realized what had happened.
Every day I pray on my way to work. 40 minutes of conversation with God more to remind myself that He is in control than to ask for anything on my behalf. I pray that he keeps my heart calm. I pray that he keeps me from being anxious. I pray for peace of mind, for confidence, for security. I want to pray for a job the week I move. I want to ask that He makes the sale of the house go well. But I know that He knows what's best for me. The things I ask for might be all the wrong things (a lesson I've learned well in my life). But I pray.
And I wonder, most days, how do I know that I'm doing what He would want? My pastor recently put it into a concept I could get my mind around. "If it draws you closer to God, it's God's plan." So simple, but it made my choices seem so much easier to evaluate with that in mind. But still, somedays, I wish God had Verizon wireless.
But what woke me at 5am was remembering the day before. Remembering the boy and his mom who came to sign up for swim team. I remember how much I had wished I wasn't sitting at the service rep desk because I didn't want to do another registration, but that I happily took their request and registered them. They were really sweet people, an adorable mom and son tandem. They reminded me of LM and myself.
At one point, while the mom was writing out her check, I made conversation with the boy. He delighted me so. He wasn't perfectly behaved, wasn't strictly manicured, he was real. and fun and lively and articulate. Like LM. And so I commented on his necklace, a long silver chain with some sort of shield. He immediately took it off and handed it to me so I could look at it more closely. I studied it in my hand, but the design was simple and I wasn't sure what warranted the closer inspection. I said, "It's cool." He said, "Turn it over."
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
How it took me until 5am to realize God spoke directly to me through that delightful child I will never know. But words couldn't have been more hand picked for me than those.
- The story doesn't need anything more to it to make it remarkable in my opinion, but in conversation with the mother I learned that this boy attends one of the Christian schools in town. I mentioned that LM went to that school but just for one year for preschool. I laughed, remembering that year and said, "That was the first time LM had been in school and he got in trouble because he was hugging all the kids. I never got over the teacher pulling me aside and telling me - in a Christian school no less - that I needed to speak with my son and get him to stop hugging everyone!" I no sooner had the words out of my mouth than this boy says, "I remember that kid! He had blonde curly hair!" Yep, that's my LM. God made such a small, small world, didn't He?
Every day I pray on my way to work. 40 minutes of conversation with God more to remind myself that He is in control than to ask for anything on my behalf. I pray that he keeps my heart calm. I pray that he keeps me from being anxious. I pray for peace of mind, for confidence, for security. I want to pray for a job the week I move. I want to ask that He makes the sale of the house go well. But I know that He knows what's best for me. The things I ask for might be all the wrong things (a lesson I've learned well in my life). But I pray.
And I wonder, most days, how do I know that I'm doing what He would want? My pastor recently put it into a concept I could get my mind around. "If it draws you closer to God, it's God's plan." So simple, but it made my choices seem so much easier to evaluate with that in mind. But still, somedays, I wish God had Verizon wireless.
But what woke me at 5am was remembering the day before. Remembering the boy and his mom who came to sign up for swim team. I remember how much I had wished I wasn't sitting at the service rep desk because I didn't want to do another registration, but that I happily took their request and registered them. They were really sweet people, an adorable mom and son tandem. They reminded me of LM and myself.
At one point, while the mom was writing out her check, I made conversation with the boy. He delighted me so. He wasn't perfectly behaved, wasn't strictly manicured, he was real. and fun and lively and articulate. Like LM. And so I commented on his necklace, a long silver chain with some sort of shield. He immediately took it off and handed it to me so I could look at it more closely. I studied it in my hand, but the design was simple and I wasn't sure what warranted the closer inspection. I said, "It's cool." He said, "Turn it over."
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
How it took me until 5am to realize God spoke directly to me through that delightful child I will never know. But words couldn't have been more hand picked for me than those.
- The story doesn't need anything more to it to make it remarkable in my opinion, but in conversation with the mother I learned that this boy attends one of the Christian schools in town. I mentioned that LM went to that school but just for one year for preschool. I laughed, remembering that year and said, "That was the first time LM had been in school and he got in trouble because he was hugging all the kids. I never got over the teacher pulling me aside and telling me - in a Christian school no less - that I needed to speak with my son and get him to stop hugging everyone!" I no sooner had the words out of my mouth than this boy says, "I remember that kid! He had blonde curly hair!" Yep, that's my LM. God made such a small, small world, didn't He?
Comments
Plus, I go away for a few weeks and you now live in another state!!