surprise...

surprise is a word that we have come to expect and respect in our home!

every morning when i roll over i ask the Lord to give me the courage to face the day HIS WAY... with His attitude, His compassion, His grace and His love... i always ask for Him to break my heart over what breaks His... with expectation that He will do all the above... however, i have become sadly aware that in my heart i also put parameters around the expectation limits...  you know... kinda like... well ok Lord do it to this point, or to this far, or in this kind of circumstance, or as long as it looks like this :) 



listening to and obeying the Lord immediately when my plate is overflowing has been a weak spot for me on many occasion... so i have desperately been working to SIMPLIFY my life to just what He would have me to do...  to truly take away complications so i can immediately respond when He speaks... and to learn to do it without excuse or debate (that can be hard for a stubborn country girl like me:)

i am truly GRATEFUL He doesn't take direction from me!!! because left to my own selfish reasoning i would have passed up one of the most amazing surprises He had in store for our family right now... because i was too busy looking to the future!!

understand... i miss it so often!!!  but this week i was keenly sensitive to His voice spoken through many venues about a situation... and we as a family made the choice to respond... in truth i admit... its been scary, exhilarating, tear jerking and life changing all at the same time...

we have had the joy of having a sweet youngster stay with our family over the weekend that has opened our eyes in so many ways at a deeper level to the hardships and great needs around us... we have been changed FOREVER! 

my heart has ached, broke, bent and shattered... again and again!  but i have clung to these truths...  

        NOTHING IS TOO BIG FOR GOD!

IN HIM ALL THINGS CAN BE MADE NEW!

AND...

GOD IS THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE HEALER; WE ARE JUST THE BROKEN JARS HE OFTEN CHOOSES TO WORK THROUGH!!

this moment yesterday is what God used to change my head knowledge of what breaks His heart into complete heart knowledge of the truth...

hurting people!!!! have you ever seen a kid with their OWN first new pair of shoes... when everyone else has been getting them for years... something magical happens!  have you ever heard the HEARTFELT laughter of one who hadn't felt like really laughing in a long time...  have you ever heard the deep gut CRIES of a young one who has way to much fear in their soul... it will change you!

God has proven again and again that He does a mighty work in the unexpected if i will jump on board and allow Him to steer... what i thought we could do to bless another has WAY MORE blessed us! 

i've learned to love God surprises... regardless of their inconvenience or pain attached... they are worth it!!

the day we sent our paperwork to immigration... God had more than one BIG surprise in store for us... i am sure glad we didn't miss it!!