But, the most memorable times of this trip are not what I saw, as much as who I saw it with and the things we shared together. Sometimes I think God just oozes his goodness over us because He loves us that deeply! He doesn't have to give us extras, He is enough! But He does...and I have been on the receiving end of a tidal wave of His love and goodness! (Beauty in the ashes, mourning into joy, praise instead of despair! Is 61:3)
I got off the plan in DC and hugged a "stranger", well to a degree. We had never spoken on the phone, we had only messaged through facebook and a few texts on our phone. But our bond was strong. We have the bond of understanding the pain we each have experienced. We have the bond of a passion for our loving Father. We have the bond of Jesus! And the first night, we stayed up and shared our hearts for our God late into the night (or maybe it was early in the morning!)
We have walked slowly through the streets together. We have laughed and cried together. We have sat and listened to worship and sang together in our room. We have shared our hearts together and we are sisters through eternity! All because of Jesus.
Yesterday, I had the added bonus of meeting one of my friends from college. We have not seen each other in about 15 years. She and I went to lunch and did a little sight-seeing then on the way to the hotel she said she wanted to treat us to dinner and anything else we wanted to see! Such a bonus on a trip that I have been lavished over!
So the three of us went to see a few of the things we had not seen yet. She took us to Georgetown to an INCREDIBLE restaurant! We sat out on the patio overlooking the Potomac River and the Kennedy Center! AMAZING view!!! Delicious food! Sweet company! And our talk almost the whole night was on our Jesus! I love the way God orchestrates our lives and I KNOW Sonia was blessed as much as I was by Cynthia's company! I love when God blesses us with people who relate and can truly bear each other's burdens because they have walked that path! Cynthia was that for Sonia! SUCH a gift! Both Sonia and I said our trip could not have had a better last night!
As we went to bed last night and I looked through the photos we took, one struck me. I FEEL like it has been forever since I last saw Dave's face and held his hand. But I saw my face in a way I have not seen it in a while...or maybe it just truly struck me differently...
I was smiling...
Not that I haven't smiled or laughed up until now. I was even smiling and laughing with sweet friends the night he died! But seeing that picture and knowing the love of Jesus that has been poured over me. The sweet fellowship with dear sisters in Christ. Knowing that God has a plan for me and it is good and FULL of His hope, (and I am walking daily in that hope) I was able to say...
"Life goes on!"
I think every time I see that picture of me and my dear sisters, sitting on that wall, experiencing all that God has poured over me in the recent days and weeks, I will be drawn right back into that hope and thought...
"When life seems to stop,
When the rug of hope is pulled out from under you,
With Jesus,
Through the hope of God,
With the arms of his family and the Lord himself wrapped around you..
We can live an abundant life!
It does go on!
His plans are good!
Our future is FULL of HIS HOPE!
And I can smile and laugh and LIVE full of His love for me!"
So, to end this trip and to end this blog today, a note to my dear friend!
Sonia~
You have lavished me with the love of Jesus! You are a gift straight from His heart to mine through the toughest days of my life. And you have given me a sweet time of fun, fellowship, and much needed refreshment after those hard, hard days! You are an incredible, Godly woman and He IS using you in ways that I truly can not pen. His circle of goodness in my life includes you! My heart is forever knit with yours and I am so blessed to call you my sister! You are loved, not just by the perfect love of our Father, but by me and many others that truly know you and see you! Sister, God has such amazing plans for you! Your passion and zeal for Jesus is truly contagious and has been a joy and treasure in my life! I love you dearly!
God is SO, SO, SO, SO good! I am truly blessed! Jer 29:11
No comments:
Post a Comment