Unexpected Adventures.
This is from last October, by the little guy (6) that I got to hang out with this past summer.
He has a special place in my heart.
And, he still doesn't understand how I broke my leg bones & talus bone. : )
I have been thinking for weeks and weeks about how to say good-bye in this blog, but instead realized that I am not going to perpetuate the legacy of a Disney movie. There are never really endings, but rather new beginnings. I realized after a phone convo with the 'rents that today is the one year anniversary of my fall, and that goodbye would be lame. So instead it's the cheesy this-is-really-the-beginning line.
The best part of it is that somehow, God arranged it that my accidental discovery would be the same weekend I got to do everything I love - cook, sleeping in, going for a walk, eating with kids and friends, and leading worship. And, the girl who was with me when I fell is over for an impromptu sleepover. He knows what we need, I tell you.
I was reading through the back half of Romans tonight for the class I talked about in an earlier post, and I came to the end of Paul's letter. It was so humbling - he loves and shepherds the early church so well. Here's what his letter says, to the church in Rome, to you, and to me:
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Ahhhh! I just love it! This is exactly how I felt when I fell. I pray for you, that the "as" in this sentence would not be lost.
"I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me...the duty of proclaiming the gospel the of God..."
You are filled with goodness in Jesus. Hope truly is found in him. And for those of you who found offensive words in this blog, I pray that one day you might come to find their true meaning. May God redeem anything that I have misspoken or communicated in an incomplete way.
"Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus - I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the people to obey Him by what I have said and done - by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God."
I am alive, I tell you. This is a sign and wonder in and of itself. To Him be the glory.
"But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions....I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while..."
Hence, the ending of this blog. There really are no more words to be said. I've actually said that a lot in recent posts, but I think it's because, deep down, I am sad to say goodbye to this blog. It has been a refreshing, filling place for me, a place where I have found comfort, solitce, and...well...myself. Really. I am so thankful for this space. And I really do long to see each of you soon.
"I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be kept safe, and that my conributions may be favorably recieved, so that I may come to you with joy, by God's will, and in your company be refreshed."
It sounds selfish, but I would enjoy company for the rest of my life. I would also like for you to be mutually refreshed. : ) And, please let me know how I can pray for you as well.
"The God of peace be with you all. Amen."
And not just the peace that we talk about at rallies, or hippie gatherings. Shalom. Completeness. Wholeness. Health. Soundness. Prosperity. Fullness. Rest. The absence of agitation or discord. Hebrew words pack so much meaning. And I mean Shalom. (I think Paul does too... : )
Today's quote on my "friendship calendar" (that got from an elderly lady that I dearly love) says this: "I want to forge my strongest friendships with fellow "limpers" - ordinary people who, though a little bruised and battered, hobble forward on their spiritual journey. We can hold each other up along the way." - Janis Long Harris
Thank you for your encouragement in my life - even if I don't know your name, thank you for being here in this space right now. Thank you to the many who came to see me in all my puffy glory when I was at the hospital, who cried tears for me, and with me, and laughed at my colored tongue. Thank you to those of you who came to visit me when I was laying in bed for three months, excited about my new-found future. Thank you to those of you who were with me when I was learning how to walk again, and didn't laugh at me when I fell down walking out of church. Thank you to those of you who have posted encouraging blurbs along the way, small, but oh-so-big words of encouragement. Thank you to those of you who have offered prayers on my behalf, and listened to me when I needed an ear.
Thank you, mom, for wiping my butt when I couldn't, and for holding me when I just needed to cry. Thank you, dad, for putting holes in our wall so that I would have privacy when she was doing so, and for teaching me to appreciate her, long before I really did. Thank you, girls, for letting me crash your nest, stink up the house, and bring your level of coolness waaaaay down when we were in public places.
Thank you, Abba, for redeeming my life, for calling me yours. For your protection, and your plan. Thank you that we can trust you when things are confusing and when they make a lot of sense. Thank you for walking alongside of us on our journey, even when we aren't able to walk. Thank you most of all for your never-ending love.
Thank you that, in you, we find new beginnings.
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