West Michigan friends: Our Magnificent Monday Bible Study begins on September 27, 2010. We would love to have you join us! :)
Hey friends!
Happy Thursday to you!! I don't know about you....but I couldn't wait for today to get here!
A local, amazing church has offered a "writing room" for me this fall! I now have "office days" on Tuesday's & Thursday's where I go and spend hours & hours in this beautiful, window-filled, upper floor classroom and pray, study, write, and dig deep into God's Word. Woo Hoo!! It is a dream come true! :)
My time this past Tuesday studying was awesome!! I'm so fired up about the message God is "downloading" to me. I feel like I'm just going to "bust" with all the "redhot" insights I am learning. Oh how I love God's Word!!
I have been looking forward all week to another chance to sneak off to my "office" today! Plus, I scheduled a quick lunch break in with Julie, my ministry partner and bestest friend. I premade dinner last night, so I can just pop it in the oven after tea time this afternoon, and have a nice, relaxing night home with my gang. What a Thrilling Thursday it would be!
I went to bed last night almost giddy, so looking forward to a fantastic day filled with all of my favorite things!
Imagine my surprise when my daughter Amanda's little canker sore began to grow last night. And grow. And grow. And then we noticed the spots on her feet. NOOOOOO! It's hand, foot, and mouth disease. Highly contagious. And she's unable to go to school...for awhile.
AHHH!
I've been praying like crazy! Praying first, of course, that God would heal Amanda and take away her discomfort, but also begging God to heal her quickly so that she could go to school. Having a sick daughter doesn't really fit into "my" plan! "My" plans are getting tossed right out the window!
However, as I was holding Manda close, I was reflecting on the changes in my day. My hours of studying the Word were replaced with lots of disinfecting, watching an American Girl movie and lots of snuggling. It felt as if I was suddenly given a "detour" on my daily journey.
(I looked up the definition of detour: a deviation from a direct course. Yep, that about sums up my day!)
And then I realized I had a choice. Either I could go on the detour and find the joy in the ride, or be a grump about it all day long and ruin it for everyone! You know what I decided?! I would surrender my plan. And I was choosing joy!
And I did - I've enjoyed every minute of holding my Manda, resting with her, playing Trouble and watching movies. In the midst of this sickness, I am full of peace and patience and joy. (Thank You, Lord!)
I also thought of other "detours" that God has brought my way. Thinking my life would go one way, and then a phone call, and suddenly my life was on a drastically different path. Planning for a job opportunity to last forever, and then the sense that my call was at home. Watching friendships and relationships head in a different direction than the "direct course" we had wanted. Life is full of detours, isn't it??
My dad was given a pretty big detour last year. His company announced they were closing up shop and moving to Mexico. Now he's unemployed/early retired. Definitely a deviation from the direct course he had planned! My dad was thrown a detour.
What about for you?? Have you encountered a "detour" recently? Maybe it was an unexpected health concern or illness? Or relationship trouble? Maybe it was a job loss or job change or financial challenge? Or maybe in the midst of traveling down the path of life, you somehow turned the corner onto a detour filled with hurts and loss and unexplainable sadness.
My hope is that for each one of us we will look for and find the joy in the detour.
Even though we do not know what the future holds, thankfully, we know Who holds the future. And He is good and faithful and true! And He doesn't make mistakes ~ ever!
So let's fasten our seatbelts, take our hands off the steering wheel, and sit back and enjoy the ride ~ wherever He may take us!
Enjoy this Thrilling Thursday!! God's richest blessings to you!
8 comments:
Detour? Oh yes......the Lord called my Sweet Hubby home 22 months ago. We were empty nesters, looking forward to the time, energy and let's not forget to mention RESOURCES to enjoy our lives as a *twosome* again when my husband was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. One day shy of four months later, he was gone. And now - it's just me. This was SOOOOO NOT THE PLAN.
I am still figuring it all out, but yes - He is good and faithful and true!! And to Him be all the glory!
Hope your daughter is feeling better real soon.
Cindy, I just wanted to pop back over here and say *thank you* for the sweet comments you left on my blog and for praying for me today...Truly, thank you!
Also, I think I posted my comment here earlier without even leaving *get well wishes* for Amanda! I hope she's feeling better soon - although a cuddle day with Mom is sometimes just what the doctor ordered (for Mom too)!
Blessings,
Gigi
Detours-----more than I have time or space to recount.....as we probably all could say. But, yes, God is faithful and true!!
Gigi, my heart goes out to you, Dear One. I pray that you will know, in a special way, our Lord's sweet embrace during the time ahead as you travel through this detour.
Hope Amanda is feeling better, very soon!!
oh,wow, just read Gigi's comment and what a detour she has been sent on. Bless her heart! Always enjoy stopping by and enjoyed your entry today, very well said. Blessings to you!
I woke up yesterday morning and prayed joyfully with and for you over your day of study and writing ahead :) ... I had no idea it would be a detour day, but I know that the Holy Spirit heard my prayers for you. It sounds like it turned out to be a sweet day. Now I'll pray for the family to stay well and for healing.
Cindy,
This is my first time visiting your lovely blog. I am SO glad that I did! Thank you for stopping by my blog today!
I love this post! First of all, congratulations on your writing project! It sounds wonderful! Secondly, I understand about sick children throwing a detour in our days...our 7 yr old son ended up down with a fever and virus for 5 days starting w/last weekend. This caused a chain reaction in changes for our family's plans for last weekend...which had included a fireworks display. Instead I had lots of snuggle and reading and movie time with him. It turned out much nicer than I thought.
A nice detour in my life was a couple of years ago, when I met my husband in a Christian Single Parents On-line group...my life dramatically changed that day and has been an amazing ride that I never dreamed was in my path.
Gigi--I am so sorry about your detour w/losing your husband. I will be praying for you through these difficult days ahead. What a blessing that you know that the Lord is with you and he is with His Lord now.
Prayers for Amanda! I know that can be a tough sickness...hope she gets better soon! :-)
Loved your post! I too have been detouring lately. But, I loved how you said we have a choice when we are taken off course, because we do! We can enjoy the journey or grumble, and life is just so much more fun if we can just let go of our control and enjoy a little bit! Love and Blessings!
Stephanie
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