One Year Ago - Feb 2nd

One year ago today...Feb 2, I woke up knowing I had a very big day ahead of me.  I started out with time with the Lord. Why, because I knew I would not be able to handle the day for one minute on my own.  I got ready headed out for a quick stop by our Women's Bible Study to update my friends on our plans.  I told them we were headed out that night for Africa.  I could only stop by because I had been asked by a precious lady if I would come at speak at her Wednesday Bible Study, which consists of some of the most dynamic senior citizens I have ever met.  I did not know them, I had never spoke to a group before, but I felt that the Lord was doing so much for us and with our lives that I had to "testify" and give testimony any time I had the opportunity.  

When I stopped by to update the ladies at our Bible study I could barely speak and I personally knew every single one of them.  I got a bubble in my throat the size of a bull frog and bawled like a baby.  They prayed for me to have strength and words as I went and spoke to the group I had been invited to.  As usual, God blessed my socks off!!!  I went to bless the people and "testify" of God's goodness, and He gave me the words and the strength, and He even got rid of the giant bull frog that I thought was lodged in my throat permanently.  They listened, and they loved on me with prayers, and encouragement, and financial support.  Oh I can't tell you how humbling and beautiful it was.  I went to be a blessing and as usual it turned on me and I WAS BLESSED.  I got in my car and called Charlie and bawled my eyes out.  It was a joyful, humbling, thankful bawling!! 

I came home and did some crucial paperwork for the adoption, our trailer raffle, and our business.  I gave Lashae orders that went something like this;  "Honey, you are in charge of EVERYTHING...the kids, the animals, the raffle, the house, and I have not one second to show you a thing or help you get ready, you are up, it is up to you."  As usual the Lord just took over and gave her everything she needed, the patience, the understanding, the knowledge, the energy, the desire.  She took it all on with such a beautiful attitude.  They were blessed while we were gone with so much food and help from friends they were wishing I would be gone longer.  :)

The Lord also provided the perfect job for Charlie. We are self employed and you can't just leave the job you are hired to do, if you aren't there, you aren't paid and the job is not getting done.  There is no sick time, no vacation, no benefits like that.  But, he was working for a neighbor that was so supportive of our adoption, and he said no problem, he would just see Charlie when we got back.  What a blessing!!!

That night we went to prayer meeting for just a few minutes and they prayed for us, for everything we needed would be supplied at home and in Africa while we were gone.  We came home at about 8pm, we packed and headed to the airport.  I'm telling you without all that prayer I could not have done any of that, but the Lord went before us every second of every minute of the day and provided what we needed to get out of town.  The finances, the time, the energy, the peace we needed to keep moving forward.  We got to the cargo department and picked up the bags that didn't make it from my sister's trip (and there is a long story to go with this, but I will leave it out for now), and headed to bed for about a 4 hr. sleep.

As I'm reflecting on all that the Lord has done day by day right now, I began thinking of the story of the 10 lepers.  The thing that strikes me about this is that they were willing to do anything to be healed and have a touch from the Lord.  They were crying out to Him, and he told them to "go" and show themselves to the priest.  They were totally and quickly obedient because they wanted something from Jesus.  They were healed on the way, and only ONE came back to give Him praise and thank Him.  I could not take a step without talking to the Lord last year at this time, I needed Him to do SO much for me, that I walked closely to Him, asking Him for help constantly.  I want to be the leper that comes back and gives Him praise and is thankful.  I want to be like the one that did not forget who healed him. 

 It makes me wonder...we always ask the question as to why God allows hard times, or waiting,... could it be, that during those times we are desperate for His touch, His provision, and healing, and we are close to Him and seeking Him, and then He does what we ask and we don't return.  We may say thank you as we are running off, but do we come back and fall at His feet and give Him praise.  Only 1 in 10 in the leper story did.  Ouch.  I want to remember that closeness with God that I had when I could not move one step without Him!  I want to fall at His feet and thank Him every day.

Luke 17:11-19

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

 ¹¹ On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,^[a] who stood at a distance ¹³ and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. ¹⁵ Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back,praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶ and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”^[b]