Sunshine Dreams to You: The Foot of The Cross

He sent them JUST when I needed them.

These are hard days for my heart.

No. Excuses.

I headed up to the mountain after work Thursday with a packed car (mostly dirty clothes...read my last post), a heart full of words, and a lot of peace. This was my friend's show. I was a small bit player in a sea of talent for Jesus. No pressure. I was going to be an encourager and wallflower.

What. A. Douche. I. Am.

I was taken aback by how easily I cruised into the camp. Caterers were late so I was on time. My friend blew it out of the water the first night. My teaching lesson came to me on the drive up (I am thanking God for not waiting until the last minute to give it to me), and I am organizing it in under an hour after the Thursday night session ended. I go to bed (early considering I expected an all-nighter), and I am sleeping like a log. I wake up early...before the sunrise...make coffee, snuggle up on the back porch in my quilt, and feel utterly peaceful considering I teach at 9 a.m. An hour or so later, I take a shower, more coffee, a bit of fruit, get dressed, have my favorite outfit and jewelry on (think cargos, t-shirt, sweater, and Haiti jewelry), and I am relaxed and at ease back on the back porch rocking in a rocking chair at 20 till 9. Then 7 mins till 9 happens. My business partner calls my cell (I am thinking he has called to pray over me as I reminded as I leaved the day before...speaking at 9 a.m....say a prayer), and I am thinking he remembered and is being extra sweet. Nope. Long story short. Very bad news at the office. He is losing his noodle. Everyone is losing their noodle and after 2 mins of listening to the noodle-losing, I lose my own. The enemy pulled the trigger and the bullet hit its target. Damn.

The story doesn't end there though because quickly I regained my noodle reminding him where I was and what I was about to do...my other partner, sensing the moment, prayed for me. Simultaneously one of the men who was with us had seen/heard through the wall...and was headed for me to do the same.

I don't know how, other than God, that I pulled my head out and taught that session, but I did...solely because of God. It was such a stark reminder of the battle I am in...Every. Day. for my very heart. It is SO very easy for me to be pulled in....scratch that...SUCKED IN to the cray-cray (Sorry Sydney) of the day...heck of the moment. I can go from perfect calm and peace of Mother Teresa to Jesus throwing a fit in the temple so fast that it even scares me. Where. Does. That. Come. From.???

The enemy.

Fast forward...still reeling from Friday morning (and multiple calls with the office Friday afternoon did not help, but before you judge, I am an owner in the firm, and it isn't just saying no), I cruise into Saturday morning in a daze. I have nothing to teach Saturday, so it feels like a day to just be in the moment. There are breaks (3 hours) in between lunch and the first early evening session. I felt compelled to head out to the edge of the mountain where there are three crosses, some wooden pews, some rocks, and a view that takes your breath. I laid out a blanket, my Bible, books, notebooks, pens, and my cell phone planning to take some time...my cell phone was dead...God said, "You can't hear me with that music playing."

*Crap*

My spot for three hours Saturday

For the next three hours, I laid there and prayed, slept, prayed, listened, listened some more, read my Bible, took notes, and BREATHED. Somewhere in the middle of it, I knew it was one of those "special days" and I tried to make it last....but eventually I had to pack up for the next session.

Standing on a rock, on a mountain, wondering where he is going to take these feet of mine next.

I don't spend enough time LISTENING to God. I spend too much time reading about him, talking to him, running (I do a lot of running), and zoning out (whenever I can find some free moments). He and I need more time together, and I can't go where he is calling me unless we do. I think I have been avoiding the quiet with him because I am scared of what he is going to tell me. I didn't feel ready. He reminded me that he was already taking me there, ready or not, and I was so busy being afraid of it...I hadn't realized I was already DOING it.

*Sigh*

A lot of people let my heart down on Friday. That day was BRUTAL to my heart.

*Sigh*

In the end, it was just me and God.

Peggy took this photo of me praying Saturday; I will treasure it always.

The clock struck 9 a.m., and I walked into a room of women and opened my mouth...and God came out. Truly God. It was beautiful. I have spoken a lot but not like that...it was different...peaceful...full of community (if that makes any sense)...I am crying just remembering and typing this out. I. Was. In. Love. With God, with those women, and with the story God was weaving in my words. I didn't want it to end.

...and the HUGS. These women HUGGED me like I was a life raft. I felt more loved and needed by those women. If only they had known how they were healing me, restoring me, and reminding me...of who I am.

Life is surprising.

I don't know where I go from here.

What I do know is that I more excited than ever for the Girls Weekend I am doing in a few weeks. A whole bunch of 13-20 year olds who want to spend a weekend with me so we can all discuss Jesus and the hard stuff. God that is so good. Because Jesus is easy, but the rest of it...the rest of this life, in this world...is HARD.

I told those women this weekend that I wouldn't lie to them about how radically obeying God was easy and awesome. How once you make that decision, everything falls into place. How the questions are suddenly all answered. I told them of all of my sins, lying wasn't one of them, and that I would be the one (maybe the only one) to tell them straight up ~ #growthsucks ~ because it does, but...BUT it is worth it.