The past 8 days have been extraordinary. Which is saying A LOT. Honestly, my 'regular' 'ordinary' 'average' life is pretty extraordinary....I am really blessed beyond measure. But these past 7-8 days have been exceptional, even in my already incredibly awesome life.
And even though I hesitate to share and talk about this awesomeness....for fear of judgment, of sounding like I'm boasting or bragging...I've decided I still want to write the story of this week. One- because I want to give God the Glory, for the beauty and extravagance of His Grace. And two- because I want to remember this week for a long time, and be reminded in those 'less than extraordinary' days, how blessed I truly am.
It started with our Connections Women's retreat last weekend, April 13-14th. We had planned and worked to prepare for this women's retreat. We expected it to be great. But it was far beyond 'great.' God was God. And He showed up in a major way at our little minor retreat. He changed hearts, renewed spirits, and connected souls. Although there were many powerful testimonies shared at the end of the weekend, I can not put into words how IN AWE I was at God's handiwork. Wow.
Then, I came home to my incredible, gracious husband and adorable, sweet kids to finish out the weekend.
Monday came. The week promised to be a busy one, and the stress of finances and schedule seemed to be mounting pretty quickly. But then a miracle happened.
I was at home that evening, trying to get the kids bathed and ready for bed. My phone rang and it was a familiar friend on the other end. The friend asked me come outside. I thought this was an odd request. When I came outside, I found my friends waiting. They tried to make casual conversation, but then handed me a CHECK....a check for a significant amount of money!! I was shocked!! I tried to return it...but they insisted...saying God had prompted them to share their blessings with us. YES...that's right. They just gave us some of their hard earned money...for no other reason than the fact that GOD told them to!?!? AMAZING!!! Who does that?? And why us? We are so undeserving of such a gift. It was hard to swallow. But it was also a direct answer to prayer. Extraordinary.
Then, Tuesday, I was blessed with an exceptionally enjoyable time at my women's small group. We sat outside in the perfect weather, talking, sharing and crafting. That night, we had a fun baseball game with Caleb, and then I had the opportunity to pour into a sweet, younger friend who God has placed in my life. Really good day.
Wednesday, God blessed Dawson & I with a VERY UNIQUE opportunity to go out on a date! Dates rarely happen around here...and when they do, they are almost more trouble than they are worth. To clean the house for the babysitter, feed the kids, somehow transform from mommy mode to date mode, worry about the money spent, then pay the babysitter.....you know what I mean. But this date was different!! It was easy. Enjoyable, relaxing...stress free!! Dawson and I both kept remarking on how FUN the date was and how HAPPY we felt. It was awesome!
Thursday was filled with many good things: MOPS meeting with friends that morning, lunch with Daddy, easier time than normal at dance & soccer, then a pleasant evening at home with kids.
Unbelievably, I had another amazing 'girl weekend' planned for Friday and Saturday. I definitely struggled with doubt and guilt about going on a Girls' Weekend, right after I had participated in a women's retreat, but my gracious, selfless husband reassured me that he and the kids would survive. And the plans had been made months ago.....so I went!! :) I got to drive to Salado with my BFF and meet up with my BSILF (best sister-in-law forever :) and her BFF, one of my FFs, for an overnight getaway. (I know...so stupid...but I don't care!) Again, I expected the weekend to be fun, silly and relaxing. But I would've never expected it to be SO amazing!! The four of us continuously talked about God, His Word, His plans for us as wives & moms, and our many blessings.... like Courtney said, "It fed our souls."
And when it couldn't get any better, in the middle of our perfect Saturday....of gorgeous weather, delicious food, cute shop after cute shop, God surprised me again. We were walking through an awesome boutique, and I spotted a fun, colorful necklace that I instantly loved. Even the other girls said that the necklace "looked just like me." After admiring it and wishing out loud that I could afford it, I kept on walking. The four of us continued to wander through the store for awhile. Then, an older woman walked up to me and said, "Aren't you the one that was admiring the colorful necklace?" And I said yes. She then handed me a gift bag, with the necklace inside and said, "Here you go," and quickly walked away. I was shocked! I didn't know what to say or do...and the woman was already gone. All four of us instantly started crying, in response to the beautiful generosity that was just shown to me. I went and found the woman, hugged her and tried my best to thank her, as I cried the 'ugly cry.' This beautiful, sweet woman--who had to be 70+ years old-- squeezed me hard, kissed my check and said, "God wants us to pay things forward." I was SO TOUCHED by her extraordinary kindness.... I still can't express it in words.
Wow. I feel like I am just basking in the glow of the past week. So grateful. So humbled. Excited to see what next holds.... And whether this grace upon grace continues, or my life returns to 'ordinary'..... Our God is so, so very good!! All GLORY to HIM for these and all my blessings!
