Corrections, Reality Check & God's Continued Faithfulness

Today is Wednesday. This morning I awoke to an aqua-purple and orange sunrise reflecting off blue-gray clouds. I looked out my bedroom window over the tops of the houses in our village and watched smoke swirl from a chimney. Dreamy. Perfectly dreamy.



In my over-zealous excitement about moving to Germany, I made some mistakes about certain places and monuments and I wish to take this opportunity to correct them. For starters, Paris is 4 hours from our house -- not 1, like I told everyone! And then someone whose name I don't recognize posted a comment on this blog letting me know that the picture of the statue of the Madonna with a child that we took in the Village Square in Brugge is not the one that Michael Angelo made. (Blush...) I have a feeling that I will make many more such mistakes while I'm here and so if you recognize one of my blunders, please, please correct me! Although I always loved history and have a passion for the story of everything and everyone, I usually got C's and D's on my history tests. (All those dates, names, places, and events!) So, it wouldn't surprise me if I told you that Leonardo Da Vinci designed and built the Eiffel Tower in Paris -- in the year 4,000 B.C., no less! -- and that the Sound of Music was filmed in Greece... (no, hopefully, I won't give you information that far off...) My friend, Amy, in Utah, is not only an extremely knowledgeable historian on so many subjects, but she tells them in a way that keeps the listener captivated. (Perhaps I'll run my lies, uh, I mean, facts, by you, Amy, before I go spreading them all over the web.)


Okay, now for another correction. LeRoy got hired as a "Family Support Specialist." But on the shuttle bus from Frankfurt Airport to Spangdahlem Base, our sponsor informed him that he would actually not be filling that position after all. When did they decide this? While we were somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean eating turkey on croissants and sipping Ginger Ale? See, the man who worked as the Support Center's Financial Consultant decided to get another position somewhere else on base and so they needed someone with expertise in that area to fill that position right away. Enter LeRoy. Now, whether it was severe jet-lag setting in or our over-optimistic selves saying No way, I don't know, but we handled this bit of news extremely well... Dee-nial! But as you all know, denial only takes you so far before eventually the truth must be faced. So after a few weeks of LeRoy filling a couple of positions, doing various jobs around the facility, watching his dream job get posted back on the "Jobs Available" listing, and being dubbed the Center's "Lost Child," (because the other guy was still here and the job he was hired for they decided to hire out to someone else), LeRoy finally settled into his job.


All of this job stuff has been a huge blessing in that it reminds us yet again, that our ways are not God's ways, that a "job" in and of itself is not the end-all, that God's purposes are much bigger than what we can see directly in front of us. We have wondered how it is that God would grant us the kind of favor that brings our family to live in Germany. Time and time again, we credit ourselves "for showing up." Time and time again, God reveals His grace as we are in awe of Who God is as He shows up Bigger than we could have ever asked, thought, or dreamed. Perhaps you've heard it said that we can't outgive God (which is so, so true!); But we are learning that no matter what, if we show up, He shows up so much Bigger.


Like this morning -- all I did was look out my window... and God blew me a kiss in the colors of the sunrise through the fog and mist. All I did was stand there in my baggy sweat pants and LeRoy's undershirt, ran my fingers through my bed-head hair. God showed up Glorious. I admit, LeRoy's job transition has challenged him -- and all of us. We continue to be excited. We know God is at work and we eagerly anticipate all that He has for us. We also continue to feel extremely grateful as we experience God's love and grace and faithfulness every time we turn around.


May you recognize God's kisses in your life today,
Sharon