Fullness...


At the start of last week, I was somewhat in panic mode. I really had no idea how we were going to pull off our Ethiopian Fundraiser Dinner, I wasn't sure I had the help I needed, I wasn't sure a lot of people were coming, and I just somewhat felt discouraged. Last Tuesday, I was "venting" to my friend and secretary, Janey, about all of this anxiety. She is one of the biggest prayer warriors I know and has become such a great friend. She said to me, "Pastor Andrea...what do you need? Let me help you. Do you need dessert? Do you need pasta?" I sheepishly said, "Well...I could about 10 some desserts." To which she answered, "Ok...I have four boxes of cake mix at my house. I will provide 4 desserts for you." I was thrilled about that. Well, I came back several hours later, and she said, "Pastor Andrea, I have great news! I have 10 desserts coming this Saturday for you. I just called all of my friends and said, 'You know that family we pray for? The ones who are adopting? Well, they need some desserts and we are going to provide them. Can you help?" They wound up having a dessert making party Friday night for us and brought a bunch of beautiful cakes!

I tell that story, because as I have woken up this Monday morning, I still feel like my heart is overflowing from the weekend. I think sometimes we allow the discouragement in our lives to over take all of God's blessings. We focus so much on what is not happening, what we are worried about, and on all of the brokenness that surrounds our life. And often, we allow those things to cloud the most important thing...we are deeply loved by God.

On November 28, 2011, after we had made the decision not to pursue the "new adoption in a new country (read earlier post)," I re-wrote Ephesians 3:16-21 for myself...from God. This is what it said, "My prayer for you, Ang is this....God will strengthen you, His spirit will work in the deepest parts of your soul...by faith you will feel God's love for you. By his love, you will stay grounded in your faith...that you would know just how hugely wide, long, high, and deep God's love for you really is (even on the days you question it...that his love is bigger than knowledge...it makes you FULL. He can do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, God can! He can do more than we could ever imagine."

"His love is bigger than knowledge...it makes you FULL!" This Monday morning, I am overflowing with FULLNESS that only comes from God's love, that has been shown through his people this week. You know, Saturday night, as I was thanking my Ethiopian friend Aster, for like the 18th billion time, I said to her, "I owe you big time!" She hugged me shaking her finger at me and said this that will stick with me forever, "No, no, Andrea...in Ethiopia we don't say "owe." We don't "owe" anyone anything. We do, because we are Family. You are now my family forever!"

Wow! I am so incredibly grateful (I know that I say that a lot on here, but I really am), that God fills our hearts with his love through his people...because we are all family and that is enough.

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