International Blessings

About this time of year, I start to get creative. Or rather, I want to do something creative. So, feeling that stirring, I picked a project, which slowly unfolded and became something that I wouldn't have imagined when I started. It was cute and simple, easy and inexpensive, and most importantly--creative and unique. I ended up making several of these small gifts, we'll call them tokens of appreciation, and as I did so, I thought about who I would want to send them to, asking myself: who in my life is important and who would I like to bless and encourage with these small tokens? Interestingly enough, most of the people I thought of ended up being amazing friends I met in England. So, once my little project was finished, I high-tailed it to the local post office where I filled out custom form after custom form and paid an arm and a leg to send 8 four-ounce envelopes to 6 different countries which means tomorrow I'm going to have to sell a kidney or two. But the whole time I was making them, I was thinking how grateful I am for these friends around the world, strong, Godly women I was blessed to have met and spend time with and who I hope I will continue to be friends with forever, despite the distance. They have each touched my life, encouraging me and challenging me. I consider each of them such a gift. and I am thankful for them.

There is one friend in particular I've been thinking about and praying for a little more than the others recently. She is my new hero. I met her in January of this year and immediately was jealous of her. I knew from the minute I saw her that she would be amazing. And of course I was right. What amazes me about her is that over the past several months I have watched her say "no" to something I know she wanted because she wanted the will of the Lord for her life more, and that is, I believe, one of the hardest things to do in this life. There was something that she wanted, and could very easily have had, but before diving into it, she stopped and decided to pray, asking the Lord what His heart for her was. At this point, she is now experiencing loss, not receiving what she wanted (and even losing the valued bit that she had). However, she continues to look to the Lord. She knows that what He has for her is better than what she wanted. But her heart is still broken, and she continues to grieve her loss.

This is what amazes me. This is what I strive for. This is my heart for myself and for everyone else. And this is what I believe the Lord wants. Not that we would never be happy or have what we want, but that we would say, just as He said in the garden, "Not my will, but Yours be done." This is what pleases Him. It may very well break our hearts, but it is in the brokenness that He comes to us and shows us who He is. This is where depth and strength come from. This is where character is made, and from that springs hope, the anchor of the soul.

This is just one story. Each of these women have their own stories, and each are equally important and unique. They are such gifts to me and I am so thankful for these international blessings.