Since I have been home the adventures have continued. Two weeks ago I was supposed to have a friend over to catch up and have tea. I set my alarm so I could get things ready before she came. Two hours before my alarm went off I was awakened by my father informing me that I needed to get out of bed because the cows had gotten out of the fence and my help was required. I stumbled out of bed, found some old shoes and grabbed a pair of sunglasses because it takes a while for me to see straight in the morning and the bright, early morning sun was not helping. It took a few minutes but I finally ended up seeing straight and eventually, with much ado, we finally got the cows in. It was still an hour before I wanted to get up but I was already awake so I just made some coffee and started my day. As the day progressed my friend Amy showed up and somehow we got roped into helping throw hay bales instead of catching up properly.
Amy was a good sport though and jumped in with both hands and proved to be a worthy farm hand...all with a smile.
The thing about adventures is that they aren't often convenient. Being rudely prodded out of bed far earlier than I wanted to chase cattle on foot isn't something I would ever choose to do on my own but it ended up being an adventure and when told in person always makes for a fun, embellished story.
Amy and I finally were able to sneak in a few minutes for tea alfresco.
A friend of mine is a paramedic and we were talking about mellow work days vs. busy work days. I love mellow days because it means no one is getting hurt. But I love busy days, although I never wish for them, because it makes the day go by quicker, I get a chance to keep my skills sharp, I get to meet new people and I am thrown into different and sometimes difficult circumstances that challenge me and help me grow.
As my adventures continue stateside and I'm trying to process the things that I learned abroad, God is allowing current events to reinforce what I'm processing so I truly do learn the lesson.
Last Sunday I felt impressed to invite a friend up to my house for a campfire so we could visit, catch up and play guitars. Next thing I know someone invited another person who invited another person who invited six people....you get the picture. To make a long story short, a bunch of people came that I didn't even invite and they were all blessed by the fellowship. And the people that came were strategically picked by the Holy Spirit. Those that came hadn't seen each other in a really long time. It was evident by the end that it was God ordered and the single invitation turned into a party which was meant for "kingdom" purposes.
God showed me what He will do with a person who is open to His plan. I didn't have any great epiphany about those I should invited to the bonfire or who's spirit God is stirring and who needed to fellowship with whom. I just responded to the prompting to invite one person and God did the rest. Like when I was in Europe I gave the trip over to Him and although I didn't hear the thunderous voice of God telling me where I should be, or even feel the whisper of Holy Spirit leading me where to go, my steps were definitely ordered and as I look back I was in each place exactly when I was supposed to be there. And it all just happened. Circumstances pretty much directed where I went but it is evident now that God controlled each step even if I wasn't aware at the time.
Always an encouraging word in your blog :)
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