Little did I expect the divine connection waiting for me as
I followed the link from a Google alert of my book.
The blog post , Full
Heart Moment, began, “My heart is full tonight. The last two
months have been a flurry of activity. . . . In a quiet afternoon of
leisure at my in-laws’ pond a few weeks ago, with the sun shining down and
the warmth of camaraderie all around me, my heart suddenly felt a
pang. I was leaving this. And a season of counting the cost began.”
I could almost see the writer squaring her shoulders, breathing
deeply as she lovingly touched each of the “costs” one more time before laying
them down—security of paychecks, homes and gardens, comforts of friends and
family, holidays with parents and Mom’s signature dumplings.
I wondered where this writer was going that she needed to
sell off her children’s toys, and get her house in order. What decision had she
made that caused her to feel so reflective about “counting the cost.”
As if the word Guatemala wasn’t enough to get my attention,
combining it in the same sentence with Costa Rica certainly was. I scrambled around her blog site and discovered
that not only had this woman been to the same village in Guatemala as we had, but to
the same ministry in Costa Rica.
In fact, she and her family were
preparing to move there for full time ministry with our dear friends, Tim and
Dena at Hogar de Vida!
And then the gift: someone had lent her Call of a Coward. In her time of weariness, from the comfort of her chair, she was able to travel familiar dusty paths
with me, to face shared fears, to rejoice and be refreshed at the fountain of
grace.
Two ordinary women, half a country apart, on a similar
journey, linked by a story.
I was one in spirit with her as I read her
conclusion:
“Tonight my heart is full with all that the Lord has in store for us. The cost is real, but so is the blessing of trusting him more fully.”
Please join me again later in the week as I interview Kris Gnuse about her family’s upcoming move to Costa Rica.
Marcia, that is SO amazing and SO God! How sweet of our Heavenly Father to connect His daughters to address her concerns and fears. So precious!
ReplyDeleteI love this story!
ReplyDeleteThe incredible thing about God is that you can never guess how He will work in and through your life. I so enjoyed this story, Marcia. You're always a blessing to me.
ReplyDeleteOh Marcia! My heart swelled, my eyes teared, and I got Holy Ghost goose bumps as I read your post today. Isn't it so GOD to lead you to her post? I love it when He connects our hearts like that!
ReplyDeleteI love those moments when we recognize God's mysterious hand at work. An awe-inspiring story, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI will admit a bit of bias, as it is my sweet friend whom you are referring to. My connection to her began not so spiritually, but definitely still God-designed. I have been blessed to be her friend as she has married, welcomed her babies, and leaned in to God's hand as He has wooed them to this place of stepping out so faithfully. Thank you for sharing her story, and I look forward to reading the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteMarcia, it is a blessing to me that you put your story out there to encourage others considering taking the next step in their journey with the Lord. How sweet to know that when we struggle and when we triumph, we are not alone. This coward is very grateful to you.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I love these special God-kisses he sends!
ReplyDelete