“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit give, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,” Colossians 1:9-10
A new year a new focus! Last week I wrote about my One Word for the year. It is difficult to look at it as just one word when there is so much involved.
Expectant.
That one word holds so much for the coming year in my mind, heart,
I am expectant, waiting on where God wants to take me, what he wants me to work on in my spirit and faith life, and what He wants me to do in response to His work.
There is so much hope bubbling up inside me.
Last week, my hubby and I took off on a grand vacation with our three boys, one of their girlfriends, and my niece. The week was planned to be an amazing celebration of 30 years of marriage as we celebrated our Anniversary on December 31st.
The vacation started off a little bumpy as my niece’s plane was delayed and she missed her connecting flight, the one she would be taking with four of us. I elected to stay behind, she doesn’t have much experience traveling.
From the moment I heard about the flight delay, I began praying. This isn’t my usual go to as I am a planner and a fixer. I wanted to get on the phone and figure it all out. But I didn’t.
My prayer was one of giving the situation to the Lord and asking Him to present to me where He wanted me to be and who He wanted me to interact within those tense moments.
And He showed me in a powerful way!
Many interactions happened at the airport with some very helpful gate agents. There wasn’t any encounter that I felt God was asking me to step out and do anything more than usual kindness. Our conversations were filled with grace and understanding, different but not extraordinary.
So why Lord? Why must I have put my hubby of 30 years and two of my sons on a plane to go ahead of me while I waited for my niece?
Wait..
I felt it in my spirit as my eyes began to tear. I prayed again for His guidance. Again, wait.
Then there was the moment I knew.
I spoke with the lead gate agent about changing my flight. I told him about our Anniversary trip and how I let my hubby go ahead because I knew it would be more difficult to rebook more than two travelers, the one delayed and me.
The moment he asked how we did it, I heard the pain in his voice. His marriage was crumbling after 8 years of marriage and two children. He said he wanted it to work but didn’t think it would.
We talked.
We prayed.
A few tears were shed.
I knew the inconvenience of delayed and missed flights was about much more. Jesus placed me in the path of this man to encourage him in his marriage.
I pray it helped.
I pray they stick it out.
I pray they forgive.
I pray they allow God to intervene.
Join me in praying for this marriage and the many more that are hurting.
Join me in praying that the next time any of us find ourselves inconvenienced we look for what God wants us to do for Him in those moments.
Have you been inconvenienced in your schedule to meet with another person and Jesus? What’s your story?
If you don’t have one, begin to expect one to happen!
