Being Open to the Unexpected

So when I'm processing and waiting for something I have a few methods of staying in a healthy place.  I read my Bible a lot.  I do my devotionals.  I exercise.  I journal.  I pray.  I talk with friends and family to verbally process my thoughts.  You get the picture.  Lately, I've been drawing on all strategies in sorting out what life looks like from here on out.

I know I spoke about my cardiology appointment last month and how my Handsome Hubby and I had some choices to make regarding what our future looked like.  We've spent the month processing and continue to work through that process.  It's big.  It's overwhelming.  It's ours to make and may not make sense to anyone else but us.  I hesitate to post any of that process here because nothing is decided yet.

My challenge to myself and to anyone reading this is to always be open to the unexpected.  If there's one thing I've learned in life...some of the best decisions I've made, have been the ones that require the greatest leap of faith.  My first job in a field I didn't officially train for...GREAT!  My decision to go to graduate school when many parts of my life had derailed.  Fantastic!  My step to move away from my home town to teach at our state school for the Deaf.  Awesome!  Leaving my friends there to move to another state and marry the man I love. Profound!

While I make it sound like I made these decisions alone I really didn't.  God did.  I truly see His fingerprints in them all.  Each job, each transition, led to the next one.  Each skill I picked up enhanced my ability to face the next challenge.  There's a Nicole C. Mullen song called "I Can".  It's chorus says "I can, do all things, through Christ, who strengthens me." (Phillipians 4:13) We sing it here when we have to clean up the plethora of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars on the floor.  But it really is a theme song for my life.  That along with the Nichole Nordeman song "Brave" that says,

The gate is wide

The road is paved in moderation

The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in

Welcome to the middle ground

You're safe and sound and

Until now it's where I've been

'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything

But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings

So long status quo

I think I just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was

Is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave

Brave, brave

I am small

And I speak when I'm spoken to

But I am willing to risk it all

I say Your name

Just Your name and I'm ready to jump

Even ready to fall...

Why did I take this vow of compromise?

Why did I try to keep it all inside?

So long status quo

I think I just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was

Is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave

Brave, brave

I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame

Every storm will start with just a drop of rain

But if you believe in me

That changes everything

So long, I'm gone

So long status quo

I think I just let go

You make me want to be brave

I wanna be brave

The way it always was

Is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave

Brave, brave

My point in all of this is that my preconceived notion of what I thought my future, our future looks like is morphing and changing right now.  God gives us little glimpses but not the full answer right away.  So I am tested in my patience and ability to trust that He knows what's best and my need to listen when He says, "Be still and know that I AM GOD."  (Psalm 46:10)  I'm truly trying to be still and be open to whatever He has planned.  Based on my past experiences...it's usually unexpected and I can either fight Him on it...or let go and join Him for the ride.  The latter is always so much better and so much more exciting.