What a Difference a Year Makes...Part 2...The Frosting

As one of my favorite author/speaker often says, "God is better than He has to be."  Can you testify to that in your life?  I sure can.

Hopefully if you're reading this post, you've already read part 1.  You know that my Hero has made Himself known, given me my Christmas gift early this year. But the story isn't over!!  If you haven't read it, click here immediately and catch up.

Ok, are we all together?  I'm continuing this post because I just have to brag on God some more.  But first, can I tell you that I love chocolate cake?  Chocolate cake w/white frosting. mmmm mmmm.  To be precise, my favorite is Wegmans chocolate cake with white frosting. Ok, to be honest, it's just the frosting I really desire. Who needs the cake?  In fact, when Scott and I share a piece (rare - only happens in public to be polite), I eat the top half.  I could eat that stuff by the tub. Did you know you can buy it without the cake?  I didn't either until one of my young girlfriends who knows me pretty well gave me a container of it for my birthday one year.  And yes, I ate the whole thing.  Not in one day.  Gotta savor it.

Our experiences the past few days have been like that frosting on a piece of rich chocolate cake.

Not only do we have our new ministry assignment, which in it's timing is HUGE enough, but check this out:

• These last few days, when we may have been given to doubting our own worth or value, we have received countless gifts of love, affirmation and provision that remind us who we are and how God has used us.  This cannot be taken away but Satan sure wants to convince us otherwise - or should I say confuse us otherwise?  God is in charge of it.  Period.

• We knew moving would again be in our future, but did not pursue or imagine we would be moving back to Syracuse. This likely won't happen until after Ben graduates in June, but in my mind, this is so good because moving back to a familiar place will minimize the trauma on our kids of yet another move. Alas, it also means we are going back to our land....where the snow piles up feet at a time. Oh glory!  And back to our people....our longtime friends and family who we love.

•  We will be attending and serving at North Syracuse Baptist Church, our kids' beloved home church. We've been assured that we are welcome...and expected.

•  Ally will be back as a part of the CORE youth group.  And when the boys come back from college, they will be greeted by those who have watched them grow up and know that they are "kind of a big deal" (at least to us).

•  Are you ready for this one?  The Feng Family (our new bosses/partners in ministry) raise chickens on a lakeside property.  CHICKENS!  Seriously?  If that isn't God's wink and smile to me, what else could be?  I love His humor.  He gets me.  Not too sure how that theology fits into Scott's un-desire for chickens, but I'm not going to explore that today.  We won't actually be raising the chickens....yet, anyway.

•  And the real icing, the over the top blessing, that big blob of sweet frosting, the flower from a sugary birthday cake, came when Jake and Liz Sorber invited our kids to accompany the group on CORE's upcoming mission trip to Dominican Republic in March.  We had sadly counted that opportunity and perhaps future mission trips as a loss and grieved it, but God is writing the story of our lives.  He did not close the door and has given our kids the most amazing Christmas gift this year - the desire of their hearts to serve in missions with childhood friends.  Remember this passage from Luke 5:4-8?

"When He (Jesus) finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.'  Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.  But because you say so, I will lay down the nets.'  When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!'"

This was exactly my response in that moment.  "Go away from me, Lord; for I am a sinful woman!" We don't deserve how good God is.  Imagine two parents sobbing at the goodness of a God who is blessing their little family so much more than He has to.  It happened.  It does again as I'm trying to write through the mist.  I feel like He's just showing off now....and I love it!  If this isn't Eph. 3:20,21 (see part 1) I don't know what is!

Jesus' job description is prophesied in Isaiah 61

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord God is upon Me,
because the Lord has anointed Me
to bring good news to the poor;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn...
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit....
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations."

Jesus read these words from the scroll in the temple in the Gospel of John.  As I read these words today, I worship....He came to do all that for this family when we were broken and brokenhearted and most needy.  He is rebuilding the ruins.  He came to do it for you and yours as well.   O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord.  Are you broken and needy this Christmas?  Do not fear....the Lord is with you.