Surprised by Something New.

I wanted to leap through the map filled with missionary faces, jump into their story, sit down and absorb their experiences of truth and faith.  But, he called me outside.  Just as faces were rising up the stairs to a conference I hadn’t heard about.  One lady, arms filled, turned around, walking back towards us and starting asking if we needed help.

“We are just new to the island and saw this church and came inside.  Are you from this church?”  I asked, wanting to hear about those faces, about their work of sharing Jesus; longing to have a conversation about giving it all to spread the gospel in various lands.

“No, we are here for a Family Foundations conference.  There are people who have flown in from all around the world for it.” Her Jesus-transparent eyes shining into our souls.

We talk long, she shares she’s from the campus where my little girl we came to visit is staying.  Then, she starts speaking blessings over us.  Praying, sort of, without her eyes closed.  “May the legacy of your family be forever new, may your heritage birth life and great fruit.”

And some say words are mere words, but God-words, like the one that spoke the earth into creation can do more than lay stagnant on the walls of the world of our heart…for God-words pierce deep, nestle close, God-words re-surface the desires, dreams, and hopes you had birthed long before you hear them.

And it is these words that poured tears from my soul, right there, holding back weeping on the black top, those first moments after coming to Hawaii.

And as many of you know, normally for UNITE, I write long thoughts as passionately as I can muster up.  I pray hard, asking God…“Lord, what would you have me say?”…

But today, I have something so exciting I wanted to share….My eighteen-year-old, the one we visited in Hawaii is on a six-month journey; three months Bible training in Hawaii, and the other three on mission, living it out in New Zealand…

And you will never believe it…but. that’s right, she just today revealed she has started a blog.

So, this week at UNITE, will you bypass any comments to my post and go to visit her blog instead?  This writing is a great leap of faith for her.

And yes, I promise, I wasn’t hinting or preaching, or asking, or pleading for her to write.  She just started a blog and then told me about it!  What a SURPRISE!!  Better yet?  Her words are authentic, real, transparent…beautiful!   That’s right, this girl can write!!

So please UNITE, then take some time and will you visit my daughter’s new blog and encourage her to in her writing and in her faith journey as she will be gone from our home, away from family and friends, away from everything she has known for the sake of the gospel….for six months total?

O.K. here is her site!  The Journey of Cidney Mariah. Won’t you please stop over and comment at my daughter’s blog after UNITING?  Thanks so much for all your love and support of her ahead of time!