I'm still in awe over this and feel I'm meant to share.
Saturday I was invited to a brunch. The hostess is a dear lady who is in music ministry with my husband. The other ladies invited were involved as well. I'd been battling depression most of the week so I was looking forward to going, even though my plan was to blend in the background.
The brunch started with the hostess thanking each person for what they bring to that ministry. She started with me, thanking me for allowing my husband to work as hard as he does, because she realizes to do as well as he does, something has to give. Honestly, that something is usually being home and/or focused. He is a tremendous husband and dad but like me, he can be an all or nothing personality. Our marital struggles aren't usually finances, they are over church.
I worked so hard to make sure everyone fit in when we moved I left one person out: me! I've let the enemy really divide us as we were always "TomnJulie" and now, we are "Tom and Julie." It's been a transition and when I'm frustrated, I don't throw out the divorce word, no I hit as low with the "I'm leaving the church" threat. The last 6 weeks I've really pressed in on my attitude so for this brunch to start out that way, I had tears. That God would care so much to bless me that way and help me get to know these ladies better is so much more than I deserve. So much.
God wasn't done! We shared our hearts, got to know each other better, and really opened up in a way that only God could orchestrate. At one point one friend said three words that spun my head to her direction.
Reagan. Romania. Missions.
See Romania is really Kim's passion, so I thought. What I didn't know is she brought to the forefront something I never really thought about---my heart has been on Romanian children since our church had a missionary named Reagan visit. I can't remember half her sharing because I was sobbing so. My heart absolutely broke at the time for these children dumped in streets, living in trash heaps, and often part of the gypsy culture.
Yet when Kim started pressing in on a return trip, I did not feel led to travel with her. What the Holy Spirit kept saying to me when I thought maybe I should try was a resounding no. For me, I was meant to one day make a missions trip under the covering of my church. I was obedient and let Kim know, but wondered how would this ever happen. Currently our church travels to Sierra Leone on a regular basis. Recent additional trips were El Salvador (my husband went) and Turkey. None of these rang right for me, beyond praying for them.
As soon as my friend said those words, I asked what she just said. She repeated the words. I asked if our church had a trip to Romania planned that I didn't know about. She started to cry. She confessed no, but that the ladies here have felt since Reagan visited years ago that they were one day meant to go.
I shared my story with them and together we all cried. We don't know the time, the season, or the way. But we now see the plan. We believe one day we will head to Romania and love on those kids and help in any way we can. We are already hoping Kim can visit with us and share her heart so we have additional wisdom on the matter. And we're praying on the how and when to go to leadership and share our heart and vision.
The food was delicious, the fellowship fabulous. The new friendships a gift I can't put in words. The Romania connection? Priceless. And a story that I believe is just beginning...
Saturday I was invited to a brunch. The hostess is a dear lady who is in music ministry with my husband. The other ladies invited were involved as well. I'd been battling depression most of the week so I was looking forward to going, even though my plan was to blend in the background.
The brunch started with the hostess thanking each person for what they bring to that ministry. She started with me, thanking me for allowing my husband to work as hard as he does, because she realizes to do as well as he does, something has to give. Honestly, that something is usually being home and/or focused. He is a tremendous husband and dad but like me, he can be an all or nothing personality. Our marital struggles aren't usually finances, they are over church.
I worked so hard to make sure everyone fit in when we moved I left one person out: me! I've let the enemy really divide us as we were always "TomnJulie" and now, we are "Tom and Julie." It's been a transition and when I'm frustrated, I don't throw out the divorce word, no I hit as low with the "I'm leaving the church" threat. The last 6 weeks I've really pressed in on my attitude so for this brunch to start out that way, I had tears. That God would care so much to bless me that way and help me get to know these ladies better is so much more than I deserve. So much.
God wasn't done! We shared our hearts, got to know each other better, and really opened up in a way that only God could orchestrate. At one point one friend said three words that spun my head to her direction.
Reagan. Romania. Missions.
See Romania is really Kim's passion, so I thought. What I didn't know is she brought to the forefront something I never really thought about---my heart has been on Romanian children since our church had a missionary named Reagan visit. I can't remember half her sharing because I was sobbing so. My heart absolutely broke at the time for these children dumped in streets, living in trash heaps, and often part of the gypsy culture.
Yet when Kim started pressing in on a return trip, I did not feel led to travel with her. What the Holy Spirit kept saying to me when I thought maybe I should try was a resounding no. For me, I was meant to one day make a missions trip under the covering of my church. I was obedient and let Kim know, but wondered how would this ever happen. Currently our church travels to Sierra Leone on a regular basis. Recent additional trips were El Salvador (my husband went) and Turkey. None of these rang right for me, beyond praying for them.
As soon as my friend said those words, I asked what she just said. She repeated the words. I asked if our church had a trip to Romania planned that I didn't know about. She started to cry. She confessed no, but that the ladies here have felt since Reagan visited years ago that they were one day meant to go.
I shared my story with them and together we all cried. We don't know the time, the season, or the way. But we now see the plan. We believe one day we will head to Romania and love on those kids and help in any way we can. We are already hoping Kim can visit with us and share her heart so we have additional wisdom on the matter. And we're praying on the how and when to go to leadership and share our heart and vision.
The food was delicious, the fellowship fabulous. The new friendships a gift I can't put in words. The Romania connection? Priceless. And a story that I believe is just beginning...
Please visit Take Root and Write's Open House Monday, July 14! Maria, Kim and Julie will be just a few of the writers participating in this amazing site. Maria will encourage special need families. Kim will ignite those with a stirring for adoption. Julie will journey with readers as they claim victory and freedom through surrender. Do sign up for the e-mail subscription service so you don't miss a column!
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Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09.
To get to know her better, read her interview by Lynda Schab at:http://www.faithreaders.com/featured-author-details.php?id=33%20To contact Julie, please use the e mail provided in our profile.
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