It may look a little different…

There are times in my life when I have whispered, “What if,” and God whispers back, “Watch this.”

The picture above is an example of how God meets needs and works beauty out of ashes. You will see me gazing at my two grandsons. The thing you do not see behind the photo is that those two grandsons made their way to me through God-led circumstances. My involvement in their lives is an absolute tribute to the goodness of God.

The handsome one on the left has inspired many blogs. He is my everyday side kick, who keeps this MiMi on his toes and fulfilled needs in my heart that only God knew still needed filling. I watched as he entered this world, I was the second set of arms that held him, and I have been an active, daily part of his life and development. You see, I missed the first few years of my own daughter’s life. God brought her to me when she was 7 years old, which fulfilled a deep desire to be a mom. Three years later, at the age of 40, I had a miscarriage and we decided to just move forward, raising our daughter, Faith.

And then came Levi. Opening up my heart to those tender years that I never even knew I needed. Isn’t that just like our God? He is masterful in His attention to detail and has access to those deeply hidden parts of our hearts and desires. He takes a teenage pregnancy and flips it on its head, allowing opportunities for fulfillment. Under no other circumstances would I have a front row seat to the daily life of Levi. God’s goodness and kindness are simply breathtaking.

The handsome one on the right is William. A couple of years ago, God brought a precious family into our church, and I connected so deeply with William’s mom, Kelsey, and sister, Eloise, that they feel like daughter and granddaughter. Kelsey has a wonderful momma who she is very close to; but, the move that brought her into my life moved her away from her own family. Again, we watch as God meets needs.

Since the birth of Levi, I have lamented not having a bigger family of my own. I have lamented not trying again after that painful miscarriage. God hears our lamenting.

I have made decisions in my life and traveled down roads that God did not intend for me to walk down. God rescues and restores.

I have pondered what my life might have looked like if I had walked more in obedience and aligned all my decisions to that obedience. God will not be shaken. He is never surprised. He is perfectly Sovereign.

He has demonstrated these qualities time and again in my life. He has demonstrated them in your life, too.

You see, it may look a little different; but God’s different is better than you could ever imagine! To Him be all the Glory!

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:21-26 NIV

‭Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27 NIV

For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” Galations 4:27 NIV