Thank you

I'm afraid of losing a good thing, until I remember the days before. I forget that nothing was ever mine and each good thing truly is a big present wrapped up with ribbons and attached to it a note that says, "I love you, my daughter."

I too often, take for granted those gifts. With each step along this journey there have been gifts, some small, some huge, and some I misinterpret all together. 

Today, in this commonly warm inland empire it rained under dark, heavy clouds, drawing me back to my Western Oregon root. This week I'll be leaving this sunny state, where I've received blessing after blessing with my hands wide open, desperately reaching out. I hadn't expected so many good things at one time. I hadn't expected that it would become commonplace here in this big sunny state. The last thing I had expected was to fall in love with this smoggy, crowded, hot hell of a place.

Love is a thing for the strong. Macrina Wiederkehr writes:

Giving yourself up to love is melting into God. It is falling into the hands of the living God with complete abandon. This is the deep, interior prayer for which we have been striving. Here we must let go of our dependency on thoughts, words, and images. We go into the beautiful darkness. We stop struggling. We let the angels carry us. Surrender is the only word we know.

I'd like to melt into the blessings that God has given me today. To become more like Him in adoration of Him. "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There are a lot of people who need to hear me say, "Thank you." If you read this, Thank you! If you have spent time with me over the past year, Thank you. Your contribution to the transforming of my heart and shaping of my future has been larger than you know. It's my prayer that we will meet in heaven one day soon and I'll be able to show you just how big of a blessing you are.