Friday, June 15, 2007

mature friends

Yesterday was an incredible day. I babysat throughout the day and had a nice time with the kids as usual. I had a party to go to two streets down from them, so I ended up just staying at their house until it was time for the party, instead of going all the way home and coming back.

So Julie (the kids' mom) and I sat around talking for an hour or two about life in general. We talked about plans for Hungary and what really got that whole thing started...that this has been 9 years of praying and asking the Lord about. We talked about the stress of all of that coming together and yet having to continually pray and ask God to take away thoughts that are not from him. I have seen God do amazing things in the last few months, and so I have to keep thinking of those things when I get discouraged or think that there is no way possible for these things to work out. Julie talked about some of her own thoughts and opinions about all of it, and God really sent me a lot of encouragement through her.

Then I went to this Thirty-One party, an open house sort of deal where you look through catalogs and samples of products that you can buy. It was adorable stuff, albeit a little pricey for someone like me, but I had a blast with mainly a bunch of women who are a generation or two older than me. I was definitely the youngest one there, but I knew a lot of them because it was a mom from school hosting the party. I got to talk to a few people in particular who I hadn't seen in a while, and Lori was one of those women. I had their daughter in my class two years ago, and now they are supporting us in more ways than one when we go to Hungary. God has blessed us through them on countless occasions, and I really got to share with her how God had provided the exact financial funds we had needed through their gift. It was so neat to be able to share that and tell her how what God had placed on their heart to do was what we needed, and we didn't even know it until a few days later. So cool!

Lori and I continued to talk as she asked how support raising was going, and I told her the ups and downs of it all, but mainly Kevin and I have had a wonderful and positive experience, just stressful. She enlightened me on a thought that had never crossed my mind as to how many people think and feel about supporting us (or others for that matter)... She said she remembers listening to me two years ago at "Meet the Teacher" night and heard me talking about my passion for Hungary, etc. She said she went home and told her husband that she knew one day I would go back. She was hoping it wasn't so soon because she wanted me to have her two other girls, but she was not in the least surprised when we told them about our calling this spring. When we asked them to pray about supporting us, her response was that they were honored to support us and were so glad that we had asked them. She said that when you really love a person and see what passion they have for God's calling, you can't help but hope that you are a chosen one and asked to support them in this calling. Her exact words were that many people were saying, "Pick me! Pick me!"

I had never thought about it at all in that way, and so I think I have been surprised at how positive our experience has been as so many people have been touched that we would ask them to support us. I just got an email the other day from a family we had prayed about asking, and their words were the same... "Thank you so much for thinking of us!" I just never thought that people would want to support someone and hope they get asked. I thought it would be more of a money thing where people were most concerned about that. I know that many people are giving self-sacrificially because they love us and feel called to give, but I know that has not ever been communicated to us that they are making sacrifices because they want to give. I just know! Again, it comes back to trusting God with the finances. It's not our money anyway, and so when we trust God with it, we don't have to worry about it. It's our human sinful side that worries about it all, and boy, do I know what that feels like.

So I feel this renewed energy and encouragement each day that God will continue to provide. He is still bringing people to mind that we should ask, and I don't feel as bad about asking anymore now that we have had such a great experience and now that I have heard from so many people that they really want to support someone they love. It's brought a whole new perspective to this all for me, and I am so grateful for the wisdom and maturity of having friends who are much older than me but treat me no differently.

2 comments:

Danette Patrick said...
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Danette Patrick said...

Hey there Kristen. I am glad to hear that you are having a good summer. We have been thinking about you and missing you! Have a good weekend!