Jesus, My Red Thread

Tuning into His presence around me, I am in awe of Him. Sometimes the details come together in such a way that you can only say you've seen God. The Chinese have a saying about a red thread, weaving people and time and places together. I think they are trying to put a picture to something so vast and so incredible that words fail. I have had a few moments this week where all I could do is stand speechless and think "wow, that was God..."

I had a raw moment of surrender with God in my prayer time last week. I often tell God what my heart's desire would be, but I willingly (even if hesitantly) choose His way instead knowing that it is best for me. Part of my heart stays open that maybe He gave me the desire as part of His plan for me, maybe He will shape it and refine it, and I wonder if He will fulfill it in His time and His way. This time, though, I laid down one of my heart's desires, figuring I must have missed it. I felt another round of pain, but tried to brush the dust off my knees and move on without turning to Him for comfort or understanding.

I was leaving Bible Study when a woman in the hallway stopped and asked about Maddie. I didn't know the woman, but it is commonplace now for us to have a conversation with unfamiliar faces in the grocery store, the post office, or wherever, hearing about families with babies from China. Suddenly though, she realized she had prayed specifically for Maddie. I could see her piecing together our story, and she shared that she prayed for me, Todd, our family at the hardest time of our lives. She didn't know the specifics of our story, but she is dear friends with a woman who asked for prayer for us. The moment was somewhat surreal -- suddenly there in the hallway I was sharing a testimony of the faithfulness of God in the midst of the deep place He has had us in the past two years. Instead of it being a complete stranger though, there was a God connection there that deeply ministered to my heart. I was so touched that someone who didn't even know me would be praying and holding our family up in her prayers. How tender my God is to allow our paths to meet. Not just randomly, but in a week that the journey felt long and my dreams felt deserted. I felt alone and forgotten, but God used this woman to tell me He is there. A reminder that God hears, God sees, God understands, God cares...about me and my heart. My eyes just filled with tears on the ride home, amazed at how He orchestrates details.

A few days later, I received an e-mail from one of the team members from our China mission trip this summer. She and her husband were called to adoption and have been attending a home fellowship group for adoptive families. It is a large group of 75-100 people. A woman came with pictures of her soon-to-be-daughter in Siping, China -- the same orphanage we went to, and our team member holding her daughter! They hadn't met each other previously, but suddenly they had a world in common and endless stories to share! The really amazing thing about that is that the woman almost didn't go that night because she had other things she needed to do....our two team members almost didn't go on the mission trip...we almost didn't go to Siping because our team was too small, then there was no where to stay until our orphanage director went to bat for us, and there was no translator because all companies were booked. Who is this God who has such incredible things in mind for us???

God is so intentional, purposeful, multi-faceted in how He orchestrates details. Scripture tells us, That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 These two stories happening back-to-back in my week were like a double portion, a follow up lesson in case I didn't hear it clearly the first time. God is sovereign and He cares for every detail of our lives. We know that, and yet experiencing it first hand is the most incredible thing in the world!

These neat little connections continue, some seemingly small but actually significant because God is in it. I think God continues to show up in the smallest of details for those who are willing to pay attention to Him. Just this morning, I was thinking about a dear friend from our China trip. She was one of the treasures Jesus gave me in China. I missed her, thought to call and let her know this Sunday will be the China testimony and video clips. The phone rang an hour later, and there she was. A gift indeed. Just today, Todd and I were talking about Haiti. He had been deeply impacted by this mission trip two years ago and our church is preparing to go again. He was having lunch with a former colleague, and somehow Haiti came up and this man was interested. Todd said if he wanted to go, he would go with him. Even now I think hmm....what are You up to, Jesus?

Even in the silly and mundane, He can simply touch my heart and put a smile on my face. I had a conversation with my Dad about fortune cookie messages, and remembered that I really liked what one had said when we were at a China team reunion. I had saved it, but couldn't find it and didn't even remember what it said. I've been sad lately that I haven't heard from our new China friends in awhile. Today I found the fortune cookie message. It said, "The person you are thinking of is also thinking of you." Now was that God giving me that message? Doesn't matter. It might sound like a ridiculous example, but He warmed my heart with it either way - a sweet blessing.

Beth Moore calls them "God STOPS" -- Savor The Observable Presence. It is where God shows up and interrupts our day with Himself. When the risen Lord interrupted Mary Magdalene's day in the garden, she ran to tell the disciples the news: "I have seen the Lord!!" John 20:18 Jesus woos me every time He makes those incredible connections, His signature written by red thread.