“Just in case you were doubting Me already…”
Day 0 of sabbatical, yes, day 0 of sabbatical was today. I don’t start my sabbatical until tomorrow but God knowing me, the way He does, is already at work.
My 19 year old daughter texted me this morning wondering why I had not stopped by her bedroom to say bye for the day as I usually do. She was upset because she wanted to see me before she left. She is leaving out of town tonight on a road trip with her friend to Denver for spring break. Although last night we prayed over her as a family for God to keep his hand over her in her travels, she wanted to give me one more hug. This was particularly disturbing to me because one of my priorities for my sabbatical was to be present for her and spend quality time with her. But I had a hectic morning an 8Am send off call and then a 830 appointment right after that, I simply forgot to stop by her room in my haste. The way the schedules ended up working out She would be returning from Denver as I arrive. We would be totally missing each other!
Well it so happened, (I love Gods coincidences) today she would have class at the college campus not far from the location I would be working out of today. We texted each other and agreed to meet for lunch.
We had a nice lunch at Canes her favorite place. We talked uninterrupted and I thoroughly enjoyed the time. She mentioned how nice the “Send off’ call was and then she said something she never told me before she said “Dad I’m proud of you”. I was truly overwhelmed with emotion when she said that to me. I often times feel that I’m not present with her in between her college studies and her work, I rarely see her – but I am so PROUD OF HER!
She continued…and said “Dad other day I was telling my friend about how when I was little you would drive from so far away to come see me and I would be waiting on the stairs for you to show up and you would take me to the park” she began to cry and so did I.
You see my friends, Jocelyn’s mother and I divorced when she was just 3 years old and we lived very far from each other. My office was also completely on the other side of town. But I would make those weekly sometimes daily trips to go see her because of course… I missed her.
She remembered that. Wow.
What a difference making time for somebody can do. “Being present for my family” that is what I wrote on my sabbatical application and what was in my heart.
This morning I was already fretting about how this sabbatical was already not starting as I would have planned because of my daughter and I’s schedules. But as Ray so succinctly mentioned this morning on my send -off call…what I plan and what He plans can be two totally different things. I certainly did not expect this today but what an awesome God we serve!
It’s as if God was saying..”just in case you were doubting me already..”
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”
Matthew 8;26