Thursday, December 4, 2008

Be very careful what you pray for….you just might get it!!!!

I have never been one for fast rides and for sure have never, ever liked roller coasters.  I remember several years ago when my kids were young, being shamed into taking my 10 year old son on the BEAST….what was I thinking???  He didn’t want to go and was scared to death of rides.  I certainly didn’t want to go and was even more scared than him…BUT I gave in to peer pressure and took Josh on the Beast!!!!  I remember seriously thinking, ‘this is the day we die’….what kind of mother am I???  As we approached to top I was getting sicker by the second.  The anticipation of having to come back down was overwhelming.  As I tried to make sure little Josh was safely held in, I realized I was totally out of control….there was no holding him back…no even holding my own head back.  As we peaked at the top and started our crazy assent downward, Josh tried to release his buckles and jump out!!!!  Oh my gosh….this was the scariest, longest few minutes of my life.  I remember thinking I must be the biggest fool on the planet….young boy dies while jumping off the Beast…mother regrets taking him on the ride.  To this day I get sick all over just thinking about that ride. 

Well, this week we are just 30 days away from our departure to Amsterdam.  We have been planning and praying for over a year now, and we have made the long journey to the top of the ride….and the next 30 days will be the very scarey crazy assent downward!  Everything is totally out of control.  Within the next 10 days we will pack everything we own (that we haven’t already sold) and either put it in storage, give it away, take it to the kids, or take it with us the Amsterdam.  We will completely move out of our home.  We will write our wills.  We will set up our new international bank accounts.  We will have our final Dr. visits.  We will buy more life insurance (which, by the way, isn’t real easy if you are a ‘missionary’ by profession).  We will sign over a Power of Attorney.  We will leave our current jobs.  We will go to many parties.  We will make lots of time for our kids and granddaughters.  We will go back to South Dakota to say our good byes to mom and family.  We will go away for Christmas with our kids.  We will have more parties.  Drink more coffee. Say more good byes.  Go to more dinner parties.  Drink more coffee.  Say more good byes.  Go to a wedding on New Year’s Eve.  Say more good byes.  And then board our plane for Amsterdam!

God is always so good to remind us of things.  He has been reminding me these days that even though I don’t like scary rides and feeling completely out of control, that these are all things I’ve prayed for!!!  Things like, “God, I want to run the race and finish well,” or “God, I want to leave a legacy for my kids and grandkids of being ‘white hot’ for Jesus all the days of my life,” or “God, please don’t allow me to grow soft, complacent, settled, comfortable,” or “God, I want to always, always obey You, even when it’s really hard”…

Yeah, this is all stuff I’ve prayed for.  God often times takes us much more seriously than we take ourselves!!  The really sweet thing is that after I stepped off the Beast I knew I could survive WAY more than I ever thought I could!!  Walking this journey out in faith has also shown me that I can survive WAY more than I thought I could!!!

Warning!  Be very careful what you pray for!!!...and then get ready to enjoy the ride!!!

4 comments:

Aubrei. said...

wow gramma! that almost made me cry talking about all the good byes, and only having 30 more days left, i thought we decided we wouldnt talk about that until like 1 week b4 u left! I <3 u soooo much!!!hugz,Aubrei!

Jenny Meyer said...

ok-so I'm crying now...finally starting to realize that you're finally leaving...& I'm not going with you. whoa-all of us really need to cling to God more than ever now. sad tears, happy tears, tears that you are going to make a difference for Jesus!
LOVE YOU,
your other daughter/sister/friend,
jen

John and Amanda said...

We are praying and miss you dearly...can't wait for you to join us. Sorry we missed you today on skype..we'll look for you some other time!

love
the nashes

Anonymous said...

Roxie and Bernie, Thinking mucho about you and the situations that are surrounding you guys! Praying that God shows you what He is doing and how He is working for you all! Praying for a deep spring of HOPE and encouragement and Peace to be bubbling within all of you. You are loved and Held by The King of the Universe! Keep Strong, xxoo