He is in the details

Back in September my friend had a picture posted on her FB wall and I wondered who the person was in the picture with her. Turns out it was an old family friend. As I was trying to figure out who he was our mutual friend was texting Chelsea saying if that guy loves Jesus you need to introduce him to Lori. Which made me laugh!

I forgot about it until about a month later when I got a friend request via FB and realized it was the same guy. So I accepted and we messaged back and forth for a minute and that was it. Fast forward a week and he reached out asking if he could call. We talked that Sunday. The beginning of this story is so fun to tell! We talked every day after that, and it was wonderful. He was originally supposed to come to town in November but that trip fell thru. So the trip happened the weekend of December 11-13.

Leading up to the visit I thought that everything was just going to fall into place, the way our conversations had been I fully anticipated relocating. He arrived and he was even more amazing in person and I thought that we would get married and I would move and it was going to be the best story ever….

He drove 16 hours to get here and that Saturday he was speaking locally. Saturday morning the verses that God gave me were Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” The Sunday morning he left God gave me Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I didn’t want to give up the way I wanted the story to go. I didn’t want out story to end, I wanted “I do” and forever and that simply wasn’t God’s plan. It took several weeks before he could tell me that after his visit his feeling had changed. There was a lot going on and I know that God put me in his life for a reason and I know that I had a significant impact and for that I am truly thankful! I’m not going to lie, it hurt my heart, a lot! Last Tuesday was when this man told me that after his visit his feelings had in fact changed. We were no longer on the same page about how we felt regarding each other. However in the way that only God can do, He worked out the details. I joined a book study and last Tuesday was the first night of our group and I was able to connect with a group of people and we discussed God’s vision for His church.

Last Thursday I had lunch with the 2 ladies leading the book study and we talked about God and how He’s always in the details. We talked about the ways He’s directed our steps and how He’s connected us to different people in ways that only He can do. I was so encouraged as I left lunch and God was gently speaking to my heart to trust Him. He’s been speaking that to me all along and I do, but when this guy appeared in my life it was really difficult to let go and trust God that he’s really not the one for me!

In each devotional since last Tuesday God has been speaking to me so clearly! I have had several devotionals directly relating to God’s timing, trusting Him, God directing our steps, etc., etc., etc.! He speaks SO CLEARLY! Yesterday’s message at church was also, on God’s perfect timing! When I can understand that He is speaking so clearly I can rest in knowing that He knows the plans and purpose that He has for me and He is guiding and directing me!

Monday of last week the founder of the organization who I work with that works to fight human trafficking reached out and asked if I could teach a class for her because she couldn’t be 2 places at once. We set up a meeting for Saturday morning to go over the information. After I ran my 9.5 miles, on the treadmill because it was raining, I met with my friend and we began talking about the organizations, what’s going on, and also the class I would be teaching. We started our meeting at IHOP but because it was so busy and we didn’t want to hold the table we moved locations.

As I was driving to the next location I was praying about all that we had been discussing. Teaching the class is a very huge opportunity for me! I’ll be co-teaching with the founder of another organization and our class will be volunteer coordinators who are in charge of the volunteers who will work at the race tracks helping to recognize trafficking and also rescue girls when applicable. This is a really big deal! Not only that but God has provided a house for our organization, this is HUGE! Additionally not just our organization but 2 other local organizations have just established housing, again HUGE! There is a major need for beds for individuals rescued from the life and the fact that God is providing these is a really significant miracle!

Our meeting lasted 3 hours and when I left I was completely and totally blown away by all that God is doing. He is faithful! He is crazy amazing! HE IS SO IN ALL THE DETAILS!!!!!

Yesterday I went to the prayer service at church. When I got home from Heart Quest God told me that if I was in town I was to be at the prayer service. So even on Sunday’s when I might not be able to even go to our service I go to the 8am prayer service. The prayer service ended and the lady who is in charge of our prayer room asked me if I had ever thought about joining them. I said yes, but I wasn’t sure how. Our prayer room is where intercessors pray during our 2 Sunday services. She told me she doesn’t usually ask people but she knew she was supposed to ask me. Once again God was directly telling me that I am EXACTLY where I am supposed to be! I texted her my email so that I can be added to the schedule. Then the message, like I mentioned above, was about God’s timing, and how His timing is always always always perfect!

When I got home I sent a text to the guy and I told him that I will always think he’s awesome and amazing. I said that God was already telling me on the day that he left that our story wasn’t going to be the way that I wanted it to go. I said that I’m excited for what God is doing with him and his ministry but I’m also really excited for what God is doing with me and where He is leading me. I then sent him my notes from the sermon. I knew he needed those notes, and I wanted him to not feel any guilt over what had happened. There’s nothing for either of us to regret, it’s simply that God has different plans and we both get to follow His leading and trust Him! He replied back to my message how much he appreciated my words and how much I had just blessed him. For which, I’m thankful!

Last night there was an event called A Night of Hope. It was the 7 local organizations who fight human trafficking. It was a night of worship and unity. No one group was specifically speaking about themselves but we all came together to share and raise awareness and call warriors to action to fight this evil! OH MY GOODNESS IT WAS SO AMAZING!!!!!! My friend Chelsea was in charge of quite a bit of it and she did a phenomenal job!!!!!! The whole night was absolutely incredible!!!!! I’m thankful for how God is moving and what He is doing! 

2016 has not started at all how I thought it would look, IT’S SO MUCH BETTER AND SO MUCH MORE AMAZING!!!!!!!! God is faithful! God is in the details! God is never too early, never too late, His timing is perfect!