Life should be a little nuts, otherwise it’s a bunch of Thursdays strung together.
Rumor Has It

If one could define my life right now, they might say “nuts.” If I am honest I have thought the same thing about my friend Ericka Morgan. Four years ago she launched this crazy dream. A non-profit who’s mission is written so perfectly: Take Heart Missions was established to empower individuals, families and organizations in Guatemala to reach their full potential as children of Christ.  We seek to improve the quality of life by providing tools to grow their self-sufficiency, sharing hope through the Word of God, and investing financially during times of need.  We strategically invest with purpose in the local Guatemalan communities so that our efforts reach the ones with the most need. 

They have taken this dream and mission and have created amazing partnerships and a true mission in Guatemala. On Saturday, she shared at the Take Heart Dinner how recently she has to make a difficult call. She has to tell them to stop the building of the new center which will better accommodate the children they feed, teaching vocational classes (welding, woodworking, sewing, etc), and SHOWING/telling the Guatemalan people about Jesus. The building had to stop because the funds were not there. Ericka didn’t beg people for money, try to sell anything, or all the other things we try to do. She did as Samuel did in my blog last week Keeping Up With The Jonses, she prayed. 

Last week I talked about how Samuel is stepping down (1 Samuel 8) and the elders want a king, because of the (insert sarcasm) sensible reason: everyone else is. When Samuel still can’t convince them otherwise, he goes back to God. Then enters a new character in 1 Samuel 9, Saul, whom the ladies admired as he was 2 “as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel.”  His father has lost his donkey and sends out Saul and a servant to look for it. After looking for a while Saul is ready to head back when the servant with him says, 6  “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.” 7 Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

Saul is so me. He wants a plan. He needs a plan. But the servant is willing to seek on a RUMOR. 

11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”
12 “He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.”
14 They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

This blew my mind when I read it. Saul had no idea the plans that were already in place for him. 

I began to think about how many times I didn’t see God’s plans placed before me until hindsight: 

• When I met my “hot summer fling” aka my husband on s RUMOR he was back in town (missed it? Read Please Send Someone Else).
• When I was pregnant the first time and I got ICU coverage that would cover my unborn child as well. I had no idea several months later I would so desperately need this for my son who spent 51 days in ICU. 
• When my husband got a new job enabling me to go back on his health plan right before we found out we were pregnant (surprise!) with number four, two years after a vasectomy. 

OR

• When we walked into Elevation Church April 2011 on a RUMOR of this church in Charlotte that is nuts and we wanted to see what they were talking about. 

Guess what? My friend Ericka, she didn’t have to do all the fundraising things because God already had a plan and within eight days the money had doubled! She could call back and tell them to keep building! What an amazing testament! 

Even when it just feels like I am wandering around just looking for a lost donkey, God has already laid it out.

In me He places a RUMOR either through a sister who challenges me or an equally annoying unshakable desire in my soul. When you finally agree to go, the rest of the world may think your nuts, but God already has a plan. 

Has there ever been a time you sought something on a rumor with no intention of it turning out the way it did? What plans in your head do you need to release so that God can work? Are you afraid of being a little nuts?