You know, it's amazing to me how God is continually growing me and stretching me in new ways. I guess the proverbial "old dog/new tricks" doesn't apply to me. First, I'm not old ... stop laughing. Stop. Really. Second, I'm not a dog, although I have referred to myself as one with frequency. You ought to see my hair in the mornings ... and the way the pillowcase makes a nice little crease across my face leaving me looking like an old oil painting. We're talking doggie level people. However, I am not a dog ... just a little canine in the mornings. (smile)
One way God is stretching me is in the area of parenting, in particular, with my oldest son Ben. He's the one up there in the picture with the crutch. Don't ask me why he didn't put it down for the photo. I think it's because he thought it looked cool. I guess it kinda does.
His latest epiphany is that he wants to go to culinary school and be a chef. He has good reasons to back up his desire, but only time will tell. However, this announcement came after years of him saying he wanted to be a doctor. Since he was 6 years old, that is what he has said. However, leading up to him telling Steve and me that he wanted to go to culinary school, the Lord was already preparing me for the news. I had been sensing that Ben was developing and becoming much more "right brained" like me than "left brained" like Rick (my late husband) and who Ben had always seemed more like. As God was showing me these changes in Ben, He was also growing and changing my heart in some other areas that prepared me to be very accepting and supportive of Ben's news.
Now perhaps Ben will be on the Food TV channel one day facing off on Iron Chef ... "Ladies and Gentleman, today in kitchen stadium we will have a culinary battle of epic proportions. The ledgendary Mario Betalli will face off against new comer and recent culinary school graduate, Benjamin Francis-Peddycord!" The crowd will cheer and I will beam with pride. OR, mabye Ben will never chop, dice, and julienne amongst the culinary greats of kitchen stadium. Even so, I know that God has already been at work and blessed me with an amazing surprise in the process of trying to support Ben's dreams.
I will call her Annie.
She is in the admissions department of a culinary school Ben is interested in attending. Of all the culinary programs across America, we chose this one to investigate further, and Annie called us one day in response to a questionaire we filled out for Ben at their website. As Annie and I talked, we just sort of clicked. I can't say why, but we did. In the weeks leading up to our visit to the school for Ben to audit a class and for us to tour the facility, Annie and I talked several times. In fact by the time we arrived on the big day, I felt like I was going to see an old friend. When Annie came out of her office to greet us, we ran squealing at each other with arms extended and squeezed each other tight. Steve and Ben just rolled their eyes and said, "How do women do that???"
After a wonderful morning together, we parted ways and Annie, after learning about our story and that I had written books, wanted to get one. After returning home, I sent her one as a thank you, and she read it.
Here's the awesomest part ... she contacted me afterwards to share her heart with me. As it turns out, Annie has really undergone a very difficult year filled with complicated love, family illness, and lots of things to think about. She is such a precious person ... but she admitted to me that she is really searching for some spiritual significance in her life. She's so open to life, so open to the possibilities. She is also searching for truth. She and I both feel like it was no accident that God brought us into each other's lives. I know that He did. Annie's story, like mine, is being written every day that we breathe. I don't know how her's will end, but I know that God is pursuing her and He knows exactly what she needs. I am just so thankful that He allowed me the priviledge of being a piece of that story.
Amazing part is, if Ben had come to me 2 years ago with his desire to pursue the culinary arts, I would not have been open to it. But becasue of the work the Lord has been doing in my own heart, when Ben came to us with his heart ... I was ready. Had I not been ... I would have missed meeting Annie ... and I would never have been a piece of her life.
That is the heart of my post tonight. It screams the passage in scripture where it says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
In all these things coming together ... my heart ... Ben's desire ... our plans ... touring the school ... making a new friend ...
In all these things I can look back and see that God had something much bigger in mind than just a day at a culinary school. He was working things out for good ... and truly ... when it was all said and done ...
God is the One who had something "cookin'" all along.
There is no insignificant moments in God's eyes. I am so thankful that for that!
God bless you tonight ~
One way God is stretching me is in the area of parenting, in particular, with my oldest son Ben. He's the one up there in the picture with the crutch. Don't ask me why he didn't put it down for the photo. I think it's because he thought it looked cool. I guess it kinda does.
His latest epiphany is that he wants to go to culinary school and be a chef. He has good reasons to back up his desire, but only time will tell. However, this announcement came after years of him saying he wanted to be a doctor. Since he was 6 years old, that is what he has said. However, leading up to him telling Steve and me that he wanted to go to culinary school, the Lord was already preparing me for the news. I had been sensing that Ben was developing and becoming much more "right brained" like me than "left brained" like Rick (my late husband) and who Ben had always seemed more like. As God was showing me these changes in Ben, He was also growing and changing my heart in some other areas that prepared me to be very accepting and supportive of Ben's news.
Now perhaps Ben will be on the Food TV channel one day facing off on Iron Chef ... "Ladies and Gentleman, today in kitchen stadium we will have a culinary battle of epic proportions. The ledgendary Mario Betalli will face off against new comer and recent culinary school graduate, Benjamin Francis-Peddycord!" The crowd will cheer and I will beam with pride. OR, mabye Ben will never chop, dice, and julienne amongst the culinary greats of kitchen stadium. Even so, I know that God has already been at work and blessed me with an amazing surprise in the process of trying to support Ben's dreams.
I will call her Annie.
She is in the admissions department of a culinary school Ben is interested in attending. Of all the culinary programs across America, we chose this one to investigate further, and Annie called us one day in response to a questionaire we filled out for Ben at their website. As Annie and I talked, we just sort of clicked. I can't say why, but we did. In the weeks leading up to our visit to the school for Ben to audit a class and for us to tour the facility, Annie and I talked several times. In fact by the time we arrived on the big day, I felt like I was going to see an old friend. When Annie came out of her office to greet us, we ran squealing at each other with arms extended and squeezed each other tight. Steve and Ben just rolled their eyes and said, "How do women do that???"
After a wonderful morning together, we parted ways and Annie, after learning about our story and that I had written books, wanted to get one. After returning home, I sent her one as a thank you, and she read it.
Here's the awesomest part ... she contacted me afterwards to share her heart with me. As it turns out, Annie has really undergone a very difficult year filled with complicated love, family illness, and lots of things to think about. She is such a precious person ... but she admitted to me that she is really searching for some spiritual significance in her life. She's so open to life, so open to the possibilities. She is also searching for truth. She and I both feel like it was no accident that God brought us into each other's lives. I know that He did. Annie's story, like mine, is being written every day that we breathe. I don't know how her's will end, but I know that God is pursuing her and He knows exactly what she needs. I am just so thankful that He allowed me the priviledge of being a piece of that story.
Amazing part is, if Ben had come to me 2 years ago with his desire to pursue the culinary arts, I would not have been open to it. But becasue of the work the Lord has been doing in my own heart, when Ben came to us with his heart ... I was ready. Had I not been ... I would have missed meeting Annie ... and I would never have been a piece of her life.
That is the heart of my post tonight. It screams the passage in scripture where it says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
In all these things coming together ... my heart ... Ben's desire ... our plans ... touring the school ... making a new friend ...
In all these things I can look back and see that God had something much bigger in mind than just a day at a culinary school. He was working things out for good ... and truly ... when it was all said and done ...
God is the One who had something "cookin'" all along.
There is no insignificant moments in God's eyes. I am so thankful that for that!
God bless you tonight ~
2 Comments:
Marlo:
You want to hear something funny? When my 16-year-old son came in while I was working on your site, he commented on how cool the crutch was. :-)
Dawn
Dawn ~
See, there you go, Ben was right. Crutches = cool.
Gee, I wonder what else we don't know ...
:)
Marlo
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