We've been to many weddings in our day, but with us living in Michigan and the wedding taking place in Kansas, this was the first time we would be the out-of-town guests. Neither Bob nor I are ones to rush around so our original plan was to take a couple days to drive there and after the wedding spend the rest of the week on vacation. Ah... such a nice, relaxing plan. Emphasis on "plan" - as in, that's not really what's going to happen.
The reality was, we were given the opportunity to host a house in the Parade of Homes to raise funds for OpeN Christian Center, our school in Kenya. The Parade runs for three weeks and the wedding fell smack-dab in the middle of it. So much for our vacation! Still, with the Parade only open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, we felt we could find help to cover the weekend shifts and still take our time there and back.
Then came the opportunity to carpool with some of Bob's family members. The catch was, with everyone's work schedules and the inability to get time off, we'd have to leave on Thursday night and return on Sunday night. That meant driving straight through. On my list of things I'd like to do, riding fourteen hours in the back of a van would be pretty close to the bottom. Not only would it be long and boring (no offense to my van-mates intended), but a physical challenge for me as well. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to move once we made it to Kansas, and definitely didn't want to spend the weekend flat on my back.
In addition, as guests we received an itinerary for the weekend. I've been struggling with other health issues since the first of the year, and I felt exhausted just looking at the schedule. I seriously contemplated not going, but in the end the desire to spend time with family won out. Still, I had my concerns and asked my friends to be praying.
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention the tornadoes. The plains states had been ravaged by them the week before, and big storms were predicted for the weekend we were traveling.
The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame." ~ Isaiah 58:11
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention the tornadoes. The plains states had been ravaged by them the week before, and big storms were predicted for the weekend we were traveling.
The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame." ~ Isaiah 58:11
I'm so thankful I'm FINALLY learning to ask for prayer in ALL circumstances rather than striking out on my own. Praise be to God for a fabulous weekend! We missed all the storms on the way to Kansas, I arrived in pretty good shape and must have gotten some sleep on the way because I had plenty of energy to get me though the day! The itinerary that seemed overwhelming turned out to be a total blessing (which you can read about in my next post) and the wedding was beautiful. They had the cutest idea for a guest book!
We "signed in" by making a green fingerprint on the tree they had painted on a canvas, then wrote our names on the prints.
The bride and groom's fingerprints are on the swing. Isn't that adorable?
Father, I thank you for your protection as we traveled, for rest and strength and energy, for time with family and new friends. Most of all, I thank you for teaching me to trust you and rely on you for all of my needs. You truly are an awesome God!
Blessings,
Lisa
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What a fun time and what a sweet blessing from God to take such good care of you. And YES, that is a delightful idea for a guest book. I love it! :) Have a blessed and beautiful week!
So glad your trip went so well and the wedding so beautiful! Love that guest book idea!
Oh I can understand the frustration when plans do not go along with the map you laid out to happen.
Thank you for sharing at :"Tell me a Story" I am certain that you made a lot of other people happy and blessed them with your flexible attitude :-)