Blessed are the Feet … Pedicure Moments

We are flying to Okinawa, Japan in just a few short days from today.  

My husband and I have settled into a wonderful, retired rhythm here in the Sunshine State.  We are near our grown children and their families.  Life is good. This post-Army life was our new normal.  

Out of the blue, we were shown a need and then offered an opportunity to serve a congregation in Okinawa, Japan!!  

It happens to be surrounded by American military.  The fit seemed right. God began confirming things for us three months ago when it was in the planning stage.  We were getting a repeated "YES" at every turn.  

But now and then, you just want to make sure you heard God correctly.  Japan, Lord?  You want me to go to Japan?

And just like our Heavenly Father, He brings a lovely retired Air Force spouse into my life.   She sat down beside me for a pedicure!  This lovely lady, with a sweet Southern drawl, and I began the 'normal' conversation thing..."how long have you lived here" ..."where are you from" ... etc. Within a few minutes, she told me they were retired Air Force.

Well, that opened the FLOOD GATE. And what are the odds that she just happened to retire out of Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan???!!!!!!!!!!

I'd say it's 100% in this ONE encounter! I looked at her and said, "This is not accidental. This is truly providential that you were sat beside me for a pedicure."  (Did I mention we will be able to see Kadena in the distance, from our temporary residence?!).  

This sweet 84 year old lady named Charlotte and I became bonded immediately. We shared stories about our kids' experiences and living in foreign lands. We swapped stories of hardship and war. We knew each other well, by the time our pedicures were finished.  I was beyond blessed by the end of our conversation.

In Japan, we will be sharing the Good News. We are looking forward to showing the love of Jesus to this congregation and those beyond the walls of the church.  

Romans 10:15 says, "And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" (NLT).  I love the King James take on the latter part of the same verse, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"  

God really has blessed our feet as we bring His Good News!  Doubly blessed because I have an awesome pedicure!  God continues to bless my socks off as friends and family have sent their love through support, encouragement and prayers.  Wow, God! You're going to do good and great things!  

Thank you Lord for sending that confirmation through Charlotte today, along with the emotional hug! I am ready for Okinawa, Japan!  Have you had a pedicure lately?  I think your feet will be blessed by it!

Bad Timing

Joshua 3:15

          So much in life involves timing. Athletes know this all too well. The difference between a field goal point and a missed opportunity is timing. A split second one way or the other means a miss. Horse racing is often decided by a fraction of a second. Swimmers touch the wall to signal their completion of the race. If they fully extend at just the right time they can be the winner.

          Pregnancy happens based on timing. Even when we are not aware of it, the timing of the preliminary events make pregnancy possible. And everything must be just right. If the timing is wrong the minus sign appears.

          The international space station’s orbit and the launching of satellites is all about timing. If the launch is off by just a few seconds, or the burner is cut short, the mission in a failure. The satellite doesn’t achieve proper orbit and is just an expensive piece of space jewelry.

          So why would the LORD pick that time to cross the Jordan River? Joshua couldn’t have picked a worse time to cross. It was at flood stage. He would have known this. I know if I had been in his shoes I would have questioned the LORD’s instructions. There would have been all sorts of things running around in my mind. The roaring flood waters presented an extra challenge to their crossing.

          But the bad timing made their crossing a true sign of the LORD’s presence with them. If they crossed during the dry season, not such a big deal. They could have walked with their shoes and socks off and pants rolled up. No miracle was needed. So why didn’t the LORD just wait? Why did He pick the most difficult time to cross?

          Have you ever noticed that the LORD allows the most difficult times in our lives to be the times of greatest growth potential? He allows life’s circumstances to use up our resources in order to get us to a place where we will depend fully on Him. All our possible solutions are doomed to fail. Then the LORD gives us the solution, an impossibly difficult obstacle. There is no way we could do it ourselves. We know that! But the LORD calls us to do it anyway.

          And if the LORD is in the timing, we will succeed! Even when all looks against us, we will come out on top because the LORD will place us there. And in the end, He will get the credit. This will happen because everyone will be able to clearly see that it was an impossible task. No one will be able to come up with a plausible explanation of how it happened apart from the intervention of the LORD.

          And when that happens, the LORD will get the credit. Praise and honor will be freely given to Him, the One who did the impossible. And anyone else who tries to take credit will look like a fool.