Surprise Blessing

Thank you for your comments and emails on yesterday’s post on suffering. I thank God that even though we will never fully understand “Why?” we don’t tarry alone. God provides fellow believers to help carry the load, each of us shining a glimmer of light as darkness encroaches. I know some of you currently live in a season of suffering. God’s ways may not be our ways, but know He sees you and has engraved your name on the palm of His hand. (Is. 49:16)

When I started this blog less than a year ago, I had no idea the ride that lay ahead. Certainly I didn’t expect I’d meet (and reconnect with) so many of you—sisters and brothers in Christ—many of whom I now gratefully call “friend.” I didn’t realize I’d grow to love tap, tap, tapping away on my keyboard, trying my best to honor the Almighty with my words. And I didn’t expect how hard at times the enemy would attack, urging me to quit. But, with every roadblock thrown in my path God used circumstances or one of you to reaffirm my call to press on. Still at times the journey feels solitary.

Imagine my surprise/shock/disbelief when I turned on my computer on Monday and found an email in my inbox that read: “I just wanted to come by and say congratulations for being one of the Internet Café’s Top 100 Christian Women’s Blogs of 2008!”

Me? Really? Certainly someone made a mistake.

Incredulous I followed the link to Internet Café’s listing to see for myself. Unbelieveable.




Thank you, dear readers for nominating me. You delight, honor and knock my socks off! The thought that anyone (let alone several anyones) would nominate my blog in the first place astounds this ordinary girl. The reality that our awesome God uses my words to bless others leaves me at a loss. (Although, sharing this honor with some of my blog friends brings me joy. Next year I will make it a point to nominate some of my favorites, excluded from the listing!)

The list puts my blog under the category: “Pouring Proverbs 31 Blog. This blog exemplifies the principles of a Proverbs 31 woman and it comes through on her blog.” Again I ask, “Me?”

God’s timing never fails. Lest I get even momentarily puffed up by my recent success with writing or my Proverbs 31 titling, God brought to mind my actions over the weekend. While I will try to blame my bad behavior on hormones, I promise of all the things my husband may have wanted to call me over the weekend, “blessed” did not make his list.

How God vividly reminded me of the weakness of my flesh. And that if I write with the voice of “men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corin. 13:1) Oh, how far I still have to go. Thankfully the Lord extends much grace and patience. Lucky for me, my husband does too.

I want to share one other piece of writing good news with you: Last week I learned that Proverbs 31 Magazine will publish my first-ever story in July. (Insert happy dance here.)

So, today I proceed, humbled in my weakness and affirmed in my call. I will trust God’s plan for my life and try to obediently follow. As Nicole C. Mullen says on her Live from Cincinnati CD, “I stand before you, not because I’m qualified but because I know the One who qualifies the called.”

Note: I did it! Today’s What’s on Your Mind in ’09 topic at Heart Reflections challenged us to write an entire post without using any of those dreaded “be” verbs. (You know, the ones that find their way into almost every sentence: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being.) Try it sometime. Writing more dynamic prose is not easy. See!