Flying Solo

That's right I just completed my first solo mission in Bucharest. Scott went to see some property that the church owns outside of Bucharest. So today, I was on my own to get Olivia to her grădiniţa (daycare) and to go grocery shopping. With great success I made my way to Olivia's grădiniţa and dropped her off for a day full of fun (a birthday party and dance class all provided by her grădiniţa). And then onto the Bucharest Mall where I had a nice quiet morning planned - an early lunch at Starbucks, that's right we have a Starbucks Praise the Lord, and then I leisurely made my way to G Market, that's right the grocery store is IN the mall where I made a genuine effort to speak Romanian, not just point to things. When I finished grocery shopping (which was also my first time solo) I thought to myself, "independence here I come!!"

I remember going through this same experience in Costa Rica, then in Guatemala, and now yet again I work through my anxieties of a place that is unfamiliar to me. It is truly a strange thing to go from confidence to such vulnerability. I suppose the vulnerability is a great way God can, if we allow Him to, impact our lives with His deep desire to have us all to Himself. It is an opportunity to trust completely in His grace, power, mercy, love. Yesterday on our way home from school Olivia and I were talking about obedience. We have been working hard on obedience. Olivia will listen and then she will process what she has heard verbally. With her hands raised high and in a very matter-of-fact tone she said, "Just obedience Mom - just obedience!" Just as Scott and I have been diligently teaching Olivia about obedience and the consequences of disobedience, God has used my exasperation with the process to catch my attention. He too is a parent, He is our heavenly Father. And He too works diligently to teach His children about obedience and the consequences of disobedience. He whispered into my spirit, "Just obedience my child, just obedience." Life goes much smoother when we obey than when we rebel and fight God's attempts to lead us in paths of righteousness for His namesake. My experience today has refreshed me as I hear my Abba Father telling me, "As you have obeyed me by going to Romania, I will give you all that you need to fulfill my plans for your life. Cindy, life is much richer when you obey."

"Oh Abba help me to not resist your leading. Help me to surrender all things to You who are matchless - You who are limitless. Amen."