feelin the love

Do you ever notice it is sometimes very difficult to allow yourself to be loved?
Somewhere deep inside you feel undeserving and humbled that someone would go out of their way to invest in you.

God must really be wanting us to believe His love for us this week, because He has literally sent us someone daily to pour into us in specific, intentional ways that have spoken so deeply to our hearts.

This weekend our cousins, Josh & Kim, visited. Kim wanted to bring me something special that would show her love & share a piece of home with me. She walked through the door with a mason jar full of daffodils she and her momma had picked just for me. I couldn't hold back the tears because the gift couldn't have been more perfect! A piece of home full of sunshine and promise to enjoy just because. The intention behind the gift made it so dear to me. And I could feel whispers of God's love through Kim's thoughtfulness. Then, Saturday night, Josh informed Aron he had a gift for him, but he had to close his eyes. Aron reluctantly agreed to cover his face as Josh told him a story about a long lost beloved treasure. You see, when Aron was a little boy, his dad took him to an Indian PowWow - a festival of sorts - in which he purchased Aron a tomahawk. As he grew older & stronger, he loved to throw this tomahawk, which he affectionately named, "Tommy Toma-hawk". Infact, he threw it so often at a particularly large tree in the front yard at Josh's house, the tree dried up, died, and had to be cut down before it fell on the house.

In the summer of 2003, one of Aron's cousins, Kalub, accidentally overthrew Tommy, and the beloved weapon sailed pass the tree and over the hill into the brush & woods. Aron & about 4 other boys spread out across the hillside wacking down the brush with machetes searching high and low for Tommy - but Tommy remained lost. Infact, every summer since 2003 Aron has taken to that hillside with a machete in hand faithfully looking for his tomahawk - including this past summer during our brief time visiting home.

During a break in the weather a few weeks ago, Josh decided to go hunting for Aron's Tomahawk. He knew what it meant to Aron. By an act of God, Josh miraculously found Tommy's head buried in the dirt - (Aron had found the broken handle a few summers back, but no head. I laugh as I remember Aron's report when he found the lonely, broken handle, "There were definate signs of trauma!"). Josh then fashioned a brand new handle out of solid Mahogany and restored Tommy Toma-hawk to his former glory, and then carted him up to Michigan to return him to his rightful place at Aron's side.

Tommy was wrapped in a note reminding Aron that God is a Warrior, and that Aron was fashioned in this Mighty Warrior's image and after His heart. He quoted from Exodus 15:3, "The Lord is a Warrior. The Lord is His name." He wanted the tomahawk to always remind Aron of the battle he has been called to fight and that, "You are a warrior." Aron was moved beyond words; he wants to frame the note and Tommy to hang in his office as a reminder. Wow. If that isn't love straight from God through his children, I don't know what is!

Monday night Miss Becky Jo sent some rockin cookies home with Belle for us all to enjoy - so delicious and so thoughtful - especially since I worked 3 12's in a row with NO time to cook.

And Ms. Bernie took Belle shopping to pick out mommy something to soothe her aching feet after a very exhausting 3 days. Belle was sooooo excited to give me the gift. I could hear her talking about a present when I called on the way home. Can you believe the way God loves us in the details?But can I say that in every instance He used His children to love on us. So now I'm asking, "God, who do you want me to love on this week? And what can I do that will speak directly to a place in their heart that they'll know its from you?"

And a few random shots...I cropped off my head because I am making a terribly weird face, but I wanted to show the fam back home that I'm finally popping a little after 18 weeks!And a few of Belle in her carseat on the way to meet Josh & Kim in Lansing. She could not wait to "go see Josh & Kimmy!!" She had just awoke Saturday morning, but was all smiles knowing where we were going.

ejk