"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
Well, the sun came out on many tomorrows for me...I was blessed to grow up with a Mommy and Daddy. I had a good home-was never abused or neglected in any way. And as I grew in this loving home God gave me, my desires to adopt orphans and in general help children in need - grew too!
I mentioned in my last wink how poor my memory is. My children often want to hear stories from my childhood and I don't have a large variety to share.
This one, however, comes up again and again. I'm not sure why. It's pretty gross. Here goes.
Once upon a time, when I was about 8 years old, my brother (your Uncle) Bobby and his friends liked to torture me! It was cruel-heartless-and about all a fiesty 8 year old could take!!
He and his friends would find and capture some poor helpless frog. Now, I'm not overly fond of frogs...but what they did next was just wrong!!
They would stand in the middle of the road (here's where I remind them how standing in the middle of the road to play is never a good idea) and throw that poor froggy up in the air and then threaten not to catch him!!
I, in near hysteria, would run around screaming and crying and trying to catch that poor creature before it came to it's untimely death-smashed down on the pavement.
Why do I tell my children this crazy story??? Well, it sticks out in my mind as a moment in my childhood (one of few) that I have not forgotten. I am sure, however, that the story has become somewhat exagerated over time. Sometimes I think they were throwing several frogs at the same time..hence the crazy running around. Sometimes I think they did this often-a regular routine. Truth is, it most likely happened only once. It was most likely only one little froggy that perished that sad day. Truth is,also, that it affected me. That running around-feeling helpless-wanting to do something -but not being able to . Certain I should help-but unable to do it!!!!
I held onto that for a long time. For years, and years I have longed to adopt children in need of a loving home. It was not God's timing. I wanted it so badly and would run in circles trying to make it happen. I thought perhaps it may never be in his plan. In my heart I planned my course, but God determined my steps and for so long my steps did not lead me in that direction.
Until this year. I am 40. 32 years since I welled up with compassion to try to rescue the froggy and maybe even longer since I saw that movie Annie.
I might not remember a lot of things-but I remember this:
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
Have a blessed night blogging friends...wink-wink!
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