Lifted up

 As always, I am full of words. 

 I am rarely without words. It is either a blessing, or a curse, depending on the situation, and whom you ask. 

 I had decided a few days ago that I was going to take a break from writing for awhile. 

 I had no noble reasons, no purpose, nothing better that I was planning to do with my time. 

 I was simply discouraged - perhaps it is vanity, perhaps it is selfishness, perhaps it is simply being a human - whatever it was, I was discouraged.

 It seems that God's plans are often not the same as my own! I took Friday night off from writing, mostly to see if I could. After writing (almost) every night for the last two months, it has very much become a habit! 

 Saturday's mail came with a letter from my sister Kelsey. She is in Africa, so every word from her is treasured, because there are sometimes whole weeks when her internet is down and we don't get to talk to her. Anyway, at the end of her letter she said "Bethy, never stop blogging..." 

 Hmmmm....

 But, Saturday was very very full. We had 28 people at our house that night for "Andy's last hurrah" before he deploys. Our house really isn't made to hold 28 people, but we made it work - more on that later. The point of that story is that I didn't blog on Sat. either. I didn't even log onto the computer, all day long. That is pretty much a minor miracle right there! 

 Two whole days off - no words. 

 God wasn't done with me yet. In the middle of church this morning, I had turn my sermon notes over and start a new column of notes: "things to blog about". Andy elbowed me, thinking that was disrespectful to the sermon, but I promise, that column was just as much God's word as the points the preacher was making. 

 When I finally got around to checking my E-mail this evening while we (read Andy) were/was watching the Super Bowl, (Sad times there, poor Cardinals) I noticed that I had a new comment on my blog. 

 It seems I had been nominated for an award on Internet Cafe Devotions. I was very surprised. Deeply honored. And so very encouraged. (I am listed as Proverbs 2:6 on their list)

 I needed that little bit of encouragement. Some of these blogging words are mine. Often I just get on here, and ramble on about nothing. 

 But sometimes these words are not mine. They are God's. These fingers are just tools. They type, but my brain isn't always in charge. 

 

 Today I am renewed.

 I am blessed. 

 I am encouraged. 

 God's timing is ALWAYS perfect. 

 A letter from Africa. A comment from an encouraging website. 

 So I will write. And I will listen. I am will pray continually that God will use these fingers, because that is my goal. 

Please check out the other blogs on the list, including the blog of my good friend Carrie. And if God has put words in your heart, let them out. Please! You'll feel so much better, even if no one else comments on them, or even ever reads them. Let them out!