Reason #703
Well, we have officially made it through the holidays. We had Christmas with Aaron's family this weekend, which wrapped up the festivities for us. I suppose we still have New Year's this week, but that one is easy. Plus, we stay up until midnight pretty much every night, so it won't really feel any different anyway.
Just when you think all of the surprises are out of the way and things are going to settle down for a bit, you get surprised. Last night, after we had finished unwrapping our gifts, Aaron's dad told us that there was a special ornament on the tree that he wanted us to find. Aaron spotted it pretty quickly, but didn't notice much about it as it was tucked behind the tree branches. I reached in and pulled it over so I could see the full ornament, and to our surprise it was a little snowman couple, one of which had a big belly. The bottom of the ornament said, "We're expecting!" I couldn't believe it! Aaron's sister is expecting! Of course we were shocked and completely excited for them. We definitely didn't see that coming since everyone had been playing it cool the whole night. Those little tricksters! Seems like the Davis' have a thing for sharing life changing decisions at Christmas. A proposal last Christmas and a baby announcement this Christmas! Maybe next year we need to buy lottery tickets!
Aaron's mom had us write down a few things that we hope, pray, and predict will happen in 2014, which proved to be a little harder than it seemed. Being such a planner, I pretty much have the whole year planned out so I could only think of things I was already expecting to happen. I was coming up with more of a checklist than a wish list. You'd think by now I would see the pattern of surprises and unexpected blessings and step out on a limb a bit. Yet it was hard for me to do that. It was hard for me to "dream big" because I don't want to get ahead of myself. I didn't want to write all this stuff down and then read over my list next year only to see that I accomplished nothing. Yet, isn't that the whole purpose of faith? Faith can make its plans, but faith hands it over to God and realizes that even though we might make our own plans, His are always better.
I have absolutely no idea what God has in store for us this year. I have ideas of what I'd like to happen, but I also realize that God's plans are perfect and timely and completely purposeful. And so more than anything, more than what I hope and pray and predict will happen, I want to trust this year. I want to plan to follow God's plan. I want to do His will, not mine. And maybe some of our plans will match up, and maybe they won't, and so I want to have the courage to follow His if that's the case. If He asks big things of me, I want to say yes. If He asks me to wait, I don't want to plow forward. If He puts me on a different path, I don't want to dig in my heels and resist. Because I have come to realize that the less we cling to our plans and the more we allow God to have room to work in our lives, He does so many more amazing things that we could do on our own. Usually it's not what we expect or when we expect it, but it is always for the best and at the perfect time.
I didn't expect a proposal last Christmas, and I didn't expect a baby announcement this year, so I have to say that I look forward to whatever unexpected, incredible thing God has planned out for 2014. I don't know what it is, but I know it will be good!
#703 - For more unexpected Christmas surprises!
"Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare." - Psalm 40:5
Just when you think all of the surprises are out of the way and things are going to settle down for a bit, you get surprised. Last night, after we had finished unwrapping our gifts, Aaron's dad told us that there was a special ornament on the tree that he wanted us to find. Aaron spotted it pretty quickly, but didn't notice much about it as it was tucked behind the tree branches. I reached in and pulled it over so I could see the full ornament, and to our surprise it was a little snowman couple, one of which had a big belly. The bottom of the ornament said, "We're expecting!" I couldn't believe it! Aaron's sister is expecting! Of course we were shocked and completely excited for them. We definitely didn't see that coming since everyone had been playing it cool the whole night. Those little tricksters! Seems like the Davis' have a thing for sharing life changing decisions at Christmas. A proposal last Christmas and a baby announcement this Christmas! Maybe next year we need to buy lottery tickets!
Aaron's mom had us write down a few things that we hope, pray, and predict will happen in 2014, which proved to be a little harder than it seemed. Being such a planner, I pretty much have the whole year planned out so I could only think of things I was already expecting to happen. I was coming up with more of a checklist than a wish list. You'd think by now I would see the pattern of surprises and unexpected blessings and step out on a limb a bit. Yet it was hard for me to do that. It was hard for me to "dream big" because I don't want to get ahead of myself. I didn't want to write all this stuff down and then read over my list next year only to see that I accomplished nothing. Yet, isn't that the whole purpose of faith? Faith can make its plans, but faith hands it over to God and realizes that even though we might make our own plans, His are always better.
I have absolutely no idea what God has in store for us this year. I have ideas of what I'd like to happen, but I also realize that God's plans are perfect and timely and completely purposeful. And so more than anything, more than what I hope and pray and predict will happen, I want to trust this year. I want to plan to follow God's plan. I want to do His will, not mine. And maybe some of our plans will match up, and maybe they won't, and so I want to have the courage to follow His if that's the case. If He asks big things of me, I want to say yes. If He asks me to wait, I don't want to plow forward. If He puts me on a different path, I don't want to dig in my heels and resist. Because I have come to realize that the less we cling to our plans and the more we allow God to have room to work in our lives, He does so many more amazing things that we could do on our own. Usually it's not what we expect or when we expect it, but it is always for the best and at the perfect time.
I didn't expect a proposal last Christmas, and I didn't expect a baby announcement this year, so I have to say that I look forward to whatever unexpected, incredible thing God has planned out for 2014. I don't know what it is, but I know it will be good!
#703 - For more unexpected Christmas surprises!
"Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare." - Psalm 40:5