Astonished

Three minutes after the mailman came yesterday I sat at the table, wiping tears from my eyes and letting myself cry.  Astonished,  overwhelmed with gratitude and wonder-tears.  I was chopping onions when the mailman handed me the little white envelope through my kitchen window so onion vapor and tears already clouded my eyes.  But when I read the lines "we love you guys and believe in you" on the last sentence of the small card and looked into the envelope I was stunned by the astonishing gift of kindness and grace.   Maybe that's not even a strong enough word.  I was floored, overwhelmed, amazed...  and I burst into tears.
How could the writer of this letter have possibly known the prayers of help and clarity that Dave and I angonized over the night before?  How could the writer of this note have possibly even sensed that when it came to our family making a big decision, we were at an impass? How could they have possibly known that our last words were "we can't possibly make a decision tonight, lets pray about it and see what God wants to do?"

I bet they didn't know.
But the Holy Spirit did.
And they listened and were moved.

And the great symphony of gratitude and wonder came to a rising creschendo as I chopped onion and cried elephant tears of thanksgiving over the table.

"Why are you crying Mommy?"  Josie asked (of course) and the only reply I could give was
"God answered a prayer we didn't even know how to pray honey."

And he did it in the most unusual of ways.

And I am reminded in a tangible way the the works of this great conductor of souls and prayers works in my life and the lives around me at a level I can never know, but only be amazed at.  And I am comforted, once again, that He is For Me.

My friend Anna reposted my marriage tip today and I read it, laughing because my own "tip" was practiced last night, even drinking the tea and listening to each other.  I would probably add that having an overwhelming sense the the Holy of Holies is always in your midst so why should we be afraid?  In marriage, in family, in life, the best and only stance we can take is to stand together and be completely dependent on Him who is among us.  To stand in awe of God. 

Oh, and to follow that nudging of the holy spirit together in your marriage... but that's a lesson I learned yesterday from a couple who, in celebration of their one month of marriage, decided to knock the socks off of another couple who are closing in on the 5 year mark.  They should be the ones writing marriage tips!