24 hours has never seemed like a long time to me, but yesterday it was. Yesterday, I was cranky, discouraged, and frustrated. Really not a good combination for anyone. Honestly, I didn't really have any reason to feel this way. I was telling myself to snap out of it. I was explaining to my head that I had the gift of life, shelter, food, clothing, etc., but my heart was just not listening to my head. I hate that when it happens. It was just a storm in my heart that seemed to be raging. I am glad that most of the time I don't deal with this kind of thing.
I managed to get myself to work. I even managed to get myself to worship. (Where I am currently working on the Big Island, we have a fabulous all campus worship time on Monday morning.) As worship drew to a close, I was completely unaware of the delightful surprise that awaited me in the next few moments. As worship was nearing the end, I slide my feet into cushy flip-flops and proceeded to saunter back towards the kitchen. That is when I encountered her again. Earth-Pod Girl. I had met her on Saturday. In fact, we had even sat in a volcanic formed tide pool for over an hour and she spoke of her past; her passions; her heartbreak; and her desire for more of God. I was enthralled with this amazing girl's story. She was smart, plucky, fun, and wounded. You see, we share a passion for using the world's trash in reusable ways to help the poor. In particular, she wants to use recycled trash to build "earth-pod" structures for the poor of the world to live in. As we had parted our ways on Saturday, I wondered if I would have an opportunity to chat with her again. Little did I know what God had in store.
On this morning, as I departed the Ohana Court, Earth-Pod girl planted herself in front of me. With a silly grin on her face and a floppy straw hat on her head, she said, "I want to encourage you this morning. Can I pray for you?" I just looked at her and heard myself say, "Sure." Sometimes I am amazed at myself and just how detached I am. Anyway, she started praying. Well...really she was proclaiming what she was seeing in her heart and what the Lord was whispering to her ears. She spoke in fragments, pausing as if listening for the next bit of words. Each fragment she spoke pierced my heart and deflated the discouragement that had implanted itself and taken over. Her words chased the crankiness out of the chambers where it had lodged and taken root. Mostly though, her words took the pieces of my frustration and seemed to rearrange them in a way that let me get a glimpse of where the Lord and I are journeying.
Thank you Earth-Pod girl for helping this Plank-Eyed Girl.
Enjoy the gift of today. You never know when God will place someone in front of you.
Until we chat again,
Plank-Eyed Girl
Beautiful!!!
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