So How Did You Know???

When we first started seriously considering this journey of life on the road, I really stressed to Steve that I needed to know that this wasn't his midlife crisis.  I told him it was really important to me to receive some sort of confirmation from God that this is the direction we're supposed to go.  This was admittedly a point of dispute between us.  He felt like asking for confirmation was a lot to ask, but I cited examples from the Bible where God's people did just that.  They asked for a sign.  Think about Gideon.  And what about when Abraham's servant prayed for a sign to know what girl to choose for Isaac's wife.  I think it's okay to ask God for such things, & so I did.

Soooo...have you ever asked God for something or struggled with him over something & then something happens & you just know instantaneously, deep within, that it was just for you.  It's almost embarrassing at the time because you're pretty sure that others won't understand, but every fiber of your being knows that it was God's direct communication with you.  I'm always a little hesitant to share these moments because they feel so intimate, and I admit that there have been times that I shared that I felt like I was not really believed.  Like I had misjudged the voice of God.  But that is ridiculous, really.  Our hope & trust lies in God alone, not man.  Sooo...it doesn't matter if you believe me or not...I will still share my story. :)

Well, remember I'd been praying for confirmation, & also remember that when we ask God for something, it doesn't usually come in the package we envision.  At least, that's usually my experience.  Soooo...we were eating dinner at a favorite Vietnamese restaurant of ours on Saturday, July 31st.  When the girls were done eating, Shanan went & got fortune cookies for all of us.  You know fortune cookies are always full of incredible useful & insightful things, right???  Not!!!  Anyway, when I opened my cookie, two strips of paper fell out, and when I read them, I nearly fell over.  You know how I said sometimes things happen & you just know they're meant for you??!?  The first paper said, "This year your highest priority will be your family."  The second one said, "You desire to discover new frontiers.  It's time to travel."  Now...I realize that you may not feel like that could be your answer to prayer, but it was for me.  I knew it instantly in my gut the moment I read it.  I told Steve, "You are NOT going to believe this!"  His response, "Well, there's your confirmation!"  Seriously, a fortune cookie??!!?  It's laughable, really, because I'm sure that there are many who will think it's ludicrous that I would put any weight in that...except that I just knew.  I do have a memory of hearing another woman's testimony that included an answered prayer via a fortune cookie.  Stranger things have happened, right?  God does work in mysterious ways, and I'm reminded of Hebrews 11:6"..without faith, it is impossible to please God..."  He does not always make sense to my human mind, but that is okay, isn't it?  It was at this point in our journey that I started to feel like this was more than just talk, and in fact, this was really going to happen.  And I admit that I felt more than just a little bit crazy. ;)