The Joke Was On Me

Trust in the Lord with all your heart… Proverbs 3:5

 When I was a little girl my mom used to make homemade pop cycles for my brothers and me out of Kool-Aid. I loved sitting on the steps on a hot Kansas summer day eating them.  My favorite way to eat one was to bite off a piece and let in sit in my mouth and tip my head back letting it melt and just run down my throat…just kind of letting the sweet fruity smell and flavor  wash over me. This past week I’ve had that “wash over me” feeling, except it’s been the grace of God spilling over my senses and not a frozen summer snack.

Last Thursday my post about rolling away the stone was so personal I nearly threw up right after I hit the publish button.  I spent the next few hours thinking things like…oh gosh…what if I fail!  What if it was too much and
readers were left wanting me to hold up my “too much information”card.  What if this is just too hard and I really can’t do it…what if I was all wrong and God doesn’t have anything to do with this at all! Then I was reminded this whole thing really is about trusting so I got a little sassy with God and said, “So, if this was really Your idea, please prove it.”  Giving up dairy, grains, sugars and sweeteners, beans and peanut butter and anything processed for 30 days is clearly something I could never do on my own.  Surviving on fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat for a month seemed impossible after the post flew onto the website.  However, l still really felt like I was supposed to do this and I was gearing myself up for four long weeks of suffering and deprivation, headaches and a case or two of the grump’s. But, God heard my sassy little voice and the joke was on me!

I have nearly finished the first week and I am in complete awe of the generosity, compassion and strength God has shown me.  This week has been one grace after another washing over me like a flood.I woke up last Friday morning with a huge sense of peace that hadn’t been there the day before and by ten that morning; I had three lovely ladies tell me they were praying for my success.  Several readers left supportive comments on the blog or Facebook and I can’t even begin to tell you how powerful that was. It was like God whispering, I’ll roll that stone away, trust me and I’ll sprinkle your path with people who will help you while you wait. I got an email Friday night from the dear lady in California who inspired me to do the Whole30 and she included her cell phone number in case I had questions. I’ve never met her but she wanted me to know she was eager to see me succeed.  Saturday Dave and I took an impromptu trip to MSU to visit our son Kevin. 
He picked his favorite burger place for lunch and I thought…great…but to my surprise right on the menu board in big letters were the words, ‘we’re happy to serve our famous burgers with no bun’.  Really…thank you God.  Sunday was a card party with a seemingly endless array of snacks and goodies…and one beautiful bowl of delicious fruit...that’s all I needed!  As I
was standing a safe distance away from the food, a sweet friend who had read the post put her hand on my arm and shared some very encouraging words.  Thanks again God!  Monday was birthday treat day it seemed. 
At the end of the day I plopped down at my desk and there sat three
baggies of treats…all with chocolate!  That very instant in walked a sweet young mom with a basket of fresh fruit and vegetables…it looked like a rainbow in a basket!  She said, “I read your post and I just wanted you to know I’m praying for you and wanted to give you some support.”  She left, and I cried!  It was the most thoughtful gift I could have ever imagined and it was delivered with absolutely perfect timing. It was His exclamation point at the end of the sentence. The sentence that said “Sheri, that should prove it, don’t you think!”

 I have spent the last couple days wondering two big things.First, how did I get so lucky that He chose to shower me with such powerful grace? And second, if it feels this amazing to trust Him completely, why in the world didn’t I do it sooner?   It’s hard to find the words to explain how incredible it feels to trust completely and hand over a big stone!  All I can say is, “Ya really have to try this!”
 
A Seed To Plant:  Take a look again at that list of stones you need God to roll away in your life and make a plan to dive in and give it completely over to Him…don’t wait…it’s too amazing to miss out on!

Blessings on your day!