Perfect Strangers

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb
Jeremiah 1:5a

This morning I am trying to pull myself together. I need to make a list and get crackin' on resuming... life. The people in this house want to be fed, have clean clothes, and perhaps have coherent conversation with the wife/mother who is rumored to live here. unreasonable.

I have this feeling that's similar to jetlag, even though I didn't even cross time zones. Truth be told, I think it has less to do with time and physical travel and more to do with the spiritual journey God sent me on. I've been stalled out trying to tell the story, but I guess the best way is to just start already, so here we go:

When I took off on a trip to another state to meet the friends who live in my computer, I had no idea that I'd be here so many days later, missing those girls and wishing I could slip back away to the island for just a little longer. I didn't realize how amazing, how easy, how BIG this trip would be for what God's doing in my life right now. All I knew is that it sounded like fun, and I NEEDED a break like nobody's business. And my husband said yes. So I went.

I stepped off the plane and into the arms of Gretchen, Kellie, and Jenster- and though I'd only met one out of three, I was struck by the fact that there wasn't even one awkward moment. Not even when we added Susan to the group. There wasn't an uncomfortable silence... at all. In fact, it was the opposite... we 5 perfect strangers seemed to pick up as though in the middle of an ongoing conversation.

We jammed to Rhonda, Gretchen's Honda and jetted out to catch the ferry to the island. It was a close call, but we made it- onto my first non-Disney ferry ride. Spectacular! By the time we got there, we had time to explore the beach home, find our beds (we didn't even need to do rock, paper, scissors- even finding the rooms were easy) and quickly fall asleep. My last thoughts were praising God that I was getting along so well with these strangers.

After a totally amazing sleep, I woke to find the girls out on the porch, drinking coffee and looking out at the amazing view of the beach. I heard a shout that there was a chai on the table for me and instantly I had that little panicky voice in the back of my mind. "Oh no! what if it's made with milk? I won't be able to drink it and might make them sad that they bought me a treat and I have to turn it down!" I cautiously lifted up the cup and saw the words 'Soy Chai' written on the side.

and then it hit me. These girls don't feel like strangers because they aren't. Somehow, when I wasn't paying attention, God put together this divine appointment with these precious sisters. He knew before He created the earth that we would be sitting there on Whidbey Island on that weekend... and while I thought I was there for a break and an adventure...He had a purpose far beyond what I could have ever asked or imagined....

So yes, I cried over a soy chai... and the taste of what what was yet to come


and don't even get me started on the stuffed french toast....


.......to be continued