I Saw The Wink

I saw the Wink!!

When I started this blog and was training so hard for my first 3Day walk for breast cancer I  shared several times about the "Winks of God" along the way.
Life has been a little crazy since that first blog. So many things have happened to cause twists and turns and some pretty steep hills and quick descents in the road in this 'almost' year since that first post.
I completed that walk with the love and support of so many of you, old friends and new in September of 2013. It was an incredible journey that changed my life in so many ways. I was able to take two very dark times in my life and use them as fuel to create an experience that will forever shine light into those dark areas.
It taught me that through strength in training and determination I could do things I would have only dreamed of before. But most importantly, I found a true meaning of commitment to others. On days when it would have been easy to find an excuse for trimming a couple miles from my walk...it was my commitment to so many, and the trust you had shown in me that would remind me "my excuses were invalid."
Those 'Winks of God" (coincidences you may call them) always seemed to come at precisely the right moment....
  My favorite was the time I was checking my pedometer..sure I must be close to my 10,000 steps..and Pandora chose at that exact moment to play "10,000 Reasons to Bless The Lord"
The morning I had decided to take a walk up a mountain trail and met a gentleman whose wife was battling breast cancer. I left the encounter with her name for my shirt.
The morning I slowed to walk with an older lady...her daughter I would learn,had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She was thrilled to tell her she would be carried on my shirt for 60 miles...
  The time I was on a LONG walk and feeling a bit tired and Chuck called to tell me his plant manager was making me PINK grips for my walking sticks...
 The moment shortly after starting when my phone 'pinged..you have a message' I stopped to find "a donation of $120 has been made to your acct"
The morning of a 17 mile when a little boy stuck his head out the window to say "I like your pink shirt lady" and I smiled all the way home...
I could go on and on..(I trained for 7 months ) But each of these experiences were opportunities of a reminder that He knew exactly where I was and what I needed to spur me on.
Following the walk our house sold and 2 weeks later Jim had a total knee replacement. Our neighbors left the day we signed papers and offered their home as a place of recuperation. Wait...did you see that wink?
Shortly after his surgery another friend offered 5 weeks in his condo in Florida.
SOOO..here we are in sunny Florida while Montana has been covered with snow and the cold has been record setting. Two months of additional recuperation time for Jim and a welcome respite from the busyness and stress of the past few months.
Periodically the thought will cross my mind that I am without a home to call my own. When someone asks "where do you live" I am in a quandary. A curious place to be at my age to be sure.
A few days ago a friend of another time in life informed me that she was going to, at sometime during this year surprise me with a blessing. She had made a decision to start the new year on a positive note, and was choosing the first five people to recognize her offer. She then ask for a favorite scripture or saying. Several went through my mind and I was at a standstill as which to choose. Then it happened..I remembered another time of decisions to be made..(when we lived in the same little town as my friend)...Jim's job was gone. Where would we live and where would we go....only this time we were living on a farm with cattle, and 5 children."What do we do???"
We were impressed to read the first chapter of Joshua in the Bible. There was much in that chapter that spoke to our hearts (go ahead...read it!) As I re-read it now and got to verse 9 I am pretty sure God smiled and gave me a wink.  The message to "Be Strong and Courageous and not to fear because He will be with me WHEREVER I go" was received loud and clear. I stopped to join Him in a smile and a time of peace.
For this moment I may be a Vagabond, traveling from place to place, but I am not lost and without a compass. He knows where I am and has my route and destination chosen. I just need to follow closely to the path and watch for His footsteps!! (Please Lord, no detours!!)
So thank you Gwen for being a part of this wink!!
I think there were two!
 First, my "chance"of seeing your decision to be a blessing.
Second my remembrance of Lakeview and another time of challenge and promise.
 I'm sure I feel Him smiling just knowing I caught the wink, and His gift of peace has been delivered, received and opened!!
How about YOU....have you shared a Wink with God lately?? Have ya taken time to look??   
Message me an share your wink!

LOOKING FOR A "WINK"

                                                 

44 DAYS AND COUNTING

 I am on countdown for my 3Day Walk and putting in some long days. Todays training called for  a 17 mile trek , on a VERY hot day. Commitment, Motivation, and Determination have become my best friends as of late.

 Even with an early start the sun soon made its debut and the heat began to replace the cool freshness of the morning.

In my last blog I talked about the "Coincidences" or "God Things" of life. My daughter wrote to tell me that in a book she had read, the author spoke of coincidences as being "God Winks". I like that concept and am attempting  to keep my "Coincidence" antenna poised not wanting to miss even one of those 'winks'.  I have not been disappointed!

 Today as the sun began to heat up, and my tummy was suggesting lunch, I told myself that, "I could make my distance" if I turned around before my pre-determined spot.
After a quick "Commitment" scan, I continued to my destination, a consignment store on the south end of town. With a feeling of satisfaction, and anticipation, I went inside to cool down and take a break. After a look around the store I started to leave. "Where are you walking from?"   I had the feeling this was the opening to my daily "wink".

 Turns out the clerk was a cancer survivor with 2 other friends to add to my shirt.(I'm gathering the names of cancer victims to put onto my shirt and walk in honor of their battles)  We chatted for a while and as I left with the promise to "come back and report in" I knew that I had collected my "wink" for today. I walked home with new Motivation and Determination to be true to my Commitment. :)

Oh, yeah, by the way...I arrived home with 16.89 miles on my Runkeeper ...a walk around the house and the full 17 was done. I needed to check the garden anyway :)

It was another opportunity to share a smile with God as I realized how my goal had been met by following the path set before me for the day!

"COINCIDENCES OF LIFE"

Have you ever found your self talking to a stranger and all of a sudden realizing that you were meant to meet this particular person at just this time?? Or maybe you hear a song that speaks to your situation at the moment...the Doc on TV  is answering or confirming your question...your devotion for the day is just the direction you need.....  Coincidence you say...I would call it a "God Thing".

Life seems to be full of those kind of happenings for me lately. Is God trying to tell me something I wonder?? Well, yes, I think He is. Just a simple "I'm here and I know you are too." Pretty cool to think that He loves me that much and cares enough to remind me!! How many times a day do I, in my busyness miss His little messages??  I am learning (I hope!) to be aware of the opportunities to "slow my pace" and enjoy the company of that stranger and the nugget God has chosen to drop in my path that day! The older lady struggling to get her walk for the day, the old man who is walking to 'keep his hip working' and that young person who has just chosen to be friendly..or best of all that appointment that is taking MUCH more time than you allotted because someone chooses to open their heart. These often prove to be a chance to encourage someone else and at the same time leave the encounter knowing my day has been 'kissed by God!'

Lord, allow me to see the appointments you have set for me and to be a ready and willing ear, or voice of your love, whichever you might choose.