How gracefully and purposefully He brings everything together; The Master Storyteller, always intervening, always for the better. -Morgan Harper Nichols
Happy 4th of July!!!
Have you ever had one of those experiences where you feel His mercy and favor blanketed over every second of it?
-Where every “next moment,” you can see that He had His hand in it?
-Where He walked before it and laid it out?
-Where He planned it to be EXACTLY what you needed even when you didn’t know what you needed?
-Where He took a single moment in a season and made it into His perfection to make His presence known?
This weekend was it! It was perfection. It was just what this dear friend and I needed. But far before this weekend, this friend was one of those perfect and most divine blessings. It’s funny how we look back and realize that God knew what we needed long before we ever had any idea that we would need it as much as we do. And it all started with a phone call..
We’ve walked through seasons, traumas, and experiences together in ways that most people will never understand. And I think the both of us can hope and pray that no single human being or spouse ever has to walk through things that we have. But we both know and agree that God has given us a strength and a testimony through a season that many days we wish we would have never had to endure. One that we still don’t quite understand. But it has, without a shadow of a doubt, brought an intimacy with Him that only coming to the end of ourselves would have given us. Often, we are reminded… It’s a chapter, not the whole story.
This 4th of July weekend, we made a last minute trip to Chattanooga, TN. I would honestly say, with tired and weary souls, it was a weekend that we both needed. We had no idea how much, until we felt the sweet rest and wonder that our souls both so desired. Everything was last minute and without a plan but that’s what made it so incredible.
The weekend was a mix between enjoying all the finer things in the city and the healing touch of the mountain air. Getting out and hiking trails to watch a sunset on top of a mountain with not a soul in site and only the whispers of the breeze. On a weekend with the world in a different place than it’s ever been on the 4th of July, we didn’t think we’d get to see fireworks in the ways of the past- but little did we know we ended up at the top of a mountain with the full moon glowing above thousands of fireworks throughout the entire city. A little surprise that we never expected and man was it a sweet one. A moment where we saw that He is seeing us through our seasons.
As we sat on a rock on what felt like the edge of the world, Tisha said, “Isn’t it incredible how everything can be filled with such chaos and pain right now but right here in this place, everything is so perfect.” And her apple watch lit up with her bible verse of the day that said, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift from our Father in Heaven who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes.” (James 1:17). We looked out over it all in awe and knew that He spoke right into our hearts. We took deep breaths as we watched the colors light up the sky. In complete silence we took it all in. It’s one of those moments that you want to bottle up, but we know that forever it will be a sweet memory.
Moments like this are building blocks to faith. They are building blocks to understanding how much God truly loves us. Just when we think we are unseen, forgotten, tired, or weary, He says, “Let me restore. Let me give you strength.” It’s something that Tisha and I both needed this weekend. Little did we know just how incredible it would truly be.
Chattanooga Sweet Spots
Lodging:
https://www.marriott.com/search/findHotels.mi
Massages and soap making with essential oils:
https://www.goodfortunesoap.com
Great Food:
https://boathousechattanooga.com
Faith For Miracles 