Meeting Douglas -

~ A story about God showing me His love & blessing me in an unexpected way. ~

Thursday, March 9, 2017 at the 2017 Ligonier National  Conference: 

"In my grief of not going to China this year...I prayed today that God would show me moments of beauty 

in his kindness over these next few weeks. Moments when I felt greatly loved by God in an instant. 

Known. Cared for. Blown away by the touch of His hand upon creation. He is already on the move. This blue sky did me in today."

Friday, March 10, 2017

"Remember yesterday when I wrote this? "In my grief of not going to China this year...

I prayed today that God would show me moments of beauty in his kindness over these next few weeks. 

Moments when I felt greatly loved by God in an instant. Known. Cared for. 

Blown away by the touch of His hand..." This morning I woke up and cried for 10 mins and then took
a deep, brave breath and said "He (God) has goodness for us." and went on to have a beautiful day.

I looked for lovely moments and found so many like a stunning sunset and light through trees

and shadows on the concrete, but it was never the moment worth posting about.

"Oh well..." I thought. "It can't be something every day."

Y'ALL.

Tonight I was looking at books in the bookstore and I hear Mandarin being spoken behind me.

I turn to see a family with 3 little girls and a little toddler boy who I'd had tears in my eyes last night 

watching him. I walk over and ask where they're from and introduce myself.

"We're from PA" the Dad says. "But where are you FROM...before! I heard you speaking Mandarin.", I persisted.

They laughed and said "Yes! From Taiwan." I told him I'd just been in China last year and how much 

I missed it and then we talked for 15 minutes on adoption and orphans and CJ and China and NGO's and ministry...

and then as the lights flickered to shut down, he asked if he could pray for me.

Tears filled my eyes as I quietly said "Yes please.". Then he prayed for me by name in his halting Chinese-English accent:

"Remind her she is adopted. She is loved by You. She is family. Thank You for her heart for orphans.

Lead her and show her and incline her to the way You want her to go. 

Thank You for bringing us here for this moment..." 

I stood there with tears streaming down my face, in awe that this was happening. 

He prayed for 5 minutes for me, so many things I've struggled with these months. 

We took a picture. I thanked him over and over again "xìe xìe ne". 

Douglas, we may never meet again, 

but your prayer for me tonight gave me the strength to live courageously this year. 

You instantly loved. God used you to remind me that when we reach out and ask to SEE, 

He gives us beauty. The God Who Hears."

Never getting over the GRACE and LOVE of that tear filled moment when God set instant tangible love upon me, 

simply because He could, simply because He desired to, simply because Love is Who He is. 

Xìe Xìe Ne, Ài Baba God, Xìe Xìe.

- Jean Marie -