Busy Bee

These next few months are going to be CRAZY!!  I have a lot going on for the next couple of months and I absolutely cannot wait.

First, I am running a half marathon.  I've never run more than a 5k.  I'm very intimidated.  This all started out as a fun thing to do with Andrew and a way to get more exercise.  Back in November we signed up for the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville.  Well, we started training and actually did pretty well and then we stopped.  Don't ask me why.  Basically we would run for a couple of weeks and then not run for a couple of weeks.  We weren't getting anywhere with our training and almost decided to throw in the towel.  But, I've already paid for this thing and I refuse to quit it.  So, for the last month we've gotten pretty serious about running.  We've built up our mileage pretty quickly (I don't think that is how you are supposed to do it).  We take long runs every Saturday and I have to say that it is quickly becoming one of my favorite times of the week.  Running 6 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles takes some time.  I love having an hour or two to myself.  We go run in beautiful places and I get a lot of time to just clear my head and live in the moment.  It's therapeutic.  Not to mention, I get to wear my new purple running shoes!!!

Also coming up is my brother's wedding!!!!!  I'm so excited about this wedding.  They are getting married in late May and the month leading up to it will be filled with tons of joyful family time.  You see, my brother and his fiancé have been living in Montana for the past few months and I hardly ever get to see them or talk to them.  I can't wait to spend some quality time helping them prepare for this awesome journey into marriage. I'll be traveling home to Asheville at least three weekends in May and although it will be exhausting, it will be a blessing as well.  They don't know it yet but I'm pretty much just going to attach myself to them while I'm home and make the most of our time together.

Aren't they awesome together?  Too cute!

I also can't wait to spend some quality time with my best friend, Meredith, while I'm home.  She seriously gets me and I can't wait to have some best friend dates.  It's hard when your two best friends live in different cities.  Meredith is a long car ride away and Kayla is even further.  We do what we can to see each other when we are home for the holidays but let's face it, that is not enough time.  At some point in the near future, Meredith and I are going to fly up to New York to see Kayla but in the mean time, I am going to be seeing a ton of Meredith.  My heart is so happy about this.  She seriously rocks my world.

Sometime after May, Andrew and I are planning a weekend to St. Louis.  We've been planning it for a while but life has gotten in the way.  We were first going to do it over my birthday weekend but then I found out that I had to work all weekend.  We pushed it to the next weekend but then my grandfather passed away and we had to go home to Asheville for a few days.  We finally planned it for mid April but Andrew just found out that he will be out of town with his job over that weekend.  We will get there, mark my words.  We just have to find the right time.  Since May is already super busy, we'll probably shoot for June.  Who knows?

My life is pretty crazy right now but I love that!  I'm so glad that God has blessed  me with so many wonderful people.  I have no idea what I would do without them, well except maybe sit on my couch and have nothing to do.  That wouldn't be any fun.

Get excited because I'll share everything along the way!

Much Love,
Rachel Elizabeth

A God Moment

Have you ever heard people say they had a moment where they knew God was talking to them.  Something happened and they knew it was meant for them; it was meant to teach them something.  Well, I have always hear people say this and sometimes I am begging for God to give me a sign.  Please Lord, show me what you want me to do.  Teach me!!  A couple of weeks ago we were at church and I had a God moment.  I know what you're thinking, you were in church and you had a God moment...how novel.  Well, it was so blatant that it almost knocked me off my feet.

I'll start at the beginning...

I have a real problem with being judgmental.  I try so hard to be kind and not make judgements on people, especially before I've even met someone but my humanity gets the best of me sometimes and I pass judgement.  It's something that I constantly ask God for help on and something that I have to pray about regularly.  

We went to church and it wasn't just a regular day at church, it was the very first service in a new building.  That's right, our church had just relocated and we were there, full of anticipation, for the very first service.  It was slightly chaotic as we were all trying to find our way around and lots of people filed in late.  I was sitting with Andrew's whole family in one of the riser sections and about five minutes after the service began, I saw this woman walk in who was dressed in a costume and had a huge purple wig on.  I'm ashamed to say but I immediately judged her. I looked at her and assumed that she knew how important this day was to our church and she had worn a costume to pull attention to herself and away from God.  In actuality, she probably only pulled my attention but nonetheless, I was upset with her.  She sat down just a few rows in front of me so I naturally kept my eye on her.  My judgmental tendencies pulled my attention from God.  I could have just shrugged it away and listened to the sermon but I sat there and thought of all the possible reasons that she might have worn such an odd get-up to church.  

At the end of the sermon, we took communion in our new church.  I got up, took my bread, dipped it in the juice and just ate it without thanking Jesus for His sacrifice.  I watched this woman the whole time.  I was selfish.  I watched her walk to the front of the auditorium and take communion with everyone else.  When she filed back around to her seat, she couldn't sit down because a young man had entered the auditorium and sat in her seat to pray.  He had his head bowed and he was sobbing.  You could tell that he was asking Jesus for help, the kind of help that only He could give.  The woman with the purple hair just walked out of the auditorium.  I sat and watched that young man and thought to myself that I should go lay a hand on him and pray with him, for him.  I wanted him to know that he was not alone and that Jesus wasn't the only person on his side, that I would be as well.  I wanted him to feel loved.  But, I was too scared.  I stood there and didn't show him the love of Christ.  Instead, I embraced my selfish tendencies and stayed where I was.  After all, I didn't want to embarrass myself.

Then, the woman changed my heart and made me ashamed of my judgements.  

After a few minutes, she walked back in the auditorium and over to the young man.  She bent down and placed not only her hand but her whole head on him and prayed for him.  She hugged him and prayed over him.  She made sure he knew that he wasn't alone.  You could see him sobbing.  He was sobbing so hard that you could not only see his body moving but her's too as he took deep breaths.  Eventually, she lifted up, kissed him on the back of the head and walked out.  It was all I could do to hold back my tears.  This woman, that I judged, was able to do what I wasn't.  She showed the love of Christ to someone in need.  

I believe that God sent her to help that man.  Sent her to make sure he knew that he was loved.  I think God also sent her for me.  To show me that judging people is not my place and that there is more to people than what meets the eye.  I still think about how I felt that day and how it affected me.  I'm praying even harder now for God to keep helping me with my thoughts and attitudes toward others.  We never know someone's story.  

I found out later that the woman I saw had been helping in the kids' ministries and she was dressed up as a character for their first day in the new building.  She didn't want to take attention from God.  She was serving Him in more ways than I can count.  She was important in that young man's life and in mine.

It was a God moment and I needed it.

_______

Do you find that there are certain people that you have a hard time loving?  For example, a particularly difficult person at work or a very needy friend?  I have those people and I practice finding the good in them and being Christ-like to them.  It isn't always easy and I mess up a lot.  But, I'm trying and I know ever-so-much-more how important it is to first show people love.

Much love,

Rachel Elizabeth