Paradise Found
Paradise is back again – the books arrived, the water’s on, and the scorpion’s been replaced with a hummingbird on the bouganvilla vine not far from my guest cottage. But a brief talk with my husband this morning reminded me of the paradise I left behind in Iowa.
My son and his fiance came down Thursday night to spend a long weekend. Hiram told of their plans to hike and visit old friends, and longing washed over me. Doubt rose, and my brain swirled with questions: What am I doing in California when I could be with my kids? Why did the timing work out like this? And what business do I have speaking to special needs moms whose children may never be made whole as Allen is?
I was feeling very inadequate when I checked my email and found a note from a mother who shared her story in Different Dream. The entire email was moving, but these words spoke to my dark and doubting heart.
“Thank you for sharing your gift and calling in completing this book. When I thought of you writing this book, I thought of the sacrifice you made in doing it, entering the dark places in the hearts of the people you were writing about over and over again. I pray that now that it is done, your heart will be light, knowing all the people it will minister too.”
Her words were exactly what I needed, and her prayers were effective. My heart felt light again, not because I feel adequate, but because she reminded me that God is more than adequate. He was at work, meeting my needs through her, and would work through me to meet the needs of the moms I would soon encounter.
Confidence in Someone who has resources beyond those I possess is, I am learning, paradise found.
