Morning Mercies

This is weird, isn’t it? You’re probably wondering why you’re reading this, just as I’m asking myself why am I writing this lol. But a few people had asked me if I was going to end my blogs, and I said “nah I don’t really want to” or “I would if the Lord showed me something He wanted me to close with”. But today it hit me like a brick. I honestly have not talked about the race that much lately, but someone today asked me how I got home with all the transportation while my phone and debit card were stolen, and well it led me to a crazy God story. Actually, it got me thinking about one of my favorite stories because it just reminded me how much God cares for us so intentionally. After I told her the story she said “you have to write that down because that just shows you how much God really cares”. After that I thought to myself, she’s so right, it would be wrong of me not to share how much God truly sees us. So buckle up because the Lord is about to get wild.

So, it’s Sunday night. I finally board my plane after crying for many hours saying goodbye to everyone from the race and I’m ready to rumble. I sit down, pillow in hand, ready to take a fat nap and land in North Carolina, to then catch my Landover to Newark and be home :). Well, ya know that feeling when you’ve been crying for a long time and you just pray that the person next to you isn’t one of those airplane chatters?? lol maybe it’s just me but sometimes I just want to put my earbuds in and not say a thing. BUT Thank you Jesus that I was sitting next to a sweet lady named Maryann. She was headed to see some family, and of course, asked me where I was coming from. She saw my necklace (which is shaped as the continent of Africa) and asked me if I was coming from there. I told her about Africa and what I was doing there, and how I was a follower of God. We kept talking but mostly about how she wanted me to date her son, and I was just trying to tell her that I was already in love with Jesus lol. I was trying to be sly…but if you know me you know I’m so awkward about that kinda stuff it wasn’t working too well lol. Well, long story short, our plane was delayed by 2 hours, and we had to get off to then reboard about 20 minutes later on the same plane. When we got off for those twenty minutes, this old man caught my eye, and I just smiled at him and he smiled back, while everyone else was fuming about being so delayed (this detail will be important later).

So, we are back on the plane, and I asked Maryanne if I could borrow her phone to call someone to tell them my flight will be delayed and that I’ll have to catch another plane when I land in North Carolina. I continued to tell her that my phone got stolen in Ecuador by a man on a motorcycle. You see, when I was telling her about Africa earlier I forgot to mention that I also was in Ecuador, because then she said “sweetie, you either have the craziest life or your whole life sounds like a lie”. I said “both are probably true lol only kidding”, but she then handed me her phone. Now that her phone was in my hand I realized I only remember one phone number and it was my brother’s. I call him to send me my friend’s number because she was the one picking me up from the airport and I had to tell her I was not going to make it. At this point, Maryann is loving this. She starts texting my family and even sent them selfies of us on the plane together. She also looked up another flight for me and said there was one leaving NC at 11:00 pm headed to Newark and that I could try to catch that one. So at the end of the plane ride, I got to pray for her and her family and said goodbye. I said to myself, “Jesus thank you so much that this plane ride I had the airplane talker sitting next to me, you knew I needed that”. So I get off the plane and it’s 10:30 so I’m running to see if I can catch the other plane. I get in the line and there’s 1 person in front of me, Michael was his name and we started to talk. The line was taking so long and he asked me where I was coming from and where I had to go. As I told him the whole story, he kindly let me cut him in line to see if I could catch the flight. I get to the front and the airplane attendant says the flight left and the next flight would be at 7:00 am. He then continues to say that they will give me a hotel for the night and that he will send me the information on my phone. I think to myself “of course you’ll send it to my phone” I then told him it got stolen and as I said that, you know who was standing right next to me? my old friend John who had smiled at me earlier. John’s about 74 and said “honey did I hear you right” and I laughed and said, “yeah it’s unfortunate but it’s okay”. At this point, I was SO hungry because I was traveling most of the day and didn’t have my debit card so I could not get anything to eat. I was also pretty sleepy and just had cried way too much from saying goodbye to everyone. Do you know that feeling? It just kind of feels like a potato, but I was chatting with the Lord and He kept saying He’s got my back. John looked at me and you know what he did? He said “honey, you are too precious to have that happen to you…did you have dinner?” I said, “no but it’s okay I’ll be home in the morning”. He then took out fifty dollars and insists on giving it to me, and I said “you do not have to do that you’ll make me cry.” Because no joke right before this I was like “God I’m so hungry, but I can’t do anything about it”. He not only gave me fifty dollars for dinner but also a huge hug and his business card to call him when I got home safe. He said, “if you were my daughter I would want someone to do the same for her”. So I start heading to the shuttle area to catch a shuttle to get to the hotel. As I’m doing so I’m thinking I really need to call my friend to tell her she’s not getting me from the airport tonight because I’m not going to be there. As I’m walking towards the door I look back to see Michael walking by (who let me cut him in line,) he then asks “did everything work out?” I told him what happened and asked if there was any way I could borrow his phone to call my friend? he then said “yes of course,” and we both left!

So I get outside to catch the shuttle and I’m waiting for about 30 minutes, so I finally ask a driver how I get a shuttle and he says “you have to call one” and I think to myself of course you do. So I go sit back down and just pray “Lord please send me someone who’s also getting this shuttle”. Then a woman sits down right next to me and I ask her where she’s going and she says the same hotel I was going to; and then asks me if I need her to call me a shuttle?!? I’m like Lord you are wild…thank you. I hit the shuttle to get to the hotel, eat a salad and sleep in my clothes that smell like the airport because my luggage had already gotten to Newark. But as I sat in that bed I was actually in awe of what the Lord had done for me. For how much He cared for me, and how many people He sent me to just show me how much He cares about me.

When I think about that day now, I’m still shook. The best way to describe it is Isaiah 43 please read the whole thing!

Jesus says to Isreal (verse 1-5)
“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you;I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

You are precious and He loves you!! The Lord kept telling me I am His, and thank you Jesus for that truth.
As I boarded that first plane the World Race was officially over, and you know what? The Lord was already creating something new in my life. He says in verses 18-20 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Jesus started me off in America again and reminded me to trust Him daily. Because I don’t know about you but I’ve never been in a situation where I actually couldn’t just go buy food, I actually could not. Which is a feeling we often do not feel in America, because we always have a solution. But the Lord has been showing me that He truly is the solution for everything. I don’t need to know what’s next to know that God already knows, and He’s just asking me to trust His process. So, Lord, I’m sorry when I doubt what your doing, father your ways are always better, and you always make rivers in the wilderness. Jesus thank you that I just get to be yours and that everything else is passing away. Father use my life to tell of Your story, and may I always boldly speak of what you’re doing.

Well, that’s a wrap. Thank you, Jesus, for this year, may Your light shiner brighter than ever in me, and wake me up every morning with your mercy on my mind.

His love nomes 🙂
Psalms 103:17-18
“But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

P.S I did not reread this because I was worried if I did I would not post it lol, so if it’s a little illiterate, it will fit well with the rest of my blogs ;).