Face Lift

A couple of weeks ago UPS delivered a package to our house. No, it was not this precious baby in above picture. It was something for work but during the delivery the UPS man started a conversation with me. He was new on the route and completely confused at why I was living in this neighborhood. We have had these conversations with other delivery men in the past but during this particular talk he said something that has stuck with me.

The conversations usually go something like this, "Umm...(as they look around the neighorhood) nice house?" Yes, it is in the form of a question. Like, "are you Dorothy and did you know that your house is not in Kansas anymore?" I then reply, "Do you want the long answer or the short answer?" Then I go on to explain why we live here and yes I knew about this neighborhood before I chose to move here.


He listens and smiles and then says, "I get it, you're giving this place a face lift." I kind of laughed and as he turned to walk away I heard laughter coming from our nine neighbors, I saw our across the street neighbor Caleb walking towards my house to quiz Braxton on the latest Grizzlie scoop, I saw a cute young couple who were just married in December and that we have come to know well walking down the street smiling, and I thought yes, that is exactly what we are helping, praying, hoping to do here.

It was not to my surprise a couple of days later I read this in scripture: "And now my head shall be lifted up above all my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy, I will sing and make melody to the Lord." Psalm 27:6

Thankful that the Lord has called our family here to watch Him give this place a face lift!

Limited Vision

When I was in third grade I had to start wearing glasses. At first it was just for reading but before long I was wearing them non stop. I had limited vision.  Looking back on pictures I realize how big those glasses were back then. Good grief! My sister says it looks like I had a scuba mask for glasses. So pretty.

Last night we had an SOS group come over for an exposure visit. This is where a college group that is doing work with SOS for Spring break comes to hear about the neighborhood. They ask us about our story, how we came to live here, what it is like to parent in this atmosphere, what others think, etc... We always enjoy these visits and the opportunity to share what God has done and is doing here. What an amazing privilege.

After they left last night I started thinking about being limited in our vision. You see when I was younger I had completely different sight than I do now. And not just in a literal sense. It was not until my mid twenties that I truly believe God started clearing up my vision and showing me some things. Things about His heart, His plan for my life, etc... I looked at those young college kids last night and thought there is a whole world for them to digest, they are eager, excited and I believe God is just now starting to peel back the scales from their eyes and show them His perfect vision.

And as much as I look back and see more clearly now I still believe we all have some limited vision. And this side of heaven we always will. Because of that there will always be things that don't make sense to us, like why young kids get cancer www.erikandkatekrull.blogspot.com, why earthquakes and tsunamis happen, why sometimes our plan doesn't work out.

But at the beginning of each day I put on contacts (not so ugly glasses anymore) and take the hand of the one that has perfect vision and trust he sees more clearly than I can and in that I find rest.

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." I Corinthians 13:11-12