11.02.2012

A Quick But Rambly Ladies' Night Thankful Post...





I'm guessing this is not going to be the last time during this November effort to post daily that I'm going to be posting past bedtime when I'm too tired to make any sense. :)  But post I will, regardless...at least this time. :)

Just some rambly thoughts tonight about the Ladies' Night at our (old? former? can't quite figure out how to refer to it these days...not terribly happy with either of those...suggestions, anyone?) no-longer-current church, which I'll mix in with some Day 2 Thankful Thoughts. :)

Bayley and I went to Ladies' Night at Oak Cliff tonight.  It was a sweet time of encouragement, laughter, and (as always) really good food.  (Yum!!)  As I said on Facebook, I got to hug some necks I haven't gotten to hug in a while. <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">
Mrs. Ann shared about the gift of laughter, and asked us to think about people who make us laugh.  I thought about my children...one of whom was sitting beside me...and my husband...and my best friends, all of whom make me laugh often. And then I looked across the table at Madison and Kaitlyn...both of whom make me laugh, but in very different ways...and then I thought of Kaitlyn's brother, Joshua.  I have often thought that one of the main reasons God created Josh was to keep the rest of us laughing, even when our hearts are heavy.  He's just been talented at that since before he could even talk!  I thought about our (new? current?  Grace :)) church family.  Oh, how we laugh!  What a blessing.   I'm thankful for the gift of laughter, and for those who make me laugh!

Sarah, our sweet pastor's wife (I'm too tired to figure out how to word that more appropriately...sweet would be an adjective for "wife", not "pastor", in this case...I love Bro. Kent, but I don't know that "sweet" is necessarily a descriptor I would use for him...:)), shared her testimony.  (She claimed not to be a speaker, but we all know better now. :))  What a blessing and encouragement that was! 

As Sarah  shared about her thankfulness for the many people who have prayed for their family since the loss of their youngest son, the words to one of my newest favorite songs came to mind...the chorus to the Gaither Vocal Band's "I'll Pray for You" (seen in the above graphic).  Oh, how we have prayed for their family these last few years! 

I thought, too, of the people who have prayed so faithfully and fervently for our family during the struggles of the last 8 years.  Several of the ladies there tonight have been mighty prayer warriors for our family, and they have precious spots in our hearts because of those prayers.  Why do I so often feel like "I wish I could do more" than pray, when I know from our own experience that those prayers are vital and treasured?  I am so very, very thankful for those who have prayed for our family and continue to do so.  And I'm so very thankful for the privilege of bringing the burdens of others to God in prayer as well. 

I had a few more thoughts when I started this...but several interruptions and many yawns later, I have no idea what they were!  I'm thankful for the sweet time tonight and all those who helped make it happen.  I'm thankful, too, for those from our "old" church who are excited about God's plan for us at our "new" church, and who let us know often that they are praying for us and for Grace Lavaca.  And I'm thankful that the family of God transcends "church membership"...that we are all one body in Him, and I'm not going to have to worry about what to call which church when we get to Heaven! :)


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