Today I join the Gypsy Mama for Five Minute Friday with the prompt, Unexpected. Writing briefly from the overflow of the heart. For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.
For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. Won’t you join in the fun!
There is really so much to write about this word Unexpected. Like the way the light falls in this season, illuminates the foliage in the afternoon, how brilliant the colors of Fall show themselves in this coastal community I call home. But today, I am overcome with gratitude with the unexpected gift of hearing your heart here on my blog, the way your generous,encouraging words in the comment box carry me some days and push me forward. Thank you! So for my real five minutes of free writing here goes:
He comes home carrying the brief case, hugs me and tells me about his day. How in this meeting he was surprised over conversation, when one of the leaders he hadn’t talked to personally in some time knew about my daughters car wreck. The way others offer encouragement, connect personally.
He said they had all been reading my blog and this was so unexpected.
The way I quit my job, took a step of faith to write about what moves the heart, it is all unexpected.
The way a woman stops me in the grocery store to tell me she has been reading, how what I say resonates. How another stops me in church, says she wants to meet with me after she read my blog. A friend tells me at a party her husband reads it too and says what I write is a word from God for them today.
The woman who I haven’t seen in almost a year who is new to faith in Christ; the friend I haven’t heard from in three years; the stranger who reaches out, the one on a spiritual journey – all unexpected ways God uses words He speaks to me on this blog to speak to someone else.
His nudge for to me to do this, to trust Him, let go of the what- ifs and just listen. No map for this girl sitting in the canoe with one oar and open sea. Just a gentle voice leading through uncharted waters and encouragement from unexpected sources to push the boat when if feels stuck.
And this gift of letting go . . . unexpected, wild, scary, jubilant, jumping up and down, smiling from ear to ear joy.
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Your comments truly make the girl in the canoe without a map really happy. So leave one and let me know you were here!
Oh … brilliant. I’ve unexpectedly climbed into your canoe with you and brought my own oar. Can we please go pick the last of the summer blueberries on the small island? I’ll make pancakes … gooey with syrup. You’ve inspired me, Miz Sarah. Thank you for that!
Blessings,
Felecia
Thanks Felecia, what an unexpected comment. Love the imagery. Would love to go hunt blueberries any day! Off to make french toast for my kids, they have the holiday off. I’ll be thinking about you!
This is very encouraging…I am still not too comfortable out here…in my canoe…maybe with no oars:)…So thankful where God has led you…and how He will continue to lead you each day…
Blessings as you enjoy your canoe ride….
Roseann, so glad you are encouraged by this post. Maybe we can share an oar, paddle this charted territory together. The think the real key is being willing to move forward, even if we don’t know or fully understand where we are going.
The scope of your experiences and your heart shared are Providence to me…..for it is through you that I am able to see it.
Wow, Paula, that makes me misty. Thank you. I wouldn’t be here, doing this, without your love and encouragement over the years.
Lovely. I am another girl in a canoe without a map. Love it! I’ll have to read more.
So glad you stopped by and left a comment. Good to know we share the same journey. Sometimes I think the unknowns in the journey are more exciting than what we do know. Hope you’ll come back and continue the conversation. Blessings!
“…encouragement from unexpected sources to push the boat when if feels stuck.” I agree–encouragement from those you least expect is incredibly energizing. I enjoyed your post!
Thanks Brenda. So thankful for the way God brings encouragment when we need it. From you today as well. Blessings.
My soul has been refreshed daily from the reading of your blog. I am learning much about myself through your gift of writing. Thank you for allowing God to use you to speak to my heart. For a long period of time I have been sitting in my canoe, oar in my lap not sure which way to travel. In the last three month I have slowly lowered the oar and begun to stoke the water in a direction I believe God is wanting me to head. Appreciate you and love your heart.
Robin, you have been a constant source of encouragement that helps me along this journey. So excited to hear about how God is leading you into new waters. Would love to hear more. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
How beautiful! Love that God is using you so and sending people to let you know. I don’t really know but a handful of people who are reading my blog… Most don’t leave comments or any sign of what they think, if God is touching them in the words as I pray. A few personal friends here in town rarely tell me anything in response. (I only know some are at least signed up to get my posts… ) Then one commenter from a third world country told me she thinks of my posts as her “daily bread” and I am flabbergasted by what God can do with my simple words. It is only His Spirit that can use them to inspire as I step out in faith to post…
I may have to “steal” your idea of writing this post telling your “commenters” how much their encouragement means…and the little P.R. at the end. I like that! 🙂
We never know who it is our words may reach, we just have to be obedient what He is telling us to write. The outcome is all His. And go ahead and “steal” the idea. I’m sure it wasn’t original to me. I am inspired by others I read every day.