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!