idelette

Today I want to tell you about a Big Fat kiss from heaven.

Entering into this globalgirl Advent Adventure was a giant leap for me as a writer. My writing is much more a birthing than a typing. I labour over words and ride waves of thoughts that come. Some days it’s a quick birth. Most days it takes a lot of time. So, bringing something from a deep place for every day on this Advent Adventure has been stretching me.

It’s been a daily Ask for manna from heaven—divinely inspired thoughts and ideas to express here—as well as the strength and energy to sustain me on this journey of gathering and writing, while raising a young family, keeping our home together and sustaining a very active interest life.

Two days ago I knew I wanted to write about the Gift of Presence (See Part I here). I had been reading the Advent Conspiracy, a great little book that reminds me that, in Jesus, God gave us his very presence; not stuff.

And whenever I think of the Gift of Presence, I am reminded of a piece Tonya Sargent had written for globalgirlnetwork.com about her journey to the Democratic Republic of the Congo a few years ago.

On Thursday night, while working on the ideas around the Gift of Presence, I pulled up Tonya’s article on my computer screen, along with a second piece she had written to her friends.

Suddenly I found myself staring at a quote—the words that had compelled Tonya to go to the Congo. Words from Leah, a character in Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, the Poisonwood Bible:

“If I can’t yet mourn a million people who left this world in a single day, I’ll start with one, and move from there.”

It dawned on me that the next morning I would be driving down to Seattle to hear Barbara Kingsolver speak at Third Place Books. And Tonya would be there too.

On my screen I was trying to shape the story with these three voices in it.

And on Friday, there we were: me, Tonya and Barbara Kingsolver, flesh and blood, all in the same room.

An Incarnation of sorts. Our lives somehow beautifully woven and connected, in spite of physical distance and the fact that Barbara Kingsolver had no idea how she was dancing with us.

Only the Heavens could orchestrate something like this.

It was such a simple moment–you might not think too much of it–but for me, it meant a lot. When my thought life and my real life collided in this way, God didn’t just rain down manna, I got a feast. It encouraged me to keep journeying, because Heaven will supply.

And I was reminded of the heavens bursting forth in song announcing the birth of the King:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’ Luke 2:14 (NRSV)

[Tomorrow, I’ll share Tonya’s story of going to the Congo and what it has to do with the Gift of Presence.]

Two words for today: Look up

Activity: Take a moment, go outside or look through a window … Lift up your eyes to heaven and allow the Spirit of God to speak to you.

Prayer: Thank you for big, fat kisses from heaven that encourage me to keep going on this journey. Lord, please meet with those today who need Your divine encouragement. Help me to see them even as You see them.