Seriously? Frogtown?

Well, hello again. Let me begin by saying that I am slightly intimidated. You? Intimidated? 'No way', you say. 'Yes way,' I counter.  OK, large dogs, large families, rude customer service reps, and little kids, do NOT intimidate me.  But...... Blogspot now shows each blogger's stats regarding their blog.  I like math.  No, I love math, but somehow, this intimidates me. According to blogspot, the top 10 countries that have people following this blog (in decending order) are: The United States, Russia, Australia, Argentina, Egypt, United Kingdom, Japan, Nigeria, Singapore and Thailand. I mean, who knew? I can honestly say that I don't personally know anyone in, uhhhhhh, the bottom 9 countries, however, I am beyond thrilled that have decided to join me on this journey of Life, Loves, Wisdoms and Learnings.  I was content just knowing that my family was occasionally glancing at it--like when I have avoided the telephone or checking my email. But goodness, knowing that what I write is going to be read around the world, now that can be intimidating. I've always wanted to get my books published, and I guess this is God's way of accommodating me.  Ya know, God honors the prayers of His people.  I just wonder if blogspot actually translates the english language to each country's native language. Hmmmm. I guess I will need some far-away followers to leave me some comments and let me know.

OK.  Moving right along. My Story. Have you read it?  Are you reading it? Are you like me, and you have 5 or so books that you are currently reading?  Given your mood, you choose one of those each evening before you hit the hay?  Do you know anyone reading it? It's mind-boggling awesome. Sure, I've read the Bible many times over, as have my children--but hello? This is in chronological order. And, as if that isn't enough, Max Lucado actually adds transitional words in parenthesis. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Max Lucado's writings? OMG. 3:16, the Numbers of Hope, Cure for the Common Life, and God's Story, Your Story are just a few of my favs.  Anyway, I'm getting distracted.  Good ole Max wouldn't want to add or subtract anything from the Word of God, but it's really nice. And to think my church is actually studying My Story for an entire year. Love it, love it, love it. 

Throughout the process of reading and studying My Story, I have been spending a lot of time actually pondering my own life story. I've been reflecting on how God has orchestrated each and every lower story of my life in order to complete some of the upper stories in my life.  I remember my life in 1986--I was travelling non-stop around the world, working as an Auditor for Burroughs Corporation's World HQ in Downtown, Detroit. Single and carefree.  OK. About as carefree as I could be, and loving every minute of it. When.....I was offered a job transfer to Chicago. What? I did NOT want to go to Chicago. I had spent many days and nights in the Windy city and much preferred the Motor City. So, I turned it down and decided to just commute weekly.  I would fly there in the am and return in the pm. So much for a gasoline shortage.  Remember, this was the 80's people, so please don't judge me. ha ha

Then...another job transfer was offered. This time to Toledo.  What?  Not again. I had been sent to Toledo to fix their office, just as I had been sent to the Chicago office to do the same. Once I had fixed it (for lack of a better word), they wanted me to manage it. What?????? Not again.  I still preferred the Motor City over the Glass City--good ole Motown over Frogtown--Tigers over uhhhh.....Mudhens.  After all, what's a Mudhen anyway.  I didn't even want to be remotely associated with a Mudhen.  But...I also knew that if I didn't take the transfer, the next offer could be overseas, and even more than I loved the Motor City, I loved the good old U.S.A. even more.

Having said all that, having prayed and cried over the decision, I decided to stay in Detroit. I mean, I loved it there; it was all I knew, and I didn't want to cross that border--again.  I had been commuting daily for about a year, living in the Ramada and Holiday Inns on Reyolds Road during the week, and returning home to my apartment in Livonia, on the weekends. So, I entered the meeting with determination and trepidation.  My boss, his boss, and his boss where there to get my final answer, but not before they built up Toledo to look like Paris. Right.  I knew that I wasn't going there and that I would be staying in Detroit. I mean, I had made up my mind. And then, the next thing I knew, I was in my office, door shut, crying on the telephone to my mom, saying, "I don't know what happened. One minute I was saying that I wasn't going to accept the job transfer, and the next minute I was shaking hands with everyone and being congratulated on my new move." I couldn't believe it.

I was totally devastated. I didn't even know how it had happened. I would now have to leave my family, my long time boyfriend, my life, and actually find a place to live in blah....dare I even say it.....Toledo, Ohio.  Well, guess what? God knew. He knew exactly what had happened because He had orchestrated the entire thing. He knew that I didn't want to move to Toledo, that I didn't even like the people I would be managing there, that I would be entering the meeting with a firm decision and yet would leave the meeting with a virtual suitcase in hand. He wanted me to move from Detroit in order to for me to continue His plan for the Upper Stories in my life.  He knew that if I didn't move to Toledo, I would never have met and married a local guy and had three wonderful children.  He knew that I would have eventually been laid off from the WHQ, that my then boss would leave shortly after my exit and thus my job would have become miserable.  He knew that I never would have met a wonderful homeschool family, thus, instilling in me the desire to homeschool my children through 8th grade. He also knew that I would eventually become divorced and end up working at the University.  None of that would have or could have happened had I stayed in Detroit.

I would love the say that the transition to Toledo from Detroit was without frustrations and heartaches, but I would be lying. Those years were tough, to say the very least. They were fraught with unexpected joys and sorrows, highs and lows, confidences and insecurities. But through it all, I knew that I was in God's plan. In hindsight, I see that the God of the Universe had planned it all for me, before Creation. God had written my story centuries ago, long before Adam and Eve, long before the beginning of time and space. Wow! That, in and of itself, is unfathomable, but it is true. My concept of time is quite different from God's, so when I begin to wonder just why He is taking so long to fulfil my desires on this earth, I have to remember 1986. Again, just testing my patience. Sometimes, I past the test; most of the time, I fail it.   I have to remember that He is still writing my story. That He is holding me in the palm of His hand, He has my total, ultimate story in His control, and He is always, always, always on my side. Yup, He actually has my back. Just when I am beginning to let the troubles and cares of this world get the best of me, He reminds me that, yes, He still has my back. And I can rest.

 I

My hope for you, dear reader, is that you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has an ultimate Upper Story planned for you, too; that He really does know the plans He has for you and that He is preparing you for the place within His Upper Story--that He created just for you!  Be blessed this week.