Not Africa...something bigger?

I know this is suppose to be about my visit to Africa, but it turns out it is more about God.  Why did I go to Africa?  God sent me.  He sent me to see Him, hear Him and be awakened by His joy.  This blog is about God and so was today...

How often are you amazed? 
Amazed by beauty, amazed by pain, amazed at what God is doing or how He is doing it?
Amazed at how hard something is, how easy it is, how far you have come?
Amazed at how happy you are or how lost your heart is?

Does a day, a job, a sin, your pain seem too big; too immense that you can't see it working out?  Are you amazed at the impossible?

I am been praying for a bunch of things lately, sometimes I even become overwhelmed with the amount of things I am or should be praying for.  The one thing I pray the most for, however, is Ella. 

What kind of Dad am I to her?  What school should she go to?  Should I home school her?  I pray that her struggles now make her stronger later.  I pray for her relationship with God and for the woman that she'll grow up to be.  I pray that when I hold her hand I don't see her weaknesses, only the beautiful things God has made in her...this one I am somewhat ashamed of because she is so precious!

This is one of the nightly exercise we do with Ella to strengthen her hands.  She loves it!

Last Thursday she came home with some work and assessments from school that were all ROUGH!  71%, 67% and so on...Natalie and I took it pretty hard.  It started to feel like school would always be a fight, that things would never get better, that this was too big, there are too many issues...what do we do?! 

Today Ella and I spent a lot of time together; exercise and yoga in the morning, reading, Legos and then to the library.  We talked about jellyfish and how amazing it is that they don't have brains, how did God do that?  We talked about the carwash and how the brushes looked like scary spiders attacking the truck.  We talked about the Chipmonks, her favorite Dr. Seuss book and why the library doesn't have Between the Lions for 21 day checkout...3 days, come on!  You'll know I'll be late with that action!!!

While we were there the hunt was on for Dr. Seuss books, Elephant and Piggie and a movie for her sleepover.  We were focused, we were ready, we were a team on a mission.  After finding our movies we rushed over to the juvenile section to find some Dr. Seuss, no dice...but as we went aisle to aisle my mind was focused on one thing...books.  Her mind and her eyes do what they do, go everywhere all at once...she saw the girl with a huge pile of books spilled on the floor trying to pick them up. I saw her too, but not really. 

It was then that I was amazed; amazed at the way God reassures us of our prayers, amazed at the way he pushes us to keep going and amazed at the heart and beauty of a little girl.  Ella says to me, "Daddy, can I go help that girl with her books!"  I said, "of course..." and as soon as those words were out of my mouth she literally dropped her Cinderella doll and ran to the other aisle where she was and just started talking to her and asking if she needed help.  The girl told Ella she was fine, but that's not the point...she dropped everything, literally, to help where she saw a need. 

Did she worry about how the girl would respond?
Did she worry about her own needs?
Did she worry about her doll or the books we were looking for?
She asked her Daddy and went to work.

Work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God...
this little girl is something special; I have no doubt God is using her even now to change hearts, open eyes and bring praise to His Kingdom.

You are something special kiddo,
Today I was amazed...