Following

I remember when I thought nothing was really HAPPENING with Sixteen Small Stones. In my heart, I knew things were, in fact, happening...they were all just happening, well, "behind the scenes", as it were. I knew God had His plans, and He was working on His end of things, while on my end, I waited. I waited for His plan to be made known. I still wait for that. I waited for action. I do NOT wait for that now!! It seems every day is a whirlwind for Sixteen Small Stones. Planning, praying, ACTING! So much going on...donations, shirts, cards...So many to help...Haiti, China, Africa...New ministires. New faces. New prayers. New love. Lots and lots of love! I still wait for His plan to be made known. But I have learned that this is something I will "wait" for until the end of my days. God's plan will never be laid before ME as it is before HIM! Tonight, I made Taiger take a bath. He really needed a good scrubbing, but, more than that, I needed the time to prepare a special gift I was planning to give him. Taiger complained. He whined. He procrastinated. When I finally lured him into the bath, he did more whining...the water was in his eyes, the water was too hot, there was soggy paper in the water (did I really just admit that?! It was just the wrapper off the shampoo bottle...life could be worse!). Finally, I told him I had a special gift for him, but he had to be good in the bath. He had to wash his hair. "What is it?!" He had to wash his face. "What color is it?" He had to dry off. "Is it a...". He had to lotion up. "When do I get it?!" He had to get his pijamas on. "PLEASE can I have it now?!" I had a plan. Taiger didn't know all of my plan. He knew there was something special, but he didn't know what it was. He didn't know why he had to take the bath (so I could prepare it for him without him seeing it). He didn't know why he had to get in his pijamas first (because I knew if I gave it to him before, he would be so busy playing with his new surprise, he wouldn't stop to get his pijamas on, and then he would fall asleep without pjs and he'd be cold all night). He didn't know all of this. Why didn't I just tell him? Because...it was not the right time. Because he was not ready. (If I had told him, he would have wanted to play with it right then and the software wouldn't have been downloaded, and he NEVER would have had a bath and he would have been dirty and smelly! Then, he wouldn't have gotten in his pjs so he would have been cold all night...). My timing was better. I knew how it would turn out and I knew the better plan. Sometimes, I am like Taiger. I want to know NOW! I HATE waiting! I KNOW God has something special for me...and for so long I have waited to know what it is! Now, I realize, God's plan is not something I need to know. I just need to follow His will, step by step, and in the end, all will be right. I think everyone knows this news, but I want to make SURE everyone knows. In a few months, Taiger and I are moving to China (finally, right?! LOL!). I will be in school there, taking my last Chinese classes toward my major. Taiger will be...well, that is still a mystory. I suppose he will be coming to my college classes with me (unless anyone wants to volunteer to nanny? Anyone? No? Didn't think so...but it was worth a shot. :) ). The IDEA is to eventually start a food program in China, similar to the ones Katie Davis and Renee Bach run in Uganda (kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com; servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com). You notice I said "IDEA" and NOT "PLAN". That is because I have no plan! ONE idea is to start a food program. But only GOD knows THE REAL PLAN! Only He knows what He has planned for Taiger's and my life! So, I take His hand, and step into the darkness. I can't wait to see where He leads us!