Open Hand

As most of you know Ryan is out of the country on Mission in Ethiopia. When I first learned that Ryan would be going on a trip to Ethiopia I was very excited that he had the same passion for International Missions that I have. I have been to Brazil several times, and Love traveling to other cultures and countries to do The Lord's Work! As we progressed in our relationship I started to get a little strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I immediately thought of all of the discussion that I had had with my father about going "On Mission." This must have been the feeling that he was feeling! So I started praying that I would find peace about Ryan traveling out of the country. As the trip got closer I started to have an unexplainable peace about him leaving. This is something that I know was from God. On Thursday I dropped Ryan of at the airport, and it hit me-

*My soul mate just got on that plane, and I will have no contact with him for 11 days.

For some of you 11days without communication from you soul mate might sound like a great idea, but for me the thought was quite overwhelming! I just found my soul mate. I do not want to lose him so quickly... But it was in that same moment I realized that I have to live with an open-hand to God when it comes to Ryan too. I have been trying so hard to live open-handed with everything in my life, but those things were preparation for receiving the greatest earthly gift I could receive. I gave God my Favorite Apartment (and he took it away). I gave God my Friends (and he moved me hundreds of miles away from most of them). I gave God my church (and he took away 2, 1 in Dallas and 1 in Houston). Thankfully, I gave God my family, and I feel we re doing great. I know that Gods plan is the right plan, and therefor I will open my hand and give Ryan back to God. I just pray all of those other things were a test to see if God could entrust me with such an Amazing Gift... MY SOUL-MATE!

Please Pray for a Safe return, but most of all that God's Will Be Done in Ethiopia!