One cool thing about my parents that they passed down to me (bet you can’t guess…) is a love for travel. As kids, my parents and grandparents loved to take us on trips all over the place. By the time I was 18 we had been to something like 45 states. My parents would surprise us and take us to National Parks, museums, and beautiful places. One of my favorites and one of the most meaningful to me personally was when we were in Maine. My dad got us up way before dawn and drove us to the top of a mountain in Acadia National Park overlooking the water to watch the sun make its first touchdown on America. It was a simple and beautiful way that my dad and mom showed their love for us. I love how my parents are so thoughtful like that. They love to surprise us. On these trips we never feared our safety or if we would get to our destination or if we would get lost. My sisters and I trusted them immensely and when they surprised us with meaningful things on the way, we definitely felt their big love for us.
If at any point we asked, “Dad, where are we going today?” he would say, “Follow your nose!” (He’s a funny one!) We knew exactly what that meant! It meant, “I’m not gonna tell you. Just trust me. It’s gonna be great!” We would smile and laugh and sometimes beg for more info but most of the time we would just sit back and relax and know that he had something special in mind.
The other day I was talking to a teammate about whether or not we liked surprises and I said, “I LOVE surprises! They mean so much to me!” I realized in that moment that I love the “not knowing” part of Unsung Heroes month because of the family God put me into.
Our job this month is to “follow our noses”… to go where God leads. To trust that we will make it to every destination, that God will bless our journey, and that it’s all going to be so good! He is already giving us very intentional surprises! We have met amazing people that will probably get to have WR teams come help them in the future! We are staying at the coolest hostel ever this month! The owner of the hostel took us kayaking in the Indian Ocean to a deserted island on our day off yesterday. I’d say that’s a pretty cool surprise that I didn’t expect!
This month is December (although it’s hard to believe!) which means that Christmas is just 2 weeks away! We have no idea where in Malaysia we will be for Christmas but just like my dad would say when a surprise was in store, I hear God saying “follow your nose” and it’s all gonna be good! We may not yet know the specifics but He will give them to us in just the right time. I’m looking forward to my Father in Heaven’s surprises this month!
Oh and here’s a shout out to my awesome parents and grandparents! Love you all and miss you! Thank you for showing me intentionality and for your big love for us kids! So glad to be your daughter!
