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Brenda Bradford Ottinger

Encouraging Women to Live Rooted in the Sacred

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Seeing God in the Middle of Your Messed-Up Plans

I’ve had my share of daydreams about living on permanent vacation, but this wasn’t how I pictured it going down.

After moving to a new city for work, we couldn’t find a home that fit our family or our budget, despite how hard we tried. And to our surprise, this new city of ours even had a waiting list for apartments.

And so it was that hotel room 229 became our address for a while.

This wasn’t what we had in mind when planning our move, but one sparkling blue grace did accompany hotel life—a swimming pool.

Day upon day, my children and I whisked our way downstairs to the water, as the pool quickly became our escape from the small of a room and its imposing walls.

While those months of hotel life are now the foggy flashbacks of yesteryear, there is one extraordinary afternoon I’ll never forget—for we had no idea of the divine appointment God had scheduled for us that day.

My sons collected playmates almost as quickly as they collected dirt, and this day was no exception as they became fast friends with a little boy at the pool.

Laughter filled the courtyard as the sun crawled down the horizon, until finally I called my crew inside for supper.

While the boys said goodbye to their new friend, I gathered our things, and there in the dusk of that humble afternoon, God offered a glimpse into His divine appointment book.

“Thank you. Thank you more than you know,” a warm voice expressed.

I turned to listen as a grateful mother spoke of a son who was different, who was rarely included, who was used to being the lonely observer, not the welcomed friend.

Wow, I thought. I assumed we’d gone poolside that day to escape the nagging walls of a hotel room, believed we lived from suitcases because we couldn’t find a home.

Yet, right in the middle of my messed-up plans, God gave me fresh insight for the countless unseen ways we are keepers of divine appointments.

That day, my family found ourselves living the truth of Solomon’s proverb, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21).

We’d made many plans, all right—plans that wouldn’t align with our timing, plans that didn’t include raising our family in a hotel room.

Yet we’d forgotten that God knows what it is to make Himself at home in extra-ordinary places. Jesus left the glories of heaven for the gravity of earth to fulfill the greatest purpose of all—to become the Savior of the world. (John 6:38-40) And, during His ministry on earth, He often slept outdoors on the Mount of Olives, calling no place home. (Luke 21:37; Matthew 8:20) Then after His resurrection and return to heaven, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within the life of every believer. (John 14:16-17)

This very same God who makes His home with us intimately orders our days, planting our feet in timely places, weaving purpose into our stories. I realized that day that life isn’t all about finding a place to call home but about being at home with His plans, open to appointments we never see coming.

That evening, I walked back up the stairs to room 229 with fresh understanding for the purpose bound up in the weary of life, as cramped hotel living became a worthy offering to the Keeper of eternal timetables.

For I saw purpose in the grateful eyes of a mom that day, in the laughs of a welcomed little boy, in the sacred cadence of surrender’s song: Here am I, Lord. Send me.

 

What divine appointments has God scheduled in your life? We’d love for you to join the conversation over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today! I’ll meet you there in the comments, friend!  ♥

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Winter always seems to rally in March here in Caro Winter always seems to rally in March here in Carolina where I live.
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Oh, how that parallels life sometimes, doesn’t it, friend?
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Weary seasons often challenge the boundaries of their timetables, refusing to surrender to brighter days.
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Dear friend, if you’re in a season that feels challenging & relentless, run to the God who holds all things together. 
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Root your hope in Him, for He will not deny your spirit its Spring.
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The creation of beautiful things is a messy, time-consuming process; don’t lose hope, my friend, your spring will come.
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Oh, friend, no matter what you’re going through Oh, friend, no matter what you’re going through today…there is a God who is greater.
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Greater than confusion. Greater than joy. Greater than the exhaustion. Greater than the love.
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Lean into His promises. Trust His wisdom. Rest in His care. Live in His strength.
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Dear friend, the God who saw you ahead of your bir Dear friend, the God who saw you ahead of your birth, whose precious thoughts about you are greater than numbers can contain, He recorded purpose for you long before your life existed in time!
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It’s true. 💗
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Over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today, I share a memory of Younger Me and how the Lord met me—and meets you!—in the midst of our insecurity with the confidence to be ourselves & the belonging our hearts crave.
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We’d love for you to join the conversation today over at proverbs31ministries.org . Meet you there, friend! 💕
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The timeliness of God is a mystery & miracle unto The timeliness of God is a mystery & miracle unto itself…
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I’d already prepared this post & had it ready to share today, when I happened upon this verse in my quiet time this morning:
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“Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” (Eph. 5:2)
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Wherever you find yourself this week, friend, look around you. Notice the ones God places in your sphere.
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Living a life of love need not be complicated. It can be as simple as a timely smile, letting someone know they’re seen.
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For, indeed, “The best use of life is love.”
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Spend it well. Use it up, pour it out, make a difference with your one life, my friend. The world needs the love you have to offer.
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And, never forget how very adored you are by your God. No thing in all of creation—past, present, or future—can ever separate you from His tender heart for you. Forever He’s the lover of your soul. 💕
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