Letting go . . .

My husband just ran out to the airport tonight to pick up from friends coming from Indianapolis so I thought I'd sit down and write a new post on our blog. Chris & April will be staying with us for a week, looking at Extreme Response and missions and seeking how God would have them be involved as missionaries here. We're excited to have them be with us and can't wait to see how God will work in their lives.

So anyways while I'm waiting for them to arrive, I thought I'd share a quick post that I've been thinking about . . . I have had Nathan's baby clothes all packed away in storage ever since I started that wonderful process of sorting his clothes as he grows. It was always fun to see him start wearing the next size but it was also a bit nostalgic packing away the clothes that were too small for him. Some of them came with great memories of special days together, others were special because of the person who gave them to us. And well, let's face it, its a bit sentimental when it belongs to your first born.

So the clothes have been packed away for a year now . . . . just sitting in the closet, collecting dust. I would think of them from time to time, pondering what to do with them. It seemed silly to keep 18 months worth of baby clothes . . . to what end? But I (or maybe I should say "we" as my husband was even more sentimental about them that I was) just wasn't quite ready to get rid of them. And what was I going to do? keep all his clothes forever . . . until he turns 18? And then what? So I started praying about what God would have me to do with them. And then another missionary couple got pregnant. And found out they were having a boy . . . .so I called her one day to see if she was up to receiving some used baby boy clothes.

She was thrilled! And I was too - here was the answer to my prayer. So a couple of weeks ago, I loaded up 2 large garbage bags and one box of baby clothes into my car and went to meet Lori to hand them over to her. I thought I was okay with this . . . no more baby Nathan's clothes in the house. . . . well, just as I was getting the things out of my car to put into Lori's car, this wave of nostalgia came over me and I just wasn't quite ready to let go . . . . so silly me, what did I do? I grabbed a couple of his newborn sleepers and hung on to them and quickly handed the rest of the items over to her. I told Lori to go through the items and keep whatever she wanted and to give me back whatever she didn't want . . . thinking that maybe I'd find another friend who could use them. Lori said thank you and we went on our way.

But the story doesn't end there.

The next day, Lori left a message on my phone, asking me if it would be okay to pass the few items she didn't want on to their ministry, Pan de Vida. Quick side note - Pan de Vida (Bread of Life) is a ministry to street people here in Quito and they do amazing things (you can check out their website here). Lori & her husband, Oscar, are missionaries with Extreme Response and they head up the Pan de Vida ministry.

Anyways, she was asking me if they could just pass the unwanted clothes on to Pan de Vida. I didn't call her back right away with an answer as God was still working in my heart to just let go. In the afternoon, I finally called her back and said that yes, it'd be fine to take the last items in a box over to Pan de Vida.

Well, a few days later, she called me back and was so excited to share a testimony to me of how God used those "unwanted clothes". It turns out that it was her husband, Oscar, who suggested taking the clothes to Pan de Vida and all day long he just felt it was important to know right away if I was willing to donate them to Pan de Vida. . . . .and he kept asking her if I had gotten back to her with an answer yet. And she kept telling him to be patient, that I'd get back to them when I was able, but for some reason, he felt it was urgent to know. Thankfully, I did get back to them by the afternoon.

The next day, Oscar had dropped the items off at Pan de Vida and it was also the same day as their feeding program where they feed almost 100 street people. At the end of the event, one of the workers was sitting with two new ladies who had never come before. They each had a baby with them. And they had been praying that God would somehow provide some clothing for their baby. And the Pan de Vida worker was sitting there with them praying and talking to them, when Oscar stopped by to ask what they needed. We all know now why that one last box of baby clothes was so important and why it was so important for it to be at Pan de Vida THAT day . . . . Oscar was able to show them the box of clothes and they cried with joy at what was there . . . clothes for their babies - the very thing they had been praying for!

This was a huge lesson for me on letting go . . . . and on the joy of giving. So often we just aren't ready to let go of whatever that prized possession might be in our life. . . . but the freedom that comes when we do let go is amazing and the joy that comes in knowing that you helped someone else out in the process is also amazing. These "prized possessions" aren't necessarily material things - they can be talents or gifts or sharing of ourselves in different ways. I do know that the next time God is nudging me to "just let go" - I'm going to listen to Him much more quickly!

In my mind's eye, I can just see the two ladies and their little babies with Nathan's clothes on them . . . . and that is a blessing that I will never forget! Who knows, maybe someday, I'll even see them on the street in Quito . . . and recognize them because of Nathan's clothes . . . and have the opportunity to help them out even more.