unexpected opportunities

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
~ Psalm 34:8

Before heavy rain falls, a noise like leaves falling from the sky comes to warn you of a heavy rainfall. But instead of running to shelter, you wholeheartedly embrace it with joyful anticipation. You dance in the rain with childlike abandon, not caring if someone will see you.

Accepting God's grace and love is like that. You willingly open your heart to Him and realize the many blessings He poured out to you. And as far as I can remember, it had been hard for me to open myself up to God's love and to accept it. But then, two unexpected opportunities came.

It was December 2006 and I found myself in a situation I never imagined myself to be in. I was homeless. With little faith and money, I didn't know what to do. When I finally found an apartment and a job, it seemed like my life was improving, but then adversity came knocking on my door again. However, this time, I surrendered myself to God as I prayed two songs: Jesus Take the Wheel and Lead Me Lord.

I never believed that God had been listening to me until several months later. One day, inside a cold kitchen, as I was reading Psalm 34, a breath of the Holy Spirit came upon me and I felt compelled to dance with joy. All that God had done for me was revealed throughout the entire psalm.

The year 2007 had been a strange year for me, but at the same time, it was a year of many blessings. I thank God for the trials He had brought me that year because it brought me closer to Him.

~ Sheri Torres