I would love to share this story with you because I have been so blessed by it, and I think others will be too.
I am new to Etsy and on-line social networking. After 12 years of being in the corporate world, God closed that door early this year. I have experienced all the emotions that come with leaving a job: fear, anger, insecurity, as well as some freedom to rediscover who God made me to be.
One of the first items I made for my Etsy shop were little needle felted sheep. I wanted to convey how comforting it is to live in the care of The Great Shepherd. As sheep we often daily wander away, and we need the Shepherd to help lead us back into His fold. With this, one of my favorite Shepherd verses is: Isaiah 40:11. "He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young."
It was one of these sheep that I made that was featured on an Etsy Treasury where a wonderful godly women found my shop. Her name is Jennifer. God led Jennifer to my shop and to purchase one of my sheep. I received such joy from this, and since then we've be communicating off and on.
Jennifer shared with me her passion for the country of Latvia and how she heard of a family from my home town that I know of through my children; that would be traveling for a missions trip to Latvia. Jennifer knew that the family needed to raise money for their trip, so God led her to donate everything out of her shop to the Petrick family to help raise money for their trip.
I was able to meet Nichole Petrick (the mother who will be taking her 3 small children to Latvia)), at a restaurant where she was our waitress! I shared with her our mutual connection of Jennifer, a woman we have only met on-line. She broke into tears right at our table and shared with me how blessed and overjoyed she is to be a recipient of such generosity. Everyone at the table got teary-eyed as we reveled in God's abundance. How small acts of faithfulness are being turned into tremendous acts because God is behind all of them. So now, I have a connection with Jennifer and with Nichole as we share this common story. When we feel overwhelmed, or like we are not be "useful" for the Kingdom of God, we recall this story of God's faithful leading and weaving of our lives together for His greater purposes.
The story, I'm sure will continue to unfold as the Petrick Family goes to Latvia in a few weeks; but I just had to share as their prayer letter and photo card card came home from church today to be placed on my "prayer wall" (refrigerator)...the verse that is leading them???
Isaiah 40:11
Praise be to God for His mercies that are new everyday!
