There I was ready to ball my eyes out, and he said, “Bye mommy!” He no longer needed me. He was no longer clinging to my leg. He was no longer attached to my hip. My babies were growing up, and I was not ready for it. Actually, I wanted to turn right back around, and pull them out of school. They could wait til next year, I thought. I just wasn’t ready for this!
Beckham, our youngest boy, playing and not needing Mommy!
And I walked away from that school, leaving two pieces of my heart right with me. And God said, “This is the right thing, Shelly.” You see, this school thing, was such a God thing! You see, I had homeschooled for 7 years! We had only homeschooled, and I planned on continuing. Then last year God started stirring my heart, and I entertained the idea of sending them to school. Goodness, I wanted to send them last year! And God slammed the door because we were not ready! You know sometimes God whispers something to you, but it’s not for the current season. Sometimes He preps you gives you a vision for a different season, and that’s what happened. Last year, He was preparing us for what He was about to do! He slammed that door right in our face last year because it was not His timing! You know how sometimes you try to jump ahead of God? Yeah, I never do that! Haha. No really, I didn’t realize that God was just prepping me, and sometimes I like to jump ahead of God. It never works. It never works when I try to force my own way, but lo and behold, I tried and He slammed that door real quick fast and in a hurry. God’s timing.
First Day of school for the boys!
So this year, we prayed again. We prayed, fasted. Prayed and fasted more. And I was at peace with whatever God said. So after our church’s week long prayer and fasting, I still didn’t have clarity and wisdom. God what are you doing? What do you want us to do? And he told me to continue to fast. SO I did. On Tuesday of last week, God spoke. He said, “Apply to Ben Lippen.” Ummm… But God I wanted to say. Do you know how much Ben Lippen costs? Do you know we are on our debt-free journey? Do you know? I had all these what-ifs? But I obeyed. God called us to have crazy faith! You know that faith that doesn’t make sense! In our human mind, it seems impossible, BUT GOD! You know that kind of faith that moves mountains or situations in your life shift like never before?
Sometimes I like safe! Sometimes I like predictable! And God is like NO! Am I not the God of the POSSIBLE! Am I not the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Have I not come through for you TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME! Did I not heal your dad, and revive HIM BACK TO LIFE! Did I not speak to His body and command it to LIVE when the doctors all said he was not going to make it! Come on, God! I applied the next day. God expedited the process. We had testing, we had an interview, and within days, God had moved mountains! God had provided, and He will continue to provide.
Our kids are in private school y’all. Y’all. We were unemployed for 9 months just a few years ago. God took us from a struggling family of 6 to owning our own restaurant in a matter of years, BUT GOD! And guess what! Because of God, we will open our second Eggs Up location this fall/winter (God willing) in Camden SC! BUT GOD!
My heart broke when I left my children at school for the very first time, but you know what! God has them! And you know what is even better, God has this mama bear too! BUT GOD!
God continues to astound us with his grace and mercy! Over the years, we cried. We prayed. We fought! Our pastoral team prayed and fought with us. Fought for the promises of God! Will you fight for the promises that God has for you!? What about what God has called you to? You don’t have to feel ready!!! I didn’t “feel” ready for the changes! When God is bringing you to a new level, you don’t have to feel ready! God has already gone before you, all you have to do IS OBEY! Will you obey, surrender, walk into the new season that God has for you EVEN if you can’t see what it is? Can you will you walk by faith and not by sight? Today is a new day to do it! God has more for you! And it starts today friends!
Until next time,
Shelly
Thank you to everyone who made our First Day of Ben Lippen amazing! Kelly Adams, Margaret and Ben Porter, Mrs Donna, Jessica Boulware, Kia Bristow, Andrea Wind, and also their amazing teachers! And anyone else who made today happen! Thank you so much for blessing us so much!
