{"id":1058,"date":"2013-08-13T18:11:26","date_gmt":"2013-08-13T18:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kandynolesstevens.com\/?p=1058"},"modified":"2013-08-13T18:11:26","modified_gmt":"2013-08-13T18:11:26","slug":"where-the-dance-will-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/?p=1058","title":{"rendered":"Where the dance will lead . . ."},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>

Photo found at www.selectregistry.com<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition to the tender moment shared yesterday, there were\u00a0\u00a0a couple more moments that took my breath away at the hospital.\u00a0 One in quiet reflection, and the other in laughter.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the summer, my pastor has had a wonderful sermon series entitled, \u201cWhat\u2019s messing with your faith?\u201d.\u00a0 His transparency is palpably real as he confesses to struggle with\u00a0each topic.\u00a0 His genuineness in delivery has touched me very deeply, because I struggle with all the same things.\u00a0 These things that mess with our faith take us so far away from contentment in God\u2019s plans for our lives.<\/p>\n

On my travels, I decided that I would use what God had been stirring in my heart based on what I had gleaned from each topic this summer.\u00a0 With a renewed spirit, I wanted to travel with no agenda other than to love and to serve.<\/p>\n

Just a few days ago, I saw a post a friend had on Facebook and it read something like this. \u201cAre you waiting on God?\u00a0 Tell me then, when did you ever get ahead of Him?\u201d Those were very convicting words, indeed!<\/p>\n

The times when my faith is the most vulnerable is when I allow – worry, fear, bitterness, doubt, or busyness \u2013 to lead my thoughts.\u00a0 So upon embarking on this journey, I decided to just follow.\u00a0 Follow where God took me, and not try to get ahead of Him.\u00a0 It was already evident that traveling this far from home was His idea; so why not enjoy the travels.<\/p>\n

One Saturday in July, following God\u2019s heart took me to the hospital bed of a black grandfather and pastor.\u00a0 As we sat there swapping stories, I felt compelled to ask a question.\u00a0 When I say compelled, it was like an explosion of my soul as I was being pulled farther and farther away from the shore of my control.\u00a0 My question was simple.\u00a0 Can we pray?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Just the four of us, including the patient, clasped hands and prayed.\u00a0 I prayed for peace, for healing, for wisdom, and for all the things God laid on my heart.\u00a0 It was beautiful and tender and very much God-breathed.<\/p>\n

As family members and hospital staff came in and out of the room, Ninny would introduce me.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Kandy.\u00a0 She is Bug\u2019s friend, and she KNOWS the Lord.\u201d\u00a0 Not one single person that entered that room was spared of that introduction.\u00a0 Those words made me smile, at first, but later became a badge of honor.\u00a0 I was His beloved, and I KNOW His love.\u00a0\u00a0 I had never stopped to think of myself using\u00a0those words, but they tasted so sweet. THIS is Miss Kandy, AND she KNOWS the Lord!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

As the day unfolded, I was unceremoniously adopted as \u201cDaddy\u201d proclaimed me, somewhat teasingly, as his to the nurse.\u00a0 She came in to take some vital sign measurements and asked him how he was doing. Despite feeling pretty awful, it was joy to see that he still had a bit of mischief up his hospital gowned sleeve.\u00a0 He said that he was doing great because he got a new grand-daughter today.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally!\u201d, she excitedly asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhere was she born?\u201d<\/p>\n

In a barely perceptible grin covered by the oxygen mask, he replied, \u201cI have no idea, but you can ask her. She\u2019s sitting right there.\u201d\u00a0 At this point, he motioned to me sitting at the foot of the bed.<\/p>\n

If I were a poker playing kind of gal, I would want to play cards with this nurse.\u00a0 The look of confusion was painstakingly present.\u00a0 How can this grown white woman suddenly be your granddaughter?\u00a0 The rest of us in the room could hardly contain our giggles.<\/p>\n

I have to think at this point even Jesus snickered in heaven.\u00a0 His Dad\u2019s love opens wide the door of family.\u00a0 When He does, you get a small glimpse of how He sees you and all his children.\u00a0 In those moments of tenderness and a fit of giggles, I began to see what transformative power slowing down and ceding control can do for your soul.<\/p>\n

Allow God to lead the dance of your life\u2019s journey, and see \u2013 just see – where He and the dance take you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In addition to the tender moment shared yesterday, there were\u00a0\u00a0a couple more moments that took my breath away at the hospital.\u00a0 One in quiet reflection, and the other in laughter. Over the course of the summer, my pastor has had a wonderful sermon series entitled, \u201cWhat\u2019s messing with your faith?\u201d.\u00a0 His transparency is palpably real […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[719,198,254,271,718,312,720,707,721,491],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1058"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}