Another little breeze.

I woke up this morning with an outlook that seemed very familiar. It was exactly like the morning at training camp for Romania when I crawled out of my second level bunk and looked at my teammate Kelsey, groaned and went, "I woke up this morning and just kind of thought, 'Hmm, how 'bout not?'". I had slept quite hard and had been dreaming all night and didn't feel well rested as I rolled out of bed (literally. . .) and trudged down the hall to the shower. It took forever for the water to heat up, the shower curtain was hooked wrong, and I got shampoo in my eye. I lacked all desire to do my hair or look pretty, which was odd since I just got one of my dresses back from being altered by Nan. So I tossed my hair into a ponytail, pulled my bangs back into a headband, and donned my gym shorts, grey tank top, and light jacket before heading to get breakfast before Psychology this morning. 
The moment I stepped outside the front door of my dorm, something wasn't right. I could tell immediately. 
It was. . . cool. The humidity was gone, the sun wasn't beating down, and I actually felt a little bit chilly. 
Suddenly, as the breeze picked up a little, I felt very alive. 

God speaks to me in funny ways. Sometimes it's a well timed text message or a verse of a song, sometimes its a random stranger passing me on my way to class, and sometimes it's a slight breeze that picks up at the right moment. It was like that little breeze was my own little gift this morning, telling me to perk up; I have plenty to be happy about, and cool weather isn't even the top of the list. 
The rest of my morning went really well. I made excellent time at breakfast, leaving me with enough time to get a chai latte AND knock out a chapter of my book before Psychology, which was let out ten minutes early, allowing me to actually walk instead of run across campus to make it to my ASL class. I made an A on my first ASL exam, and actually got to talk with the really intimidating girl in my class and found out she's actually super nice. I got the first serving of the fresh batch of curly fries at lunch and came back to my room to find my afternoon class canceled, opening up my afternoon so that I not only had time to do all of my homework but to devote more time to my Bible study. My room smelled like an exploded Hot Pocket and no amount of Febreeze could cover it up (nor could it block out the latest episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians my roommate was watching, with the blinds shut, while doing her homework), so I packed up my books and my computer and headed down to the coffee shop just off campus, where I've been sitting for the past two hours. I've had a two hour Bible study and quiet time, praying and listening to worship music and reading back through the verses my teammates gave me in their encouragement notes. This little corner of the coffee shop, while I'm surrounded by a ton of students and adults meeting for coffee or to study, seems very quiet and personal and exactly the kind of spot I've needed to spend some quality time discussing life with the one who gave it to me.
God blows my mind, plain and simple. It never ceases to amaze me how the Creator who is so perfect and Holy and everything good chooses to love someone as disgusting and short tempered as me. He chooses to send me the breeze and speak to me in a coffee shop, asking me to uncomfortably open my palms to Him as I pray around these strangers but follows the discomfort with His soothing and loving voice. He continues to romance me and lay His plan out before me bit by bit each day. He places people in my life who encourage me and push me forward and challenge me to really press into His plan and process, even when I feel unworthy and discouraged. He has redeemed me and blessed me, made beauty from the ashes and covered my inadequacies with His blood. 


And to think, if that little breeze hadn't blown this morning, I'd probably still be grumbling and groaning about being awake today.