Move Me Aside

I can't believe after a year of dreaming of this day, it is finally here!  It feels really good, to finally sit down and gather my thoughts after a very busy week with very little sleep. After 5 successful trips to Columbia and REI, managing to return every item on our original receipt except a few items, we are packed! OK, confession- almost packed, we still have a few hours until we leave.  We have managed to each pack a small suitcase for 14 days with one giant duffel bag with supplies for the orphanage. You can't really "mail" items to Haiti with ease so, we are taking a care package for a volunteer, along with a number of supplies for the children and Nannies including: toys, crayons, coloring books, soap, medicine, flip flops, knee brace, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and much more. I can't help but think, the items we are taking to the orphanage are necessities that we too often take for granted. I have been to Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreen's, and the Outlet Mall multiple times to prepare for this trip, and didn't think twice about how many trips I made. I know that this trip will be life changing.

The kids left yesterday, and they are very excited about getting "spoiled" from grandparents. They are so excited about all the things planned for them. Caleb will be attending a music camp at the church I grew up attending. On Friday, we had Guenther Family Fun Day. We spent the majority of the day just having fun, which included Krispy Kreme for dinner. During lunch at Gatti Town, Adalynn asked to use her game card to take a picture of the two of us in the photo booth. She literally walked around the house with the picture in her hand for two days. When it was time for her to leave, she made sure she had that picture in her suitcase. That really touched my heart.

With all these thoughts racing through my head from bags to pictures, there is one phrase that is ringing loud, "Move Me Aside." See Adalynn was carrying a picture of me, and that person in the picture (me) can get in the way of what God wants to do on this trip unless I move aside, and allow God to move. It would be easy to go on a trip like this with my own agenda.  I can worry about safety, travel, money, kids, or what I will see, hear and smell in Haiti. All that doesn't matter!  Father, move me aside!