More than I could have imagined.....

God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us.

Ephesians 3:20

I always love reading a Bible verses. I find that a verse can take on a different meaning to me every time I read it, depending on my current stage of life. The verse above for example. I have asked a lot from God the past couple of weeks. One, of the many things I have asked for is clarity. I want my life back, I don't want to be consumed with the things that are out of my control. Yesterday I felt, for the first time, like me again. I was able to cut out a bag with no mistakes, I even made a couple of stitches on the sewing machine. As I drove Jessie to school I found myself looking at all the amazing spring blooms and realizing for the first time I didn't have tears in my eyes. I wasn't crying!!! I didn't feel scared or confused anymore. I was smiling thinking about spring coming, thinking about the bags I make which then made me think of the bag above and what God did! It was more then I could have imagined....

So here is the story behind this bag......

This bag was made at the same time as the bags that were made for the Susan G Komen auction. Which is where it was to be sent. This bag however did not make it to the mail box, it stayed right here in Sweet Home Alabama. 

The flight suit was donated by a spouse who's husband attends SAASS with Scott. They donated the uniform to me after they had heard that I was doing bags for an auction. The zipper had broke and was unwearable for her husband, so instead of throwing it away they gave it to me.....AWESOME! So I made my very first cut into this uniform. This was the first flight suit bag I had ever made. 

I was very excited when I finished the bag. I wanted to share that excitement with the spouse that donated the flight suit. So I did just that. She did not let it go, she fell in love and wanted it. I was stuck. This meant I had one less to send to Minot. What was I going to do? These bags were not meant to be sold to put money in my pocket they were meant to be auctioned off. I also had no idea what to charge for this bag since I had never sold a bag before now. This meant I would have to come up with two more bag designs, find two more flight suits to cut up and figure out to amount to charge and what to do with the money. I was at a loss. 

Figuring out the price to charge was the easy part. I did some research on the internet, looking at other bag sellers web sights to see what they charged. Added up my costs and came up with a price. Still nothing was screaming...."DONATE THIS MONEY HERE"!!!! 

Then it happened.....I got two more flight suits donated from another spouse. That spouse had an amazing story. She and her husband have 4 boys together and were in the process of adopting two sweet boys from China. They were doing fund raising themselves. At the time they were seeking items to be sold at a garage sale to raise money for adoption costs. I believe flight suits were among those items donated. So, instead of selling them to get much needed funds for the adoption, they gave them to me. Amazing....right?

I was able to make the two bags that I said I would make to send to Minot. Now, what do I do with the money from the bag I had sold. It didn't take long to figure out. Just like the verse said, God will do more than we ask or imagine. He did! After e-mailing back and forth with Sonia, (she is the amazing mom of this amazing family), God told me what to do with that money.....give it to this awesome family. Seems like an obvious thing to do and may seem like it is not that amazing, but it is. At least what ended up happening is still amazing to me!

As the money sat in my drawer, Sonia had her garage sale. I had already made my decision to donate the funds to her, but had not told her this news. She posted a status update on her Facebook telling us the amount she raised from the garage sale and was thrilled. Thrilled because, the amount was just shy of the total amount needed to cover an upcoming expense pertaining to the adoption. 

This is the part that is AMAZING......In my dresser was the amount that would bring them to the exact total they needed. The amount that would mean no money out of their own pockets for this particular expense. He did it, more then I had asked or could imagine. I would have never imagined that the amount in my dresser was the amount needed to cover the rest of their expense. I had asked for guidance with what to do with this money and He gave me more then I could have asked for or imagined!

How awesome is that???!!! This is why I make these bags, because things like this keep happening. It is beyond amazing to me every time. 

Today, I am amazed that I have clarity again. That I am able to type out this story and not be consumed with my issues, that I am able to sew and be distracted. Able to sew bags that keep bringing amazing stories to my life!

Gracefully, I look up thankful for clarity again...even if it is just for a short time. This clarity brings me happiness in a time that has me consumed with sadness. It gives me the happiness to face the next chapter in whatever God has written for me. 

If you would like to read Sonia's story , please do! She is an awesome blogger and story teller, she will make you laugh and cry all at the same time! Plus, what she did is worth reading, it is amazing and the boys, well they are just too sweet!!!!