let me tell you a story.....

have you ever stopped to think about the way God puts thing together for us in such an amazing way. as most of you well know... i had no idea what i was going to be doing at the end of the summer. i felt that God was leading me away from Lagniappe... but He was also telling me that i couldnt stay at home (my family is utterly amazing and incredibly supportive, but my life outside of them wasnt the best situation for me, or anyone, to be in... thats a longer story in and of itself). driving back to the bay from a week leading at Urban Young Life camp with Christy, Stephanie, and David... i began to feel increasingly overwhelmed to the point of tears (i think i might be a little too emotional... sorry guys). i began to confide in them about my situation. i didnt know what to do... i didnt know where to go... i knew God was leading me from Lagniappe and home but i didnt know where he wanted me (keep in kind that we only had a week left until the end of the summer). being the wonderful friends they are, they prayed for me on the ride home. i felt a little better but i knew that nothing had been settled.
our last week passed a lot quicker than i thought it was going to. on thursday night the remaining 'terns went over to the Larroux's house for a subway and pancake dinner. so much fun but still strange without all the other 'terns there. towards the end of the evening, only Christy, David, Melissa (David's friend from home that was going to be riding up with him to drop me off in TN on their way back to PA), and i remained at the house with Jean and his fam. while everyone else was inside, Jean and i were sitting on the porch when he began to call me out. "what are you doing, Haley? why are you leaving the bay? if youre not going home where are you going?" all valid questions... valid questions that i couldnt answer. i told him that i felt confident that God was leading me away from the bay... but that He was also leading me away from home. after talking a while longer, he suggested that i ask Melissa if i can come to PA and move in with her (fyi... i had just met Melissa about... uh... 20 minutes ago!). he said that it would be good for me to live with a woman close to my age who had such a close relationship with the Lord and i could get involved with Network (the ministry she works for) and basically take refuge in God. i thought that was a great idea. one problem. there was no way i was going to ask her if i could move in with her... she would think i was crazy! to which Jean's response was, "ok... well then we'll pray that she asks you." oh ok... that sounds like that could happen... YEAH RIGHT! i conseaded and we began to pray... "God, we think this is stupid... we're just going to lay that out there since You know we're thinking it. we dont think You're going to be this. but please lay it upon Melissa's heart to ask Haley to move up to PA with her. we know this would be a good enviroment for Haley..." after we finished praying, i looked at Jean and said, " i feel bad because i dont think she's going to ask me." then came his response, " does it make you feel any better that i dont think she is going to either?" uh... no. "act in faith, Haley. pack a bag and you will go." i left the house with this overwhelming feeling of peace and confidence which stayed with me all night and into the next morning.
the next day, i had misplaced my wallet so Melissa had stopped to help me find it. we began to talk and she asked me what i was going to be doing once i go home. i gave her the gist of it... didnt know... wasnt in school... felt led from both here and home... willing to go anywhere... just needed options. she told me that she thought we were going to have some great converstion on the way home. still had the feeling of peace an confidence.
we left the bay around 2:30. not an hour after we left Melissa said, "ok, Haley... lets talk options." ok. "i think that you should just come up to Chambersburg and live with me." WHAT?! i was speachless... but God gave me the words. i told her about the conversation with Jean the night before. how we had prayed specifically for that. she said that she had thought it earlier but didnt want say anything because she's learning to wait on things. (keep in mind that we had met the night before and that she didnt even know anything about me... just that i was friends with David and was riding up with them to TN.) after talking about for a while she said, "i dont know... i just think youre going to come." "yeah... i am." come to find out that David had praying for the past week that Melissa and i would meet and that i could somehow get involved with Network as well. later Christy told me that it had entered her mind as well and that she was praying about it too. woah. Melissa and i both felt that this was God will but we wanted it to be confirmed... confirmed by her roommate and her landlord. so we prayed that God would grant us the "go ahead" by allowing those two to be ok with it. she called both... her roommate was completely fine with it and her landlord was too.
David and Melissa stayed two night at my parent's house with me. my parents are extremely supportive and knew that this was and is from God. they got to spend some time with Melissa and see that she's not an axe murderer or a member of a cult.
tomorrow morning i'm leaving for Chambersburg, PA. i'm excited... i dont have any expectations... i really cant have any. i know that God is bringing me there for a reason... i just dont know what yet... but i'm excited. please keep me in your prayers... y'all are all in mine.