Two Christmas Dinners

This past year has been an adventure in trusting God to provide.  I try to trust him...then circumstances form mountains right before my very eyes and I doubt that God remembers me and my family.  I remember going in for my shift at Costco...it was Dec 23rd...just one more day until Christmas....Christmas?  Was it still coming to the Taylor house this year?  What would we even have for dinner?

Still musing about this question...I headed for the end of my shift to my locker.  I started walking my usual frantic pace as fast as my short legs can go...hoping to get out through the crowd quickly.  So many full carts with hundreds of dollars of groceries and customers squeezing as many things in the cart as they can.  I remember a day in the past when I would have done the same...how different those days look to me now in the rearview mirror of my life. This was the first night of working at Home Depot for the restocking the store shift.

I bumped into a co-worker from my department...let's call her "Kate" for this blog.  Kate was scoping out the landscape and was waiting for me.  "I just want to tell you that God has great things planned for you this week."  My response...my eyes got real big and I was surprised she was talking about my life outside of work.  "You have to keep the faith...so many people are looking to you to see how you are responding to what you are going through...your kids, the others you work with....everyone..you just never know who is watching and drawing strength and encouragement from you."   HE has something great for you this week...There's more.....more than you expect or realize....."

I tried to believe she had a pipeline of good words straight from God and intended for me...I just wasn't certain I could hope that her words were true and a message of hope intended directly for me.   I needed hope so I grasped onto the words and pondered them in my heart.  As we got to the break room vouchers were given out to the full time crew for Christmas turkeys.  One of my co-workers slipped me his voucher and tried to down play the gift by saying something about not liking turkey anyways.....Now I went back to the freezer and picked up a giant turkey that God had provided to feed us on Christmas...It was exciting.  As I wrestled that giant turkey in my arms like a hunk of gold....I saw Kate yet again.  She looked at the turkey and said...."That is only the start Glenn...he has a lot more gifts in store for you this week."  The hope in my heart continued to grow...like a seed that now had some water and sunlight to feed it.

When I got to the break room again there was my Manager telling me to "take my turkey too...I still have the one they gave us for Thanksgiving..go ahead..you guys can use it."  OK, now I had two huge blessings in tow...headed to the parking lot..this is crazy good I thought.....saw Kate yet again..she said "HE has a lot more in store for you this week....BLESSINGS."

I started to really believe in my heart that she knew something and if my faith wasn't strong enough I could certainly borrow some of hers........after all.....This morning my arms were empty and hope was gone......as I left Costco that day I had my arms full and my heart had an unshakable faith that God would provide.

I don't know how God speaks to you but when he speaks a message to me he usually hits me from multiple angles to make certain I am listening.  He hit me with a message again quickly...

I pulled up home after Home Depot and was about to share with Michelle the Turkey story and Kate's words that God has blessings coming...before I could get the story out she handed me a paper with highlighted words.  "Kelly Hope wrote this for you and wanted you to have this today." Now my kids are past the age of writing cute little drawings...so this was out of the norm for me.  I stared at the words on the paper...it said..the words in caps are highlighted on my sheet in red and stand out...notice the first line.....

You need to EAT what he provided

SHARE what he has given and

LOVE what he has cherished...and PRAY

God is GOOD
God is GREAT
He is filled with FORGIVENESS and GRACE
Worship HIM now!

I thought...I will eat what he provided, I will share with others (like what had been done for me), and I will worship Him now....I lifted up my hands to the heavens...(something that has never come easy from my strict baptist upbringing I guess).  There can be only one response to the God who provides...lifting up our hands in gratitude.........only He would provide a double portion to let us know he is there and he can do what he wants to get our attention. I shook holding the paper and began to unpack the story of the whole day to Michelle.  I looked at her with full conviction "something's going on here and I believe there are blessings coming..not next week...but NOW.  GET READY"

More to come........