"How are you today?" he asks me....
"Just Enough" I answer.
"hey what's up?" asks another person...
"Just Enough" is my reply.
A strange answer?...not really...you just have to be on the same wavelength to get it.
For the past year I have been working two jobs feverishly at a pace of 70 to 75 hrs per week. My wife has been working nights as a nanny to six children to make ends meet and pay off our endless obligations. Sometimes it seems crazy and chaotic and at a breakneck pace that will never cease without days off or never an end in sight.....and then.....
A break
My job finds they made an error and owe me a week of vacation and I must take it now or lose it.........
then...break back...hot water heater hose breaks, shower drains stop up and Draino won't cut it...and the kid's toilet starts leaking.....
A break....The plumbing jobs are miraculously fixed for $2.98 and $5.98 respectively....
Then break back...school still fighting over giving my daughter the special help she needs
You see a lot of my life the break backs would stop me in my tracks and get me angry to the point of giving off the remnants of that rage like little shock waves..after shocks of the quake.
I still get mad but the paradigm is everything...the original breaks are mercy and they add up as well to more than I can count.
Sometimes it feels like we are wandering in the wilderness here and that's not farfetched. As a parallel look at the Israelites...they were in the wilderness for forty years...they would have a need..voice it vociferously...whine, complain, moan, grumble.......
Then God would give them a break...an outpouring of His mercy...time and time again....
Water
Bread
Meat
real needs in the moment...
What did God give them?
Just Enough !
The mana he provided was to be gathered each day and only enough for each day. What happened? Some people tried to outsmart God and gathered extra for the following day...just in case....
When they got up the next day the extra they had gathered was spoiled...Why?
The lesson they were to learn was they could trust God in His provision for them.
How do I feel today?
Just Enough....
I can get full of fear that I am not saving up for tomorrow or that I am not paying off everything today in this moment...Fear that my body is old and will break down without medical coverage....fear I am not providing sufficiently for my family or their future....fear I am not home in their lives enough.....
or
lose the fear---I can count the mercies that have been provided and blessings that I have been given today....I am choosing to be thankful.
It is hard to trust everyday...but it is an important lesson to learn....just enough
Friday, February 17, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Visitor or Visiting Angels?
The man screeched into our drive through at work..a little wild eyed...hair a little disheveled. He hadn't ordered a thing to eat so I was wondering what he was looking for...directions perhaps?
He went into a story about how his uncle had been crushed by an eighteen wheeler and he had to come to town to take care of arrangements and he had just arrived. He didn't know where the local churches were so he was asking for money assistance from me and my crew.
I told him my crew are all on welfare assistance and it wasn't our pay week but he was welcome to what I had, which wasn't much. I didn't want to reveal there were only three of us there, just in case it was a set up. I gave him my 59 cents I had and he asked me to ask the crew anyways. The woman said no, the cook said "I have some change in my car...open the door." You see the gas station and a few other businesses across the street have been robbed recently so I need to be very careful.
Let me explain something about my cook Will. Will is about twenty years old and one of the few employees that does not have a police record. He is wrapped up in his beliefs concerning money. He plays some rap music and much of the themes seem to be concerned about money. He laughs and tells a story about going to the Green Hills Mall where people have valet parking to shop. He said he walked in and when he didn't see prices on the clothing, he knew it wasn't the place for him to be shopping.
Will was determined to help this stranger out. Also I want to add that Will is black and the man he was helping looked like a middle class white man.
He went and looked in his car and moved the seats and compartments and rustled up all the change he could find and gave it to this complete stranger because in Will's words "we need to help others out with whatever we have to share."
Will also explained that "sooner or later it all comes back around to us..if we share .....others will share with us."
The very next night we all clocked in and began another typical evening shift of work together. Not more than five minutes in the store phone rang...it was for Will. Will listened intently and started yelling "thank you Jesus oh thank you Jesus."
Will had been trying to catch on with Nissan here locally and Nissan was finally calling him. Will just went from minimum wage to double that rate....his rise out of poverty had just begun...or did it? I think Will is richly blessed with inner peace because of his sharing...a richness worth more than a judgment of poverty levels. Will immediately pointed to his sharing the previous night and called it a test. In his theology he claimed that God was rewarding his sharing kindness....How I wish it all worked this way. I do know that God does not work inversely and strike down those who didn't share the very next day. My commentary is not to judge Will's theology and whether God directly inserted his will into this situation or not....
I am just so happy for Will that he shared and he is moving on to a better situation for his life. I do know that sharing and paying it forward made an impact on Will's heart just as much as the many strangers he has helped...and maybe that is God's blessing on his life more than anything. Just a thought.....
He went into a story about how his uncle had been crushed by an eighteen wheeler and he had to come to town to take care of arrangements and he had just arrived. He didn't know where the local churches were so he was asking for money assistance from me and my crew.
I told him my crew are all on welfare assistance and it wasn't our pay week but he was welcome to what I had, which wasn't much. I didn't want to reveal there were only three of us there, just in case it was a set up. I gave him my 59 cents I had and he asked me to ask the crew anyways. The woman said no, the cook said "I have some change in my car...open the door." You see the gas station and a few other businesses across the street have been robbed recently so I need to be very careful.
Let me explain something about my cook Will. Will is about twenty years old and one of the few employees that does not have a police record. He is wrapped up in his beliefs concerning money. He plays some rap music and much of the themes seem to be concerned about money. He laughs and tells a story about going to the Green Hills Mall where people have valet parking to shop. He said he walked in and when he didn't see prices on the clothing, he knew it wasn't the place for him to be shopping.
Will was determined to help this stranger out. Also I want to add that Will is black and the man he was helping looked like a middle class white man.
He went and looked in his car and moved the seats and compartments and rustled up all the change he could find and gave it to this complete stranger because in Will's words "we need to help others out with whatever we have to share."
Will also explained that "sooner or later it all comes back around to us..if we share .....others will share with us."
The very next night we all clocked in and began another typical evening shift of work together. Not more than five minutes in the store phone rang...it was for Will. Will listened intently and started yelling "thank you Jesus oh thank you Jesus."
Will had been trying to catch on with Nissan here locally and Nissan was finally calling him. Will just went from minimum wage to double that rate....his rise out of poverty had just begun...or did it? I think Will is richly blessed with inner peace because of his sharing...a richness worth more than a judgment of poverty levels. Will immediately pointed to his sharing the previous night and called it a test. In his theology he claimed that God was rewarding his sharing kindness....How I wish it all worked this way. I do know that God does not work inversely and strike down those who didn't share the very next day. My commentary is not to judge Will's theology and whether God directly inserted his will into this situation or not....
I am just so happy for Will that he shared and he is moving on to a better situation for his life. I do know that sharing and paying it forward made an impact on Will's heart just as much as the many strangers he has helped...and maybe that is God's blessing on his life more than anything. Just a thought.....
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Year of NO FEAR
Catchy little slogan for my new years resolution.
I can kind of picture a Nike swoosh along side of it or something cool and very commercial.
Actually, my son Grant suggested we all have a fire on New Years day..."a fire where we write down emotions and painful things from the past year...and then we burn the slips of paper." What a cool idea for a 17 year old I thought and very deep and profound. When Grant is "in" with an idea everyone else wants to be a part of that activity..good thing he proposed it and not me.
I started to think about this past year and I wanted to make my thoughts count. My daughters were writing feverishly. The pressure was on....Michelle had some great and profound truths to share.
My grand thought? I am tired of going through life and worrying about what people think, how to act and engage others socially, afraid for my children and their future, afraid of the past and missed opportunities...every where I turn it's always more fear.
In the Bible "fear not" is mentioned more than 350 times yet somehow the deep soaking realization never penetrates.
I wrote that four letter word down F-E-A-R.
So much of life is a mindset and we wear a groove with whatever it has become. Time for a new groove and new track,,,,heck..time for a new day...new beginnings.
I watched the paper burn and the ashes rise into the cold January sky...wifts of smokey prayers rising from hopeful people. God, I just don't want to be afraid of things....I want to trust you in all things. And there it is...it boils down to that truth...I want to trust Him in all things. If we are honest that is difficult and the more the waves roll in and the storms of life shake our lives...the more that faith and trust are tested.
Someone said to me when I lost my job two years ago "now you are blessed because you are going to know the blessing of having everything stripped away from you." I don't know if I agree wholeheartedly but I do know the more we live day to day...the more I have to look to God and my faith and trust each day...there are no laid back moments. I see where he was coming from. It forces me to acknowledge Him more because I am not relying on my own abilities alone. In life when there has been an abundance I find myself furthest from Him relationally.
And so 2012 has become my year of "NO FEAR"....no I am not a surfer painting this message on my t shirts and wake board....just painting it on my heart and mind to not ride emotions up and down as much because I have seen God open doors that never existed and create windows out of nothing...bring pieces together that don't go together but he uses everything in combinations we never imagined would happen. It's all a strange and wonderful recipe....I know now that I have put it out there that I will be tested to see if it's sincere.......
That was a great way to start the year...short ceremony...long in thought...giving up regrets...and pressing on in this journey. No Fear......
I can kind of picture a Nike swoosh along side of it or something cool and very commercial.
Actually, my son Grant suggested we all have a fire on New Years day..."a fire where we write down emotions and painful things from the past year...and then we burn the slips of paper." What a cool idea for a 17 year old I thought and very deep and profound. When Grant is "in" with an idea everyone else wants to be a part of that activity..good thing he proposed it and not me.
I started to think about this past year and I wanted to make my thoughts count. My daughters were writing feverishly. The pressure was on....Michelle had some great and profound truths to share.
My grand thought? I am tired of going through life and worrying about what people think, how to act and engage others socially, afraid for my children and their future, afraid of the past and missed opportunities...every where I turn it's always more fear.
In the Bible "fear not" is mentioned more than 350 times yet somehow the deep soaking realization never penetrates.
I wrote that four letter word down F-E-A-R.
So much of life is a mindset and we wear a groove with whatever it has become. Time for a new groove and new track,,,,heck..time for a new day...new beginnings.
I watched the paper burn and the ashes rise into the cold January sky...wifts of smokey prayers rising from hopeful people. God, I just don't want to be afraid of things....I want to trust you in all things. And there it is...it boils down to that truth...I want to trust Him in all things. If we are honest that is difficult and the more the waves roll in and the storms of life shake our lives...the more that faith and trust are tested.
Someone said to me when I lost my job two years ago "now you are blessed because you are going to know the blessing of having everything stripped away from you." I don't know if I agree wholeheartedly but I do know the more we live day to day...the more I have to look to God and my faith and trust each day...there are no laid back moments. I see where he was coming from. It forces me to acknowledge Him more because I am not relying on my own abilities alone. In life when there has been an abundance I find myself furthest from Him relationally.
And so 2012 has become my year of "NO FEAR"....no I am not a surfer painting this message on my t shirts and wake board....just painting it on my heart and mind to not ride emotions up and down as much because I have seen God open doors that never existed and create windows out of nothing...bring pieces together that don't go together but he uses everything in combinations we never imagined would happen. It's all a strange and wonderful recipe....I know now that I have put it out there that I will be tested to see if it's sincere.......
That was a great way to start the year...short ceremony...long in thought...giving up regrets...and pressing on in this journey. No Fear......
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Ebenezer Scrooge
I was flipping channels and saw the movie "A Christmas Carol" and starting watching it...I used to hate watching that story to be honest. Something has changed....
Scrooge gets to look at glimpses of his past and milestone markers in his life. He gets a close up look at decisions and their subsequent consequences.
He takes a trip down memory lane with the past, present, and finally a look at his legacy and possible and most likely future. A valuable trip it is...for when he awakes it is as if he's been reborn. As he breathes in life to its fullest deeply into his lungs and accepts the gift of today for the amazing gift it is...he realizes finally it is more blessed to give than to receive. He is also in a place to bless others by doing just that. He is on a high so contrasted by his beginning miserly heart. The JOY radiates from him as to an unbelievable level for those who knew him...some wanting not to forgive his past...some not wanting to show kindness back to him now, yet undaunted he presses forward and stays in the JOY of his Christmas awakening.
He is a man given TRUE life.
But what of the name Ebenezer? Is that significant?
Ebenezer is actually a Hebrew name that translates to "stone of help" or anything that reminds us of God's presence and help. It becomes the standing stone or a place where a stone was stood on end as a reminder of something significant God did to help or aid the Israelites.
How fitting that Ebenezer's own life became a type of standing stone for giving and kindness, good nature, charity, deep family love....Ebenezer became an Ebenezer.... he fulfilled his name.....how I hope we all have such an ending...
.....I love that movie ending....
Throw open the shades and let the light of Christmas flood the windows of your soul..throw open the window and breath in the cold clean snowy air...help someone...share with someone...Merry Christmas
Scrooge gets to look at glimpses of his past and milestone markers in his life. He gets a close up look at decisions and their subsequent consequences.
He takes a trip down memory lane with the past, present, and finally a look at his legacy and possible and most likely future. A valuable trip it is...for when he awakes it is as if he's been reborn. As he breathes in life to its fullest deeply into his lungs and accepts the gift of today for the amazing gift it is...he realizes finally it is more blessed to give than to receive. He is also in a place to bless others by doing just that. He is on a high so contrasted by his beginning miserly heart. The JOY radiates from him as to an unbelievable level for those who knew him...some wanting not to forgive his past...some not wanting to show kindness back to him now, yet undaunted he presses forward and stays in the JOY of his Christmas awakening.
He is a man given TRUE life.
But what of the name Ebenezer? Is that significant?
Ebenezer is actually a Hebrew name that translates to "stone of help" or anything that reminds us of God's presence and help. It becomes the standing stone or a place where a stone was stood on end as a reminder of something significant God did to help or aid the Israelites.
How fitting that Ebenezer's own life became a type of standing stone for giving and kindness, good nature, charity, deep family love....Ebenezer became an Ebenezer.... he fulfilled his name.....how I hope we all have such an ending...
.....I love that movie ending....
Throw open the shades and let the light of Christmas flood the windows of your soul..throw open the window and breath in the cold clean snowy air...help someone...share with someone...Merry Christmas
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
A Strangely Wrapped Gift
I received an unexpected gift this week. It actually is probably not what you are thinking. You see, it wasn't anything that someone physically gave me. At this time of year we can usually assume a gift is something that we receive....something that is wrapped up with wrapping paper and a bow.
Not this gift...
This gift was a friend that allowed me the opportunity to speak truth about his life...words that are simple and true. It cost me nothing but time. Time these days is very valuable to me and a precious commodity. I am working two jobs to make ends meet, so time is very scarce and precious. We can see some struggles so clearly when we have blazed a similar trail in our lives. Many times the trail is too close for comfort and so we avoid the pain and tell people the standard "we are praying for you". While I have no doubt that many actually do pray, many more do not and they just don't know what to say...it's OK though, I do understand.
Words...they can give life or they can crush the spirit. Unspoken words can snuff out the light of the soul. Dramatic--No! Words, spoken sincerely and from the heart allow us to connect in the purest form of community I know.
To touch some of that pain and not have all the answers but still speak from the heart...that was allowing me the gift of giving some of me. It allows me to redeem some of my own story and pain.
That was a gift for me..medicine for my heart. I am thankful ;)
Eucharisteo.
Not this gift...
This gift was a friend that allowed me the opportunity to speak truth about his life...words that are simple and true. It cost me nothing but time. Time these days is very valuable to me and a precious commodity. I am working two jobs to make ends meet, so time is very scarce and precious. We can see some struggles so clearly when we have blazed a similar trail in our lives. Many times the trail is too close for comfort and so we avoid the pain and tell people the standard "we are praying for you". While I have no doubt that many actually do pray, many more do not and they just don't know what to say...it's OK though, I do understand.
Words...they can give life or they can crush the spirit. Unspoken words can snuff out the light of the soul. Dramatic--No! Words, spoken sincerely and from the heart allow us to connect in the purest form of community I know.
To touch some of that pain and not have all the answers but still speak from the heart...that was allowing me the gift of giving some of me. It allows me to redeem some of my own story and pain.
That was a gift for me..medicine for my heart. I am thankful ;)
Eucharisteo.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Definition of a Veteran
A person who has had long experience in a particular field, esp. military service.....
A person who is long experienced or practiced in an activity or capacity.... I thought I would take this opportunity on Veterans Day to talk about an experience with a true veteran. He was very unassuming...short in stature, a rather kind, quirky old german man with a goatee and crooked teeth and a raspy voice. His hair was always gray and ruffled..and clothes a bit disheveled in appearance. He entered my life in tenth grad in Biology class to be exact. You see our regular teacher hated teaching, he despised his students and loathed class each day. After about 8 weeks of doing overhead slide after slide to teach he quit to go clean pools. Enter Paul Hahn. He was a career substitute teacher. I thought he was a rather odd bird. We all tried to rattle him as best we could. We would leave the pool cleaning hotline number for him and told him they were still hiring...hint. There were animal heads across the top of the classroom...biology..remember?! We put a picture of his head on the next spot in line..caption "Mr. Hahn...Class of 1913." He actually laughed deeply at that one..he would laugh at many of our jokes but still got to work to teaching us the material. One day he wasn't there. A new substitute came in and didn't really care for me, specifically my outward countenance and facial expression. In that one period he succeeded in telling me that "I would never amount to anything and that any student with my grades would never graduate college." I don't believe he was using reverse psychology..I think he never wanted to look beyond the facial expression and invest in knowing me. The next day I could not get the words out of my head and I was mulling it over...very hurt, more angry that I was judged by someone again without knowing me. I entered Biology class and was Mr. Hahn. He had me stay after class and wanted to know what was wrong. I opened up and told him of the previous day's fiasco. He grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes and said "of all the students in here Glenn, I believe in you. You are going to graduate college and you are going to do great things in this world. I believe in you....One step at a time...take the next step and line up your goals." Finally, someone was validating me without judging me...was this even possible that someone didn't feel threatened by my expressions and was willing to consider I have promise? Whether or not he really believed it--I'll never know and it doesn't matter...it was what I needed to hear from a veteran of life. He had life experience that I did not. He knew I needed some encouragement. It worked. I brought my grades in that class from a D to an A. I brought all of my classes up and became ranked in my class up to #141 of 1015. I remember going to him to share my success. He was not surprised, but he reminded me "there was more hard work and more successes ahead." Mr. Hahn encouraged me and that changed my life around. How I wish others could have a mentor enter their life at the right time to help guide them into the right direction. I worked hard at my night jobs and got my AA degree at the local community college. I called him to get together and have lunch at TGI Fridays to celebrate. I will never forget the proud look of approval on his face, no longer teacher and student but now mentor and friend who had seen part of what he saw in me now fulfilled. Mr. Hahn was a Veteran, a veteran of the German Air Force from WWII and came to our country immediately after the war and shared with me many stories of his life experiences, how he lost parts of his feet from freezing in a plane on a mission and came so close to death. I listened to stories of prejudice against him in every way yet he never became bitter or allowed those experiences to define who he was. There is so much more I would love to say about what I learned from him.....to honor his memory. In today's world I want to encourage others not to be too busy with your head down all of the time. There are opportunities to speak into other's lives...more than you realize. You never know who's life you could change. For me-- I needed to hear the actual sentence "I believe in you." For many others it is simply showing consistency in a world where broken homes provide nothing consistent. A veteran is someone with experience in a particular area....Please consider sharing some of that experience and looking beyond the surface of what you see in others...invest in others...it WILL change a life. |
Monday, October 17, 2011
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........
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........
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