God never ceases to amaze me.
The way He prepares us for the road ahead, be it through the circumstances we’ve just come through or by filling our “tanks” with hope, encouragement and wisdom for the trek.
The way He provides for us, via special deals at a store, blessings from close friends or gifts from practical strangers.
The way He graciously corrects, sweetly provides, faithfully encourages and consistently guides.
The week after Aiden was born {about 15 weeks ago}, we visited a church in Lansing for a special evening worship service. There were a few people there from a local ministry wanting to practice hearing from the Lord for others {also known as personal prophetic ministry}. Having experienced the wild year we have, and not having a clue what the future holds, I signed us up!
God knocked our socks off. Everything the trio sensed God telling them for us, and prayed over us, was spot on.
We were totally tanked up! God spoke to our hearts through these 3 people in such a stunning, and much needed, way.
The following week we found ourselves in some of our darkest days. Aiden had been admitted to the PICU and we were clinging to the Lord, begging him to heal his little heart.
How sweet of Him to have filled us up and given us words of life for the long road ahead.
So last week, someone I {barely} know {through my sister} on facebook put it out there that she wanted to practice prophetic ministry and was looking for guinea pigs {all via her status update}. Being the encouragement/wisdom hog that I am…I commented on her status with a resounding “pick me, pick me” message!
And again, God knocked our socks off.
She came back a few days later with prophetic words for me, my hubby {by request}, and for us as a couple.
Talk about reading my mail {and she doesn’t…not even my blog}!
What she brought back to us, from her time of praying and waiting on the Lord for us, was spot on! There was encouragement, caution, wisdom and counsel all wrapped up into this life-giving parcel she delivered to my facebook inbox.
A few times since first reading it yesterday specific words have come to mind, in nailing me on superficial thinking, challenging me not to be stingy and in encouraging me that God has great things up His sleeve for me/us.
How awesome is our God that He gives us EVERYTHING we need to live an ever-growing, purposeful, radical life…including tangible fuel for the trip. I’m blessed beyond words for these nuggets.
While there is too much for me to go into depth at this point, I know portions of the prophetic word will be a part of this journal in some shape or form for many, many days to come as they come to mind and materialize.
And as a cherry on the top of this encouragement Sundae, we arrived home from church today to find one of the State Troopers from my husband’s post {with his wife and daughter} sitting in the living room with my parents, surrounded by boxes and boxes of groceries…gallons of milks, juice, boxes of cereal, brownie & cookie mix, sausage, crackers, deodorant, toothpaste, soup, a frozen turkey, chocolate, delicious smelling “man soap” {yum}, and a slew of other yummy food substances.
Even Ali and Aiden got Christmas prezzies from them. Including diapers for our growing boy!
And as though this weren’t extraordinary enough…a gift for us: all the {costly} makings of many delicious glasses of Grand Martinis, a drink we experienced for the first time a few months ago and fell in love with, but couldn’t afford to buy {a bottle of Grand Marnier costs a whopping $40…and that’s only one of the ingredients!}.
Can you believe this incredible extravagance we encounter on a relatively frequent basis…and the willingness of precious people {who don’t necessarily share our faith…I don’t know…I just met her today, and only met him last week for the first time} to bless us out of the overflow of their lives. It’s beautiful.
I stand amazed. Humbled. Blessed beyond words {okay, so maybe that’s not true. I’m rarely speechless. Obviously}.
What lavish generosity. What stellar human beings.
And now. I get the feeling it’s my turn to spread the love. And I get even more of a feeling that it ‘someone’ who suddenly {since a few days ago} lives a couple of miles down the road from me.
Someone I’m still viciously guarding my heart {and my children} from.
Someone who I’m still learning how to love fully while establishing healthy boundaries with.
Surprise. My mother-in-law is back in the state and now lives closer than I know what to do with.
Oh, how timely a word from the Lord, and a Christmas present, can be.
Grand Martini, honey…?
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