Coincidence or God?

Do you ever wonder just how much detail God cares about? Something happened early this morning that left that question in my mind: "Does God REALLY care about such trivial matters?" I'll tell you the story and let you draw your own conclusion.

This summer, we were out garage saling and happened upon a house that had old edition but still packaged Nascar cars and collector cards. Since we moved over to this part of the state, my life-long friend, Janiece and I usually buy small gifts for each other's kids and it's no secret that we often glean them from clearance aisles. No need to be pricey because after all, it's the thought that counts. Tony got to thinking that these might make great gifts for her boy's September and November birthdays so we picked up four of them.

This morning, I was getting Talon's ready and realized it was his 13th birthday. I was feeling kind of bad that I hadn't thought to get him something more special than OLD edition cars. And yet, I knew there probably wasn't much to be done about it since in this struggling economy we are pinching pennies every which way we can.

It was then that I noticed the year in the upper right-hand corner of the car package...would you believe they were put out the very year he was born?!

Now you tell me, was it coincidence or was it God?

Fully Rely on God

We've heard the phrase, but what does it REALLY mean? I received an email regarding a devastating circumstance - the move of a family member in which this individual has found solace and comfort after three huge losses in her life in the space of 101 days. I thought about this subject before bed and again this morning. My conclusion? Sometimes God takes away things that we become too dependent on so that we rely more fully on Him. We might know that in our head but sometimes it’s hard to get it through our heart.

Allow me to share a personal experience (or three :)

Late last year, I discovered a homeopathic pill for nerves and stress and found myself taking them quite frequently. Nothing wrong with that at all. And it wasn’t hurting my body because it was homeopathic. I am aware that it could have totally been mind over matter – the pill might not have really worked that well, but I didn’t care how it worked as long as it settled my nerves. But one day when I took it I immediately felt convicted. God said, “You are depending WAY too much on those little white pills and NOT ENOUGH on Me to get you through this. We can work on this together. You can be a conqueror over this area of your life, but I want to be the one to get the credit and NOT those little white pills! I want to be the one you come to first not LAST. I want the praise and the glory for this victory.”

I recognized His voice because I had heard it before. When I was fighting to keep horse pills down to build up my hemoglobin in the early weeks of my pregnancy with Janae so I would have a better chance of carrying that pregnancy. And again when I was struggling to breastfeed Kerrigan, thinking that was where we had gone wrong with the problems with Janae. I heard His voice in the stillness of the night. And again while standing under the spray of the shower with tears streaming down my face so hard I could not separate the two. I heard His voice and I answered - because I knew He was the only HOPE; He was my only HELP. Whatever I was doing might have been working to a degree. But how much better to have the Creator of all things, including ME, on my side; fighting this battle with me – and even at times for me?!

In the stillness of that night in 1997, I told God I was killing the baby that was inside me. I couldn’t take the prescribed herbs for my blood count. And He told me, “Quit taking those pills and I will let your baby live.” I surrendered but not without a fight. A week or so later when I was admitted to the hospital for hyper emesis, in spite of not being able to eat properly my hemoglobin was 14.6 – an all-time high for me! But only because of God.

Under the spray of that shower 7 years ago when I felt that I was failing my baby because we were having difficulty breast-feeding, God said, “I want you to stop nursing her, put her on formula and trust Me for her life.” “But God, everyone will think I’m nuts!” “It doesn’t matter.” “But God, formula is what caused Janae all the problems and I don’t want to risk that with Kerrigan.” “Yes, but when in the end you look back and realize that you made it through Kerrigan’s infancy with no problems, I don’t want you to credit yourself and the ability to breastfeed. I want you to look back and say, ‘I did everything wrong according to our previous track record, but God made everything right – and God alone.' ” And that is exactly what I said - "only because of God."

I still have the little white pills in my night stand and in my purse. God has given me His “permission” and “blessing” to take them on occasion. But less and less frequently. And ONLY after I call on Him first.


“…despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Romans 8:37 NLT

“They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them. You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel. Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name.” Psalm 44:3-8 NLT

If God had a refrigerator...

...your picture
would be on it.
If He had a wallet,
your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers
every spring.
He sends you a sunrise
every morning.
He cares about you!

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." I Peter 5:7

I know you've probably read that before but it is one of my favorite forwards. I love to read it each time it comes in my inbox. (And that's more than I can say for most repeat emails :)

If We Become As Children...

I received this in my INBOX today. It's long but powerful. Wow! To be like Kevin...

"I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, "Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed..."

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth, of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work, or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all!"

We are Weak

Written November 13, 2007:
I got a phone call a few minutes ago. A friend who thought she’d hit the lowest point possible had a few hundred other things hit her and the bottom dropped out of the bucket thrusting her into an abyss full of so much pressure, stress and darkness that it looked impossible to pull herself up.

Some of her struggles, I don’t completely comprehend – I’ve never been there. Some of them I can certainly identify with. But even though I can sympathize, I still felt helpless as all that one can truly do in these types of situations is to listen with an understanding ear. And sometimes that doesn’t feel like enough.

And then you always wonder, WHY? What is to be gained from an experience like this? And while I worked around the house, praying for strength for her today, an old song came back to me. One that most of us undoubtedly learned at our mother’s knee or in Sunday School. It’s just that back then we visualized a very small “us” and GREAT BIG God physically, not really truly comprehending the meaning. “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so; little ones to Him belong, WE ARE WEAK BUT HE IS STRONG.” And now that we are older and need it, we so easily forget that little phrase there at the end. But it is so true. His strength is truly made perfect in our weakness. Sometimes He allows our world to fall apart for no other reason than to show us that we aren’t really Wonder Woman. It is Him working through us – His strength shining through our weakness – that turns our attempts into successes. We need to be reminded of that occasionally so we don't allow our achievements to give us a big head. Sometimes it's to bring us to the realization that we don't have to do it all to be good enough. Sometimes it's to make us realize we can be a wonderful woman without being Wonder Woman. Because it’s not our super powers but God’s that makes up the difference. (And I've been there a lot in the last year.)

Whatever the WHY, and even if you never see the WHY, remember, His strength is perfect when our strength is gone.

Latest Favorite Quote

I read this quote the other day and loved it immediately.

“We plan and God laughs.”