And God sent a cat!

Meet Meadow. Meadow was sent by God. No, really, he/she (we never figured out which one) really was. Jack and I were getting ready to head overseas for 11 days and I only had a few days left to tie up all the loose ends, get everything packed for us and for all of the kids and get all of the instructions for the kids to the people caring for them, etc. I remember saying, "Lord.... I do not know how I am ever going to get this all done." Now... use your Hollywood imagination, play Chariots of Fire in the background.... this tiny cat came trapsing into our backyard and suddenly all four of my kids were captivated and disappeared into our backyard and down into the ditch behind our house. I finally had to come out and see what all of the commotion was. Sure enough, there was a stray kitten. The kids became obsessed with this cat instantly! They drew it pictures and then would say, "can I go show the kitty the picture I made?" Insane! I got a little involved in this-- tried to facilitate the naming of the kitten. We settled on "Meadow." For the remaining THREE whole days before we were to leave, the kids were outside playing with Meadow and I was able to get everything done! I even ended up buying a bag of cat food and notifying a neighbor and my mom to keep an eye out for Meadow and make sure there was water and food out for her. When we got back, we were all anxious to see if Meadow was still here (she had moved from the ditch to under our mini barn and then even up to our back patio). Meadow was gone. The neighbors and my mom said there were no signs of her the whole time we were gone.

Is it beyond God to send a cat to occupy my kids in order for me to prepare for a trip? I think not. The God who spoke the mountains into existence also says He knows the number of hairs on MY head and calls each and every star by name! This is amazing love!

So, thank you, Jesus for sending Meadow and providing a way for me to complete my packing!

:)

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7

He counts the number of the stars;

He gives names to all of them.

Psalm 147:4

Has my heart turned back to Egypt?

I was just reading Stephen's answer to the Sanhedrin, when the people were falsely testifying against him, because they were jealous of his wisdom and power. He gives a wonderful account of God's story through his people, beginning with Abraham. At one point he says

"This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people. He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.
"But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
(Acts 7:37-39)

When the Israelites were in Egypt under the new king, they were treated barbariously! They were slaves, making bricks in the hot sun, day after day and were even stripped of receiving the materials they needed to do so and had to scour for materials on their own, yet produce the same number of bricks (or it may have been double, I can't remember!). The Bible also says that the new Pharoah made them "throw out their newborn babies so they would die!" What a life! Then, God rescues them miraculously (parting the Red Sea for them!) and gets them out of there. This does not sound like something I would ever want to experience, let alone go back to!

So, the verses above in Acts got me to thinking about things I am grumbling about in my heart. When God has moved me to a new place, do I really want to go back? Or should I trust in His wisdom...

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The things I grumble about (in my heart or out loud) are really a blow to the face of God Himself (and rejecting him). Sure, sometime or something in my past might seem more apealing to me-- definitely nothing like the Israelites in Egypt, but I cannot see as God does. Maybe the situation was spiritually equal to slavery in Egypt or spiritually way backwards from where God has me now.

Anyway... I've kind of gotten off on a tangent and don't know if I am really getting my thoughts across. I was just froze when I read the words, "Instead, they rejected him and
in their hearts turned back to Egypt." (Acts 7:39b). Am I missing God's best in some areas of my life, because I am discontent and in my heart have turned back to Egypt?

I'm Thumbody Special

I took my kids to our county fair last night. We looked at lots of animals, but we also spent some time at the police tent. They had a station to get your kids' fingerprints taken, with a packet to send home for you to add a strand of their hair and file it all away in case of a tragedy. It was a morbid thought, but no one was in line, the kids thought it looked like fun and they gave away free t-shirts for all of the kids who did it. So, we did-- all 40 fingerprints of my kids are now recorded (it was a little bit of a process). :) But, as I held Joey on my lap and the lady officer took Joey's prints, it crossed my mind how absolutely amazing fingerprints are-- or should I say the God who created them is! I asked the officer if she had ever thought of how incredible it was that EVERY SINGLE person who has EVER existed EVERYWHERE has different fingerprints! None will EVER match! The more I think of this, the more it completely boggles my mind!!! A sense of satisfaction came over me as I thought of this-- knowing that this is truly another sign that God loves EACH of us with an INDIVIDUAL love, and that He designed and created each of us! We are one of His great works who He spent time and care creating us. I don't think we'll come close to comprehending it this side of heaven.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

Through the Fire

Some song lyrics I like. The title is "THROUGH THE FIRE." My favorite line is "My God will show up!" It's great too how it is emphasized in the actual singing of the song.


Another thought from the book, Do You Think I'm Beautiful by Angela Thomas--
The Israelites were facing the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them. They were willing to return to Egypt to not have to face the impossible. Thomas states that we would rather do anything than face the impossible, but this is where God works at his best-- the impossible! Like any of the Israelites would have ever thought "hey. .. if God would just move this water out of the way, then we'd be ok." This is what made me think of the line of that song, "My God will SHOW UP!"

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Ex. 14:10-14

AND. . . I love the part of the song that says "He said help would always come in time"
Angela Thomas says that after the Israelites crossed the red sea to leave bondage in Egypt, they must have wondered why God waited so long to free them. But read this following verse:

“And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.” Ex. 14: 31

It was in His mercy that God wanted to show them how powerful He is to prove He is worth putting their trust in. Unbelievable love! And if He can part the Red Sea, surely He’s got our situations all under control.

The entire next chapter in Exodus is a song of Moses and Miriam rejoicing about God’s great power and what He did.



THROUGH THE FIRE. . .

So many times I’ve questioned certain circumstances
Or things I could not understand

Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision
And my frustrations get so out of hand
It’s then I am reminded I’ve never been forsaken
I’ve never had to stand the test alone
As I look at all the victories, the Spirit rises up in me
It’s through the fire my weakness is made strong

And He never promised the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb
He never offered victory without fighting but
He said help would always come in time
Just remember when you’re standing in the valley of decision and the adversary says give in
Just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again

I know within myself that I would surely perish
But if I trust the hand of God, He’ll shield the flames again
And He never promised the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb
Just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again
Just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again

It's all in Belonging

I read a great book last week called "Do You Think I'm Beautiful" by Angela Thomas. I'm not a good summarizer, so I won't even try. But, it is a great book... trust me!

One thing that got me thinking (and kind of socked me in the stomach), was near page 105, where she talks about women who think they are "no longer worthy." This is exactly what the prodigal son says to his father in Luke 15-
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

Angela Thomas argues that we are not good enough and never will be. But our worth comes from BELONGING to Jesus Christ. That's it. We can do nothing to be worthy of Jesus' love.
Angela goes on to say that she's seen lives stay paralyzed in the land of "no longer worthy."

I love how God gave us the parallel of His relationship to us as our relationship to our children.
Isn't this true of our children (and a good reminder)-- we love them because they belong to us, not because they clean their rooms. And sometimes, we can slip into this. But, if we are going to attempt to portray Jesus' love for us, shouldn't our love come pouring out because they belong to us-- an unconditional love that they cannot earn (and should not have to)?

And not only is God's love for us a perfect, merciful love, but He reminds us over and over again how He has His grip on us so tight that NOTHING can separate us from His love.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So, we should aim to stop do, do, doing and thinking that this is why He loves us or that this makes Him love us more and start enjoying Him and His love for us. May we mirror this to our children also. May they rest in the security of His love and ours.