Although I have been blessed beyond measure to know many of my readers, I know that some of you don’t know me. I’m incredibly honored to have you joining me! A brief description of me would be…. a child of God, a wife of 43 years to my amazing husband Dan, mom of six loving kids, mom-in-law to six wonderful kids-in-law, grandma to 20 grandchildren, farm wife, nurse and a few other involvements to keep me out of trouble! Please, if you respond to my posts, tell me about yourself… I can’t wait to meet you!!
Sometimes, the only way to see where we’re going, is to look back.
As you and I embark on this journey together, I’m going to begin by laying out an old fashioned paper map, so that you can trace with me the steps that have brought me here. Some of the roads have been rough, with potholes and broken pavement while others have been smooth sailing, with gorgeous views. But it’s has taken both to bring me to where I am. This will be a slightly longer post than those in the future. Bear with me….
One of the greatest blessings of my life is that I was raised in a loving, God-centered and crazy, active home. My father’s job required extensive travel, which in turn demanded a lot of my mother… six children, moving every three years, and a husband with one foot in business and the other in church speaking engagements.
Then it happened. Dad called a family meeting and dropped the proverbial “bomb.” He, together with my mother had felt God calling him to leave his substantial salary position to go into full time church ministry, as a traveling speaker. This was not a paid position. No. This was a “Children, I know God will provide” position.
To a fourteen year old girl, this meant many things. It meant challenges and changes, loss of status, loss of security and loss of friends. However, as I struggled to regain my footing, and straining to see through the fog, I realized that I was embarking on a journey that would change my life forever. This would be a journey on which I would see, over and over again, a God who was much bigger and far more powerful than the stick-figure that I had drawn Him to be.
The first year was a maze of questions and answers, tears and celebrations, as I watched in slow-motion my parents knock out from under themselves every man-made financial and material support, and learn to relax in the arms of the One who was carrying them. I witnessed in a front row seat a battle being fought over my family between Satan and my God. We experienced extreme illnesses which were recovered from and empty kitchen cupboards and yet never went hungry.
The phone rang… Mom answered. After a brief conversation she turned to us children and explained. Company was coming for the weekend, arriving the following night for dinner. With a voice of confidence, she said to us, “Children, even though we have no food to serve them now, we will watch God provide.”
Mom prayed. And yes, God rolled up His sleeves and went to work.
We lived in one of the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. Friends of ours lived on a farm north of the city. They called to say that they had a frozen half of beef that a customer had failed to pick up and they didn’t have room in their freezer for it. “Could you take it off our hands?” My older brother was sent to pick up the meat. Thanks, Lord.
That evening, we went to our church prayer gathering, and came out afterward to find a fifty pound bag of potatoes leaning up against our car.
The following morning a neighbor called to see if we could use a half bushel of apples.
A friend stopped by with a loaf of bread.
By late afternoon, my mother had set the table with all of her best china and silverware. The doorbell rang. There stood a woman with a beautiful arrangement of flowers in her hands that she thought we might like on our table.
As my mother closed the door, she turned to us children and said, “Children, when the Lord sets the table, He does it right!”
As the years have come and gone, I have seen God continued to show up, revealing Himself as the loving and trust-worthy Friend that He promised to be. Whatever you are facing right now…. He promises to provide what you need. The Bible says, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) If it’s potatoes…. He’s got this. If it’s strength to make it through another day… He’s got this. If it’s a matter of being totally confused as to what God is doing in your life or your family’s lives… He’s got this. But we have to let go and trust Him…. because it’s according to His riches, not ours.
Just let go…. ’cause when God sets the table, He does it right.