God's Waiting Room

"Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance."  Joshua 14: 13

Many of us have heard the story of Caleb.  He  and some other Israelite men were sent by Moses to spy on the people of Canaan.  While his fellow spies came back and filled the people's hearts with fear, Caleb encouraged the people.  He knew God had promised them this land and that no matter how huge, strong, or powerful the inhabitants were they WERE going to win.  The damage was done however, and the fear in the hearts of the nation of Israel cost them forty more years in the wilderness.  Caleb did no walk away empty handed however.  He was promised a land blessing due to his faithfulness.

What many of us who have heard the story several time over the years miss, what we really know but we do not really consider the implications of, is that Caleb had to wait 45 years for his blessing!!!!!!!  Scripture tells us that Caleb's blessing was because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly, but he was not rewarded immediately.  He was not allowed to enjoy the promised land while only those who did not follow the Lord wholeheartedly were forced to wander the dessert.  Caleb had to wander with them. 

When he was 45 he came to Joshua and asked for what he was promised and received it.  Scripture gives no indication that his faith or even his body had weakened during this time.  He did not give up or quit because he wasn't getting what he was promised fast enough.  He did not neglect to ask because he had given up.  He kept the faith and when he did get to enjoy his reward, it was all that much sweeter. 

I am blessed to be in a place today where I am enjoying sweet, peaceful, ordinary life in a way I never have.  The past several years of our life, though wonderful and full of blessing, have been chaotic and uproarious as well.  Stress of working outside of the home, a baby born with a chronic illness, many moves, and financial struggles have been our wilderness and is has ended in what I hope and pray is where we will get to stay.  Though I know there will be more hard times through the years, this current time is blissful.   We are not rich, but we are making it and digging out of debt, I am working from home, and we get to live in the most beautiful place I have ever seen.  Our daughter is healthy and has a great team of doctors, and our son and daughter both have many opportunities they would not have had anywhere we have lived previously.  Though during those years when it wasn't so easy I cannot say I was always a saint, I never doubted that God had something better and bigger for our family in His time.

I wonder if when Caleb got his land he spend his nights worrying what was going to burst his bubble.  Would fire or famine take it all away?  I hope not.  I hope he enjoyed every minute of God's good gift.  Knowing what I know from scripture about Caleb, I imagine I need not worry about that.  At times I find myself worrying that this will all disappear, but I am trying and going to keep trying to remember that God gives us good gifts to enjoy, and more than that to use for His glory.  I want to do both. 

So if today finds you in a time of wondering in your own wilderness, I want to encourage you to do as Caleb did and continue to follow God wholeheartedly during this time.  You will be much better prepared to recognze and enjoy the blessing when it comes.  If you are enjoying good gifts today, really ENJOY them, and find how you can use them to glorify our mighty God.

God bless,

Goderruptions

Yes, I know that "Goderupption" is not a word, and while it may sound like an erruption of God, which could be awesome or terrifying (probably both) it is meant to be a combination of God and interruptions.  Of course the idea that God has to intterupt somewhere means that you are not exactly where you supposed to be or doing what you are supposed to be doing, right?  I had a day full of God changing plans, my plans, to what He had planned just yesterday.

We have family visiting.  The fall foliage here is beautiful right now and way better than where they are from, so we went in together and split the cost of a minivan rental.  Everything was all paid for and taken care of electronically, and I even patted myself of the back for saving over a hundred dollars through choose my own price bidding. 

One teeny tiny problem.  The bidding site neglected to tell us that even though we had already paid for the van, we had to have a CREDIT card, not a DEBIT card, to actually take the van away.  "We have rented cars before without credit cards!" is what I am sure I screamed at my poor, defenseless hubby when he broke the news over the phone.  He explained that each time before we had a return plane ticket.  Oh. We have credit cards, we just do not use them and certainly do not carry them.  I did not wanted to forced to use it!  I was so upset.  We had reservations for dinner on top of a MOUNTAIN!  It was going to be FUN with my parents, grandmother, and aunt.  Everyone would be disappointed.  I had let everyone down.  Why can things never go right?

Then God touched my heart.  Enjoy the day with your family, he said.  Have fun, take the girls to a thrift store with some of those coupons you got.  Just enjoy the day.  So I said, "Okay God, thank you."  When it got home, everyone except my mother was actually GLAD to be staying home.  My grandmother was tired, my aunt was excited not to be drugged up on dramamine for the day, and my dad was grateful for the rest after driving 600 miles the day before.  Wow.  Mom was okay too, just not as EXCITED as everyone else.  Hmf... oh well, thank you Lord, you know best.

It gets better.  Decided to have a date night with the hubby since we had sitters.  I tried to use promo codes to get movie tickets.  I completely WASTED money when they didn't work and booked two different show times at two different theaters.  We coud have gone and seen a show seperately at seperate times, but we did not.  That is NOT a date!  I was mad and grumpy that we were not going to get to go.  I told my husband "I am taking the women to the thrift store, we cannot go to a movie, decide before I get back if you even want to go out to just eat."  I am sure he was SOOOOOO excited for an evening together after that.

I passed the thrift store but found it quickly when we turned around.  When the light turned is when I realized and I was in a left turn only lane and had to turn on to the INTERSTATE!  Not that I am scared or anything, but it was forever before there was an exit to turn around.  When I finally could get off I was turning around in a parking and wonder of wonders is was the parking lot of another branch of the same store we were trying to find.  We just stopped and went in, one is just as good as the other, right? 

Oh no, God gives his children good gifts:)  We found some great deals, most that we probably could have gotten at the other store too, but we will never know.  But I found the mother load.  A pair of 7 For All Mankind Jeans, perfect fit, for $8.99.  Now, I do not know much about jean brands, I buy them cheap wherever I can get them, but from a friend I knew these sold for between $150 and $200 on most occassions.  I'm thinking HELLO EBAY!  However, now that I think about it, I may keep them as a reminder... I just need pray to see what He wants:) 

I had also been lamenting about the wig that goes with commercial Strawberry Shortcake costume this year.  My two year old desperately wants the costume, which is moderately priced, but the wig comes separate and is almost the same price!  My mother found a red toddler wig at this store for $2.99!  Yes, thank you Lord for good gifts.

Date night without the movie?  Fantabulous!  I really think God meant for us to have a night to reconnect, and you cannot do that at a movie or rushing to get to a movie.  He had a wonderful dinner, went to get ice cream and sat in the car listening to music as we ate, and then we killed some time in the Christian bookstore and my husband found a great book that I know God had planned for him to find.  I got a pretty neat deal too...

Point being, God knows, and he has better things planned, even in the small everyday details of life.  Try not to waste this miracle being grumpy like I did for a long time yesterday, but enjoy it fully.

Did You Catch the Encouragement for Today?

Proverbs 31 Ministries had an exceptional daily devotion a few days ago that I am just getting to read.  Well, it especially touched me today anyway.  Not that they all don't, but this one especially did.   Let me warn you...the gist is about dented cans and how the food inside can still be sweet and we are all damaged goods... this goes against EVERYTHING I know about eating food out of dented cans....but that's not the point:)