And God Reminded Me, "I'm Aware, and I Care"

A couple of days ago, if you were to ask me how I was doing, I would have responded DEPLETED.

Bone dry. Rung out. Deflated.  I felt like a mere shell of a woman. And I didn't see relief in sight.

But like most women, I kept on going. I asked the Lord, for help.  I just wasn’t expecting it in this way.

God is so creative and cool.

A friend of mine was in town from Dallas. We've been friends for a long time. We met for a couple of hours for coffee  and enjoyed catching up on life – hashing over the good, the bad and the ugly, but encouraging each other in the Truths.

I felt my cup fill up.

But it wasn’t just that.

Later that day, I was telling my kids about how this friend definitely has the spiritual gift of giving.  She’s given me some pretty interesting gifts over the years, including sending coconut ice cream to my house, wrapped in Styrofoam and dry ice, shortly after I gave birth to our 4^th child.

Anyway, she stopped by the house a few hours later, carrying a red bag, wrapped around 2 packages of Ho-Ho’s and a card, with her handwritten words, “Here’s to finding the beautiful beneath the dirt, dust and sin.  Your friendship is such a blessing.  Take care of yourself – which means, of course, eating Ho-Ho’s! Keep praying. Keep writing. Keep going.  God will not let you fall.  I love you soul sister!”

My cup filled up some more.

The next morning, I went out to my car to get my sun glasses, opened the door and to my surprise,  on the front seat of my car rested a framed set of photographs. The day before, when we were together, we browsed through an art gallery and I admired it. It is three photographs of old fashioned typewriter keys. She bought it, I thought for her. 

She’s sneaky that way.

The thing is, I’m still smiling about it. It’s really not about the gifts.  I didn’t NEED the Ho-Ho’s or the picture, but God used her giving them to me to remind me of Him. It was about Him filling me up, through the truth that He was at work.

Beyond the fact that she was generous and kind, it’s that God cared enough about me to prompt her in her gifting. She was the willing vehicle of His grace to me.  It was as if He was saying to me, “I’m aware, and I care.”

Yes, I’m still smiling about the visit, the card, the Ho-Ho’s (and I’m happy to report that they only have 80 calories each – who would have known?) and the picture (which I hung in my kitchen, still adorned with the bow that it came with).

But I’m also touched by the truth that when we live out the spiritual gifting that God has given us (giving, teaching, encouraging, etc...), in His timing and in His way,  then we are giving God’s love.

We may never know who He may be reaching at any given moment. It’s not like I was wearing a neon sign that flashed DEPLETED. She didn’t know that. God did.

Lord, help me to be your willing servant, to bless others through the gifting that you’ve given me.  Help me to believe that you are at work. Remind me of this, so that I can in turn, bravely, generously, give to others, in whatever way you ask me to, for that day. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.