I have a story!

This past Sunday, during Dustin’s sermon, he was sharing some amazing stories of how God came through in impossible situations and after church, I told Dustin that I would like it if God could give us some amazing stories today and he said that God does, every time he goes to Kenya. I said that I was meaning, here in our everyday lives, more specifically, in MY LIFE! He said to just pray.

Earlier that morning, we had discussed my grocery list. I asked him how much I could spend at the store that afternoon. He told me $45. $45 did not sound like enough to get everything in my list and I had asked him if there was any other money I could use. He said no, that was all we had and that I should just figure out what basics I could get and everything else on the list would have to wait till he got paid later. In my heart I knew he was right, we have given a lot of money away to different causes, countries and our calling and I knew we were tight but my head was telling me their had to be just a little more. $45 was not going to allow me to get any meat. I pressed the issue one more time with Dustin with no luck. $45 was all I had and it was cash at that, so I couldn’t even go over a little bit on a card or anything.

God was going to have to help me with this shopping trip. Not only was he going to have to help me with the shopping trip, he was going to have to help me cook this week. With only having $45 to spend, meat was out of the questions. What was I going to cook this week for dinner? And I was going to have to submit in my heart to my husband and trust him. Wow, trust my husband and trust God and not rely on my own understanding?!? Well let me tell you how it went.

I had a coupon that was $10 if you spend $50. Mind you I only had $45 cash so I was carefully sticking to my list. Diced tomatoes were on sale for $.67. That is a fantastic deal. I was going to buy 10 and save a dollar on top of that. As I pulled the cart up to the canned tomato section, there was a large empty spot on the shelf. All of the diced tomatoes were gone. #1 I really needed the tomatoes. #2 I really needed the tomatoes at that price. #3 Now my calculations were going to be off by $6.70 and I had to find something that would cost roughly $6.70 to replace it. I am sitting there staring at the shelf, as if my staring would make them appear and it was as if God spoke to me and said “Lori, hun, look. You can get a rain check and get as many tomatoes as you wish next time you go to the store for the same price.” What a blessing. I was able to get AB fresh grapes and tomatoes and if you know AB you know how much she loves that.

I ended the shopping trip very successfully. The trip cost $43 and some odd change. I was feeling very confident and its strange, but I felt as if God had gone shopping with me. I put the groceries in the back of the car and when I opened AB’s door, there on the floor board was something that Dustin and I had been searching for. You see someone had given him a $100 bill for gas and groceries and he lost it. It fell out of his pocket/wallet and his heart was crushed. Loosing the $100 was huge. Well, he thought it fell out while he was driving and we both searched the car top to bottom several time and just could not find it. I know that God made that $100 bill appear there. It was almost teasing me like “ha ha here I am”! I know that God hid it on purpose. He wanted me to feel stretched and submit to my husband and to trust and rely on HIM! It was the coolest feeling. It totally boosted my faith.

That was Sunday. On Monday, right before leadership, my neighbor Franz knocked on the door. He said they were having hoity toity snooty company over dinner on Wednesday and they always buy fancy salmon from Chile when they come over. Well they he had bought 4 sides of Salmon and but only were going to need 3 and because they were going out of town at the end of the week he wondered if we would like the 4th. I said of course we would love it. Thank you so much.

Well, it didn’t click till Tuesday morning, but when it did, it got all over me. I ran up to Dustin’s prayer room, knocked on his door, didn’t even wait for a response, busted in and blurted out…..”God brought meat to our door. I submitted to you, I trusted in him. I didn’t go over the $45 limit. I couldn’t afford to get meat and God brought meat to our door!”

Isn’t that awesome? God’s provision is amazing. I totally have a story. One thing we discussed at small group last night was that it is ok to want to have stories like that, but we must realize to be in a place where God will blow your socks off and will make the impossible happen, you have to be in a place where you are facing the impossible!

I say bring it on! Thank you Lord Jesus for your amazing provision!

Took My Breath Away

This past Monday, I was feeling blue. I didn't want to be at work. I wanted to be home with AB and snuggle wuggle buggle. Zuzana was online and offered to send a photo. I amlost wish she hadn't. The photo she took and sent was just a quick candid snapshot that AB happened to smile right as she clicked. I can't put an exact age on this, but she just looks so much older in this photo and it gave me a quick "flashforward" of what she would look like when she is older. You might not see it, but I do / did and it makes me sad. She is so grown!

AB and her rain gear!