God's Perfect Timing

As I sit here in my chair thinking of all the wonderful things God has done for me lately, I am struck by His awesome power and His amazing love and His faithful provision.  I have been overwhelmed by the goodness of God in the last few months.  There are so many things He has done for me--both little and BIG.  I would love to share a few examples. . .

Here's a little example. . .

I bought a car a couple of years ago, and it had been a rental before I purchased it.  The dealership only had one key for it, and ever since I bought the car, I was a little nervous that I would lose my keys or lock my keys in the car.  My car is a Chrysler, and they have those weird keys that are attached to the unlock remote thingies (usually a little pricey to get a copy made).  It hasn't really been an option yet (financially) to order a second key, so I've just been very careful to pay attention to where my keys are at all times!  

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I decided that it really was time to bite the bullet and find a place that can make a second key for me.  I didn't really want to spend the money, but I figured it would be better than calling road side assistance to get me into my car if I locked my keys in.  And if I lost my keys, I'd just have to get another one made anyway, plus deal with the extra hassle.  My dad told me about a place that makes remote lock keys a little cheaper than other places, so I decided I would check it out.  Literally, the very next day my friend had a flat tire (not so fun for her, but she had a warranty on the tires so she didn't have to pay anything to get it fixed), and she was unable to find her jack.  So I went to meet her so she could use mine (she finally located hers under her driver's seat--driver's seat???), and as I was pulling my jack out of it's little compartment, I saw a little ziplock baggie with a spare key in it.  God's perfect timing!  I know it's not a serious expense, but it's still money I don't have to spend on an extra key!  God is good!

Here are two BIG examples of God's perfect timing. . .

I won't go into detail, but I've been trying to refinance my house for a few months.  We hit a few speed bumps with the appraisal coming in low, and it caused a few hitches in the flow of traffic, so to speak.  The bank and I were able to work together to work out all the wrinkles, but it was absolutely God's timing and provision that ultimately allowed it to work out.  God put a little bug in my mom's ear, and she put a little bug in my dad's ear who then went to talk to a banking acquaintance of his who then gave me some helpful advice on what questions to ask and what info to give to get my loan officer and the loan processor to reopen the file and work out the details.  Once they reopened the file and started looking at all the fees I should/should not be paying vs. the credits I should be getting, they were able to work it out, and the new loan amount was reduced by enough to allow the loan to go through.  One of the credits they were able to work in was from a government program that I qualified for b/c of the area I live in.  According to the bank, they only JUST started this program in my area, and my bank is one of the few providers for it.  I closed on the refinance yesterday.  God is so good!

Back in December of last year I received an unexpected bonus check from my employer.  I was so excited!  I decided that I was going to use that money to install new flooring in parts of my house!  I started looking at different options, and found a flooring that I thought would match my planned decor perfectly.  Unfortunately it was a little higher than I wanted to pay, and I would only be able to do the living room and hall.  No problem, I can do something else in the rest of the house, I decided.  However, a few unexpected expenses came up and I was unable to do it at the time.  I was very disappointed--the carpet in my house severely needs to be removed!  However, I figured that God knew I would need that money to pay for some things.

Then my tax return came.  Great!  NOW I can get my new floors!  Nope, it just didn't work out.  What I had set aside for new flooring ended up being used for the loan application on the refinance.  No matter, I can use the money I'll be getting back from escrow on the old loan or the money I'll be saving from the month I won't have to make a mortgage payment!  When I found out the bank denied my loan, I was, again, sorely disappointed.  But, as I said, God is good, and He worked out the loan!  Viola, I have the option to redo some of my flooring again!

Here's where God's perfect timing comes in!  I went to the store that carries the flooring I had picked out, and I found out that it has been discontinued.  The store I went to has no more of it, but another store a few miles further does still have 700 square feet of it.  He said he would give me a "good deal" on it if I would by the whole amount.  Well, I only need about 400 square feet to do the main floors (the bedrooms could wait), and the price discount wasn't enough to make it worth it to me to buy the whole 700sf.  I had a budget I did not want to exceed, and the deal wasn't quite good enough.  So, I went home to think about it and consider which rooms I really wanted to do.  The next day, I called the other store location to see if they really had the flooring in stock, and the gentleman confirmed that, yes, they did have it in stock, and since this particular flooring has been discontinued, they were selling it at half the original price!  A-MEN!!!  Now THAT was a deal!  I swooped that one up!  That discount lowered the price to less than it would have cost me to do the 400 sf at the price the other location quoted me.  In fact, when I went to pick up the flooring, the final price was $120 less than my budgeted amount, and I am able to replace ALL of the carpet in my house.  God is good!

If I had bought the flooring back in December or January, there's no way I would have gotten that kind of discount.  Now, b/c of God's perfect timing, I will be able remove all of the carpet in my house, and replace it with the flooring I chose along with some very beautiful porcelain tile that my parents are giving me left over from a job they had.  They have just enough tile to do one of the bedrooms and, possibly, both bathrooms (eventually).

Amazing.

You have given life to me. . .

I will serve thee
Because I love thee
You have given life to me
I was nothing
Until you found me
You have given life to me

Heartaches, broken pieces
Ruined lives are why you died on Calvary
Your touch, was what I longed for
You have given life to me

I will serve thee
Because I love thee
You have given life to me
I was nothing
Until you found me
You have given life to me

Special Lady

We recently had a baby shower in our church, and one of the ladies asked all the grandmothers in the room to say something to the new grandmother--word of advice, special memories, etc.  That got me thinking about my own grandmothers.  I loved them both, but I don't have many memories of them.  My dad's mother passed away when I was very young, and my mom's mother passed away when I was in 9th grade.  The few memories I do have of them, I hold very dear.

Listening to the grandmothers speak that day, I realized the important role a grandmother has, and the impact she has on her grandchildren.  While I didn't have that close relationship with my own grandmothers, I am blessed to have had wonderful ladies that have kind of filled that gap.  One such very dear lady is my Aunt Linda.  (Now, Aunt Linda, I know you're not old enough to actually BE my grandmother, and that's not what I mean, so don't take it that way, OK!)  She not really even my aunt, but I've known her since I was 3 years old.

Now THIS lady I have memories of!  We moved into the house across the street from her those many years ago, and I know it's of God when I look back at our relationship.  I have always been close to her.  She lived about 30 minutes away from where I went to college, and I would go over to her house just about every weekend.  My parents were in Africa when I was in college, so I spent most of my Thanksgivings and a few of my Christmases with her and her family.

My Aunt Linda has been such a beautiful example of a Godly woman.  She's so encouraging, and she always makes me feel so precious and special and loved and important.  When I talk to her, I know she's actually listening.  She is my friend and my confidante.  If she's ever had to correct me for anything, I've never noticed because she knows just how to speak in love so that it doesn't feel like a reprimand.

I don't think of Aunt Linda as a "replacement grandmother", but when I think of how I would want my relationship to be with my grandmothers if they were still alive, I think of my relationship with Aunt Linda.  I do believe God brought this wonderful lady into my life to fill that gap left when my grandmothers passed away--so that I would not be without the impact of that role.  

Aunt Linda, thank you for being so kind and sweet to me all my life.  I am so thankful that I did not have to live my life without having the kind of friendship I have with you!  I have been so blessed by you!

Give Thanks unto the Lord

While we should be thankful every day of our lives, Thanksgiving Day is a special time set aside to remind us to be thankful for our many blessings.  For the last several weeks our church has been splitting up the men and women in our Wednesday night service for the Bible study time.  The ladies spent a few weeks on Love, so this particular topic has been on my mind for a while now.

As I sit here contemplating what I'm thankful for, I keep thinking about our Bible studies.  I am so thankful for all the love in my life.  Not just that which is directed at me, but for all the examples of love that God has allowed me to witness.  There are so many people in the world today that feel blessed to have just one person that shows them love, and I have an abundance of examples.

I have two wonderful parents that have been married for over 30 years that love each other immensely.  Those in my church family love each other.  Now I consider that amazing--you get any number of random people together in a room, and eventually they will begin to clash.  Our church is diverse, and even though we are each different, we still love each other, and we love to fellowship.  My boss has been married to his wife for over 60 years, and every time he mentions his wife to me, he just absolutely gushes with pride and love.  

My whole family loves to be around each other, we love to laugh, and we love each other.  I have some amazing friends that love me, and some that I haven't spoken to nearly often enough over the years that I know would be there for me in an emergency.  My church family loves me.  My animals love me (and nothing you can say will convince me that animals don't love)!!

I really could go on and on about all the examples of love in my life, but I will leave you with this:

Colossians 1:3-4  We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the LOVE which ye have to all the saints.

Thank You, Lord, for showing me LOVE!  You were the ultimate example of love when You died on the cross to pay the price for my sin and offer me the opportunity of redemption.  Thank You for every iota of love You have put in my life.  You truly are an amazing and wonderful God!

I have the bestest, most awesomest, most WONDERFULEST mommy in the whole, biggest, widest world!!

Cute title, but seriously, I do.

Isn't she pretty?  We were MUCH cold that day.  And it was rainy.  But we had so much fun!!!

I come from a great home-Christian parents who love the Lord, love each other, and love their kids.  They've been married (insert number of years here--I can't b/c then people could guess close to my mom's age and then she would kill me.  And that would be sad.  I like living.  Suffice to say, a long time) years.  I have taken it for granted at times, but I have seen many families with broken homes, and I am so very thankful for the family God put me in.  I get along with my siblings (mostly, heehee).  I have a great relationship with both of my parents.  I even bought a house 3 doors down from them.  And contrary to what they say, I did not buy the house solely so I could eat at their house every day.  Although I do.   And I like it.  ;)

Something happened not too long ago that really made me pause and think about how great my mom is.  It was something so little, but it had such an impact on me.  I almost cried at the dinner table.  But I didn't.  Cuz that would be weird.

We were eating dinner.  I don't even remember exactly what it was, but I know it was something Dad had cooked on the grill.  Their grill is kind of touchy, so one side of it cooks a lot faster than the other side.  Apparently, some of the meat got a little. . . "blackened," shall we say?  I didn't even notice it until my mom said, "This meat actually tastes kind of good burned."  As I looked around the table, I noticed that she had dished out the food onto our plates (which she does sometimes, and at other times we just pass the food around), and she had given my two younger brothers and I the meat that was cooked just right, and she had put the burned meat on her plate and dad's plate (dad got the piece that was a little less burned).

Once I sat there and thought about it for a minute, I realized she had done that all my life.  She always puts the comfort of others first.  She takes care of her husband and children before she takes care of herself.  She gives everyone else the best, and she takes what's left.  I gave this testimony in church on mother's day (and of course I blubbered like an idiot), but I wanted to share this here for anyone to read.  I thank God for my mom and the woman she is.  She has been such a great teacher and example.

If I ever do get married and have kids of my own, I have some awfully big shoes to fill.