- Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Rephrased to fit the situation: Therefore do not worry saying, ‘What shall I buy?’ or Where shall I find it?’ or ‘How will I pay for it?’ For after all these things we seek during the Christmas season! But our God, our Heavenly Father, knows what concerns you and will look after you. He merely wants you to seek him first, and His righteousness, and He will take care of the rest!
Welcome to Wednesday’s Word and Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…oh, and Trench Classes United, too! Yup, by the 1st of the year, you should have a whole new experience at our website, so take some time to check it out in a couple of days! In the meantime, grab your coffee and come on in. I have a great story to share with you.
So it was the Saturday before Christmas and I still had some shopping to do…which is so unlike me as I’m usually done by Thanksgiving or nearly done anyways. But hey, life’s different this year and so was my shopping experience; in fact it was one I’ll never, ever forget.
I invited my eighty-seven-year old self-adopted mom to join me; I just love being in her company and knew she would be a great teammate to get the job done. Well, that morning in my very own War Room, I had prayed and asked God to help me find what I needed and to have a positive shopping experience. See, my husband likes a particular Levi jean – one that is hard to find unless you go to a Levi store -- a particular brand of socks and a particular type of chonie, aka, boxer-briefs! I know, TMI. There’s a reason I’m telling you this, trust me! :-)
I picked Mom up after 11 and we went to my first stop and began to shop. I was focused on buying for my husband but we went in the wrong door and immediately I got distracted and started buying more for my stepdaughter and a little something, something for a couple of friends. Content with what I found, we headed over to the men’s section. Well, I wanted to get him some shirts and so I found this one that I just knew he would like…but it was a small. We searched and searched for the particular brand, with no luck. We couldn’t find anything that even looked close to it. Something told me to hang on to it as I continued my shopping. Mind you, there were soooo many others in the same predicament of last-minute shopping, but I was determined to enjoy myself.
I headed over to their Levi department and low and behold, there was a clerk! We hadn’t seen one since we’d walked into the store forty-five minutes earlier! Anyway, I asked her if they had any 527’s and she looked at me and said “if we do, there’s only a few” and she proceeded to take me to the section. I looked at the ONE display, a bit doubtful, and began looking for his size. And the clerk began to help me too! When I found the first one, I screamed like a little girl getting her first doll or something, and then she found another one…do I dare look for one more? We looked, and looked and looked. All of a sudden, she came up with the very last one, giving me one in each color: light blue, dark blue and medium blue too! I was so appreciative and thanked her profusely.
Then I held out my small shirt and said is there any way to see if there’s a medium here? I can’t even find this style of shirt. I’ve gone to the section that is that designer and can’t find it anywhere. She checked her scanner and said there is ONE medium somewhere in this store! Off she went, and fast, so I ran after her!
Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a store so close to Christmas where nobody seems to have a filter or a need to put things back where they found them the way that they found them. I mean there were hangers on the floor, clothes askew everywhere on the wrong racks, in the wrong sections. It was crazy, but I kept a smile in my heart the entire time. This finding the last one happened with his socks and a couple of other things as well! I felt like His favor was before me and behind me. It was such a cool experience.
I had no idea just how much He was watching out for me…until we came outside of our last store after having been in there for thirty minutes. It was one of those moments where fear and joy collide as you realize what could have happened but didn’t. See, when we got closer to my car – mom was just a few steps behind – I let out a scream, but nothing came out. I stopped dead in my tracks, afraid to go closer and confirm a fear that started in my head and was fast approaching my stomach. But I had to. I ran to my car that sat there with the driver’s door wide open, quickly looked in the back and EVERYTHING WAS STILL THERE. I moved in slow motion to open the trunk and low and behold, everything was still there!
I started a sort of laughing cry; laughing at the reality of a loving, protecting and very-much alive presence of God all over my car, before me, behind me, and crying tears of relief that nothing was stolen, despite being in the City of San Bernardino (one of the highest crime cities in the country) and it being this season where many get desperate and do desperate things. How could I deny that He cares about all that concerns me…that He has His angels watching over me…and you!
Oh, Coffee Hour friend, things go better with prayer, and I pray that you experience something that makes you know that you know that He loves you, is watching out for you, over you and all around you and that He cares about ALL that concerns you!
Love,
Evinda
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