Last night we lived church. It was a mainly music night with tons of time to talk with, work things out with, thank & praise our Jesus. There has been so many tangible, beyond words blessings happening to Joey and I this week. Where to even begin... Some things might seem small, but when I remember that each gift received has been given to me from the God who created the ENTIRE UNIVERSE, none of it feels small to me.
We were given weeks worth of groceries and gas in gift cards.
There was an outfit that I saw at MArshals for my sweet Jed that I fell in love with. I didn't buy it and I didn't say a word to anyone about it, and a dear friend showed up with the exact outfit on my doorstep a few days later... She said it was just to cute to pass up (and in my opinion, she was right! :).
A thank you card with some cash was slipped into my hand at church last night.
Hal was asking me for a pretty Christmas dress just this week... again, I didn't say anything to anyone except the Lord and last night a friend showed up at church not only with a Christmas dress just Halee's size, but with an entire back of fun clothes for Hal.
When Siah saw that Hal had gotten an entire bag of clothes he was sad that he hadn't gotten anything. As him and I were having a little chat about choosing to be happy with our sister when she gets a special treat, a woman (whom we have never met) walked up to us with a brand new matchbox car and asked if Siah might want to have it. She explained that she had been carrying it around in her purse for weeks just waiting for the right little guy to give it to. When the woman walked away Siah said, "Mom, God provided for me too!!"
We had one bill left unpaid for this month... Thursday night Joey and I prayed that the Lord would provide and by Friday night we had received DOUBLE the amount that we had needed to pay that bill!!! It has been an amazing week of blessings for our little family...
And last night as we were living church, I was thanking the Lord for the specific ways that He has shown Himself to me... that He has made Himself real in my life. All the THINGS that He has done have been wonderful. And I am beyond words grateful for them. But I was also thinking about the ways that He has been stripping Joey and I since we've moved to CO. It's easy to be grateful when things are going good and we're swimming in an abundance of blessings.
Sometimes the refining that has been going on in our lives has challenged me to ask myself if GOd ALONE is enough? What if everything that I find myself thanking Him for was stripped away, would HE be enough? I'm so thankful for our humble farm house... but if He took it, would I still serve Him? I am so grateful for my children... But if it was His will to take them home, would I still praise Him? I am sooo grateful for my Joey... But if the Lord saw it fit to take Him home, would I be able to truly trust in His provision?
Is He enough for me?
YES! YES! YES!
You know how I know?
Because we have been walking through stuff for weeks now.
And although I don't deny the pain, the sometimes doubt, the often fear of it all...
Above all those things, there is HOPE... tremendous HOPE!
The gift of God's Son on the cross, for our crimson red sins, is the one gift that can NEVER be taken away from us. NEVER< style="font-weight: bold;">Water You turned into wine
Open the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You
CHORUS
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Into the darkness you shining
Out of the ashes we Rise
There’s no One like You
None like You.
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
BRIDGE
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who can ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
Then what can stand against?
Then what can stand against?
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
*******
I'm not sure if the "refining" is ever over in this life. But no matter if is feels constant, or far and few between, Our God is Greater! There is ALWAYS hope. Nothing in this life will last for eternity except for the road that we walk with Him.
He IS ENOUGH! :)
Hal and Reesie got themselves dressed this morning... Hal in her new Christmas dress, socks and pink flip flops...
And Reesie... well yes... she's shirtless... I expect nothing less from my independent little fire cracker!
