Oh my. Wait till you hear this Memorial Box Monday post. It just happened a few days ago and I am still giggling and grinning about it. How faithful God is and, my oh my, how He loves, loves, loves to surprise us!! And sometimes when He is showing us His love He does it in the most crazy-out-of-the-box-are-you-kidding-me{?} kind of ways!! And I just gotta' think He just loves to show off like that!!
So here ya' go - our Miracle-working, Mountain-moving, Awe-inspiring, Gasp-giving God was up to something big on my behalf.....and He was moving behind the scenes for a few months - totally unbeknownst to me!! So stinkin' fun....
The story starts here: We have a kitchen table. It was the table that was used at the cottage for years. It holds many, many wonderful memories. But as wonderful as the memories are...the table is just not very practical. For starters, it is low. Really low. I am 5'3" and I bang my knees as I pull my chair in most of the time. It has leaves, but they were makeshift leaves and so they are continually and constantly coming apart.
So a few months ago I said to Dw, "I really could use a different kitchen table. Although I love the lake table, I feel like we have a dollhouse table. I always bang my knees...blah, blah, blah."
He said, "Okay, let's look for one." I went to a used furniture store in town and said to the shopkeeper, "If you see a big ol' farmhouse table call me, will you?" Within weeks she called. I went to see the used table. It was lovely. Very lovely. But it was $800.00. I felt sick at the thought of spending $800. on a table when there are orphans around the world who have so many needs. I told her I would think about it.
I went home and I prayed. I said, "Lord I really like that table, but I just think you can do something far better than that table. I think our $800.00 could be used for the orphan."
So I passed on the table.
Every now and then I would look at that shop and others....nothing. I waited. And every now and then I would say to the Lord, "Sure would be fun to have a more practical table. hint-hint." And I waited.
And waited some more.
And a few months passed....and I left on my wild and crazy adventure. Which speaking of my adventure with the kids....I was thinking about it. I always wanted to do a mini-triathlon. Health wise, it's not a really super duper possibility....so I was thinkin'....doesn't it just seem that not everyone would drive 4200 miles with 8 kids and 2 dogs alone? I dubbed it my own triathlon. My version. Crazy and wild. It took endurance and perseverance. And I did it. And it was a blast!! And we are all still smiling and will for the rest of our lives...
Anyway, back to the trip.... As the time neared for us to head back to Colorado, Dw and I prayed about whether Dw should rent a truck and drive back with the things he had inherited from his parents. We prayed. We talked. Seemed like the smartest thing to do.
He loaded the truck and we left Western New York together...me in the van with the kids and he in the truck with one of them {rotating the fun to ride with daddy}.
Well, so as the story goes....I have this sweet bloggy friend, Amie. She used to have a blog, but closed it awhile back {miss your blogging, girlfriend!}. Amie and I became friends through our blogs a couple of years ago. {Oh I know!! Some of you probably know of a company she is part owner in??
Wild Olive Tees - sweetest tee-shirts in the land that proclaim Biblical truths - and oh so very, very comfortable! In fact, when you are done reading this, go check out their site...and buy a shirt...tell 'em Linny sent ya'.}
In fact the day before our home burned down, I was talking to Amie on the phone. We were talking about something that was really exciting. But later Amie told me that while we were talking that day, I had said that I felt something was wrong. I can't remember saying that to her. But she does. And yes, something was dreadfully wrong, and less than 15 hours later our home was gone.
Amie's one of those friends who hears that there is a problem and offers to help in any way she can {not even kidding}.... She's just a treasure - and we'd never even met in person!
So when she heard that we were traveling maybe through her area, she offered her home to us to stay at. On the way home we knew we would be going through her area so we set it up to get together. The kids could play and we could meet {finally!}.
Well we got to her home and were introducing all of our treasures {she has a boatload and many are adopted from China} and so eventually we went inside her home.
Okay, now are you ready for this? We were barely in her house and Amie turns to me and excitedly said,
""""""" Hey! Do you need a kitchen table?" HUH? "No one had a clue what I had been praying, except for Dw.
I said, "What do you mean?"
She explained,
" Well I was looking for a kitchen table and found one on Craigslist. I went to see it and when I was looking at it I felt like I was supposed to buy it, but all the while the Lord was saying, 'You are buying this, but it is not for you. It is for someone else' " Amie continued on..." I tried to make it for me, but it's not for me. The Lord told me as you were driving here that it is for you. After the Lord told me that I thought - what is she going to do, strap it to the top of her van? Then you texted me that Dw is driving a moving truck behind you!! " By now she was kind of grinning and giggling...." Okay, like are you serious Lord?
We went out to her garage to look and of course I found the most beautiful kitchen table....stunning - absolutely perfect! Just exactly what I had been looking for. I was completely dumbfounded.
They wanted us to have it. Amie and her husband, Jeff, were so excited that we were to be the recipients of the table that they had bought "for someone else". Can you believe it?
Seriously. I am still grinning and giggling. Isn't it beautiful? We are sooo thankful for the gracious generosity of Amie and Jeff. Unbelievable!!
And to think - we don't bang our knees on the table as we sit there. Seriously. Is God totally and completely amazing? Who would have guessed? He was moving behind the scenes, in a state on the other side of the country, just because He loves us that much.
Here's the kids playing together:
Dw loved playing with this little guy...
I am continually amazed at God's active involvement in our lives. Really, friends, if you don't do a Memorial Box - you must! In the tough times, you can go to your box and look at all the symbols and remember. Remember His faithfulness. Remember His protection. Remember His provision. Remember His miracles. Remember the mountains He has moved. Remember His surprises!
Please share a story from your life. And please link back here with a permalink.
{A permalink is explained here.} And hey, I am gonna be down right shameless today - give an ol' lady a thrill - use the Memorial Box at the top of the sidebar ...
{the code is below it}....And lastly, I have to ask....last week.....did you happen to read
Renee's story? Wow. My heart raced as I read it. And talk about heart racing....did you read the one
Lesya wrote? Whooa. Your heart will be encouraged if you take the time to read the stories people post. Seriously. And God will use some of them to meet you right where you need to be met. Promise.
If you are new to this Place Called Simplicity a Memorial Box is explained
here.
