What JUST HAPPENED?

I was about 3 hours into my drive and I was in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. Gabby started crying and I knew it was time for her to eat so I saw an exit coming up, and as I approached I see this ghetto wood sign that says something along the lines of “best animal exhibit in the nation.” Two thoughts came to mind, what kind of animals do they have out here in the middle of nowhere and will I be killed by some toothless inbred if I go there? I decided to take my chances. So I pulled off the highway and pulled into this parking lot that is literally across from a trailer park, not a nice one either. I say a prayer that I won’t get murdered and got all of the kids out of the car. We go up to the door and there is a sign that says they are not responsible for animal bites…sounds safe enough! I go in and pay for us to have a private escort through the exhibit because at the end of it the kids would get to play with a baby tiger (the white ones with the blue eyes). We walked through the exhibit and we came to the cage that had porcupines in it. Now from all of the cartoons I have ever seen the porcupine would shoot its quills at you, so I’m quickly escorting my children away from the chain link fence so we don’t get quills shot at us. BUT just so you know they don’t shoot them at all. Just don’t brush up against them. Anyways, there was a guy going in to feed them and the porcupines ran to the door because they saw the food and they followed him through the cage like puppies. They each knew their names too which I thought was cool. This guy saw the boys watching and he gave each of them a quill! I immediately took them and put them in my purse because it would become impaled in one of them and as the sign said they take no responsibility! There were Lions and tigers and LIGERS! Yes, they do exist. At the end we were brought into this cage and the woman who was escorting us brought out this baby tiger and the kids got to play with it. After we were done we went back inside and I got 4 waters and 4 icees. It cost me $14!

Because I knew I would be going through a toll in Kansas I withdrew $20 before I left, I decided to pay for the waters with my cash. I was given $6 back. And that was NOT enough to get me through the toll. I got to the toll in Kansas and I was certain that when I stop to fill up with gas I can withdraw more so I don’t have to worry about it. I get to the ATM and of course it says “out of order.” Why wouldn’t it! So I have a 5 and a 1 rubbing them together hoping they make babies because I have NO IDEA how I am going to get through the toll, it costs like $15. So I was asking God to do something because I don’t know what to do. I get to the exit where I have to pay. There is a long line of like 6 cars at one of the toll windows but I notice at the end there is a green arrow blinking showing that that line was open, so I pull all the way over to that one, I get to the window and the lady says, “that will be $6.……..” I handed it to her like what just happened was normal.

Now am I saying that was an angel at that window? Perhaps, I don’t know what happened all I know is God pulled through for me. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” I know it’s talking about being hospitable here BUT the point is, angels are among us.

It was a fun trip through the backwoods animal exhibit, the kids will remember that AND God showed me that He’s got it covered.  

Your perception will determine your attitude

So I know it’s been a LONG time since I have written. And I would like to give a shout out to Jordan because he is the one that actually said something about it which says to me that he learns new things when he reads them and is in need of a new revelation. So if no one else gets anything out of this, here you go Jordan.

I just got back from my road trip to Minnesota. I packed up all four kids, said a quick prayer for sanity and off I went.  I took this same trip last summer, same time but I was pregnant with Gabby and my life was in a state of uncertainty. Not between Jordan and I, just with some big life choices that we had to make. Out of respect for the other party I will not further explain the choices. I was in a place where I was spiritually dry and wanted so badly for God to tell us what we wanted to hear because that would have made everything so much easier; but, He didn’t. He told us to do the most difficult thing that we have ever had to do.

Back to the trip last year. I enjoyed myself but I had this cloud over my head and was constantly thinking about the choice we had to make. I over looked the beauty around me. I neglected the family that was around and wasn’t completely present.

This year was so much different. I went with clarity and with excitement and joy. I took in everything that I missed last year, the drive up there was beautiful. I got to see the rolling prairies of Kansas, the “best animal exhibit in the nation” in Oklahoma, the sunset over Missouri. It was really beautiful. I was completely open to what God wanted to show me and teach me. Because of my willingness, a miracle happened and during my vacation my cup ran over and God showed me that my church isn’t only one doing amazing things. All of these things have long stories behind them. Maybe this week I will blog about them.

For the past year I had been hiding behind a rock from God. And I actually told people that I was hiding from God, because I was afraid of what He would say to me or ask me to do. I allowed the enemy to twist my perception and the reality of God’s nature. Which is love and only love. When we made the choice to surrender our future to God I took the step out from behind the rock and I said, “ok God, show me, teach me and tell me what you want me to see, know and do.”  I spiritually woke up. This has been an amazing past couple of months. I have learned more, loved more and prayed more than I ever have. I feel like by me surrendering, I shed the things that were holding me back and that this year I will learn more about who God is and by doing that, l learn more about who I am. I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. That God loves me and has a plan and a purpose for my life. I am blessed and highly favored. God’s thoughts towards me are precious and if I counted them they would be more in number than the sand. By the way, these are all things that God feels towards you too, it says so in the B-I-B-L-E. You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to have all the answers for Him to love you. He loves you right now. Right where you are and in your current condition.

I feel so alive and I feel confident with who God has created me to be.

Here is my challenge for you. What have you been afraid to do or choice to make? What rock are you hiding behind? (If you are hiding behind a rock just an FYI, God can still see you back there). Step out from behind the rock and make the step in God’s direction. Let Him lead you. He will never leave you alone, He will never forget about you and He will never tell you to do something that will hurt you or that you can’t handle. Sometimes the choices can hurt our emotions, like letting go of a relationship or closing a chapter in your life, but it will be better for you in the long run. Let God change your perception of who He is and what He has put you here on this Earth to do.

Our lives are too short to be afraid. There is too little time for us to hide from the person God has created us to be. Go out and be an answer to the chaos in the world. He has created us to do great things. Wake up if you are spiritually sleeping, a big world is waiting for you.