Preparing the Way

I want to share with you a most amazing thing that happened last week, the musings of which has not escaped my thoughts since.

I was given a great gift, within a gift. Which one is the former and which is the latter, you decide.

Everyone who knows me well, knows that I really enjoy creating things with one of the greatest mediums of creativity being that of sewing. If you follow my blog and hence, my thoughts, you will remember that I mentioned my sewing machine had broken.

I have grown very comfortable writing whatever it is that is in my mind, right here on my blog, and so there isn't terribly much about my life that I choose to keep secret. I mentioned it on my blog for no other reason than I am accustomed to sharing these personal bits of my life here. It is an outlet and, in truth, I have grown rather fond of it.

A few days after it had been written, I received a most amazing communication. It was from a woman named Kris, who knew of my desires to sew and knew of my current situation being without a machine. She told of how she had several machines and wanted to bless me with one of them that she no longer used.

Not only that. But that she lived closeby.

Not only that. But she was going to be travelling even closer over the weekend!

I went to bed, in utter shock. How could someone give a person so great a gift to someone they didn't even KNOW?

How could it be-that I needed a sewing machine and that there was someone willing to give one to me and that person lived CLOSE BY?

In an odd way, I felt very guilty about accepting such an extravagent gift.

I pondered that night for quite a long time, and the truth brought me down to my knees.

Scripture says "Ask and it will be given unto you; seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the doors will be opened." (Matt 7)

I have read those words so many times in my life. I always thought I knew precisely what they meant. Once my eyes were opened to the truth, though, I realized while I knew SOME of what those words meant, I didn't realize what a multitude of truths those verses opened up.

Previously, I had limited the meaning behind those words by assuming Christ meant the necessities of life. I put the truth in a nice, tidy square little box and tucked it into my memory. After all, the previous chapter (one of my favorites in the whole of scripture ~Matt. 6) speaks to us concerning our physical needs to survive. We NEED food. We NEED water. We NEED protection in the forms of clothing and housing. Jesus speaks to us, telling us not to worry, that we are MORE important to Him than the Lilies of the field, clothed in glory and majesty finer than all of King Solomon's wardrobe.

I boxed up the truth, as I had understood it, to hide it in my heart but in doing so, I had put God in a box. I had limited my understanding of His power.

Yes. He certainly cares for the NEEDS of His people. Without a doubt. But that is incomplete.

He also cares for the WANTS. He blesses us with things that we could certainly live without. A sewing machine, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty inconsequential to living. It is easy as pie just to pop in the car and drive to a store to get something you might need. Even if you don't have lots of money to buy designer clothes-there is fabric that serves as warmth at the nearest thrift stores. You don't need Old Navy to survive, after all. No NEED to sew your own clothing these days. But to me, it was a great desire of my heart. I prayed that I might be able to save up enough money to purchase another one soon. I pined for a machine, in its absence. The Lord knew the desires of my heart and had granted them for no other reason than He loves me.

It is not coincidence that Kris found my blog, however she did end up doing so.

It is not coincidence that she had several extra machines that she no longer needed.

It is not happenstance that she happened to live close by.

She isn't just an average person who decided to give someone something.

The God of all, the Creator of you and I, the all-knowing, all-powerful has orchestrated a GREAT plan for each of His children. That plan may include spouses, children, mortgages, vehicles, farms, and yes-even sewing machines. He has planned and has coordinated EACH AND EVERY facet of our lives. He has intertwined the lives of His people, He has prepared hearts to yield to Him, and He has given gifts to ALL His people in order that they may be used to further His kingdom. He has planned how we will be born, how we will live, and how we will die-and He has filled each moment of each day with His grace.

I wanted to share with you my great gift of a sewing machine, for which I am SO excited and SO thankful.

But more than that, I wanted to share with you the great epiphany that was spurred by such a gift.

I was given two gifts in one this past weekend and they have led me to some serious introspection.

How am I preparing myself to be open for the Lord to use me in this life? Am I sharing my life as I ought? Am I self-sacrificing enough to give a gift to someone I don't even know, expecting nothing in return? Am I being a good steward of what I do have? Am I givng God all the glory and honor? Am I limiting God, or allowing my ignorance to put Him in a box?

Perhaps THAT is the greatest gift of all?