My birthday was on the 8th of October. I turned a number that ends in 0. It is not 30 and not 50. So you can pretty much guess what that number is. Well, I dreaded the day. I had a REALLY hard time turning 30! Why? Because it meant 40 was the next big one! Needless to say I survived and lived to tell about it! It happened to be the most memorable birthday so far. Here's the story...
My grandma grew up in a small town that I ABSOLUTELY love. Lots of great memories for me and when I go back there, I just feel all warm and fuzzy inside! A piece of heaven on earth. So, for my birthday, I asked my husband if we could go there for the day. The baby, him and I left around noon. My husband began to talk to me. He said he was going to give me a card, then he was going to write a letter but he decided speaking what he had to say was the only way.
God layed on his heart earlier that week a word for me that he was supposed to share. He began to tell me of how God had spoke the number "40" in his heart and what symbolism it has in the bible. Noah with 40 days and nights, Moses was on the mountain for 40 days before he received the 10 commandments, Jesus was in the desert 40 days and nights and tempted by satan himself, the Israelites wandered around for 40 years...He began to search it out and realized it always meant trial and tribulation. He felt like that was NOT good to share with me ON my birthday! Did it mean my 40th year was going to get worse? We have been through so much! Especially this past year. Job loss, miscarriage, my grandmother dying, gestational diabetes with my pregnancy, children going to Africa for 6 weeks, losing our house and MANY other things. He was very hesitant to go any further! God then spoke to him very sweetly and reminded him that it will be my 41ST year! 40 years is done and what happened after all the things mentioned in the bible after 40 years? BLESSING! God poured out blessing, favor and His hand was seen! God shared with my husband that the "desert" and wandering are over! Everything that the enemy has come to destroy will be returned to me and His glory will be seen this coming year! WOW! Needless to say, I was crying by the time He finished!
I felt like all that we have been through, was wiped away that instant! Not liked wiped away and forgotten but wiped away as in peace replaced all the doubt. All the times of wondering, questioning, and anxiousness were OVER! It was actually something that I had already knew, just not in the way God spoke to my husband. I had more of the idea of Christmas and what it is like to have this fun gift to give your child and you can't wait for him to open it but you know it is best to wait for that special day! God is waiting for that day when He can reveal His plan. A day when we are at the end and we realize that there is NO one but God who can get us out of our mess!
We went out to dinner that evening and on our way home, my 14 year old called and was so excited! She was talking really fast and I told her to slow down so I could understand her. She continued to tell me that in the mail we received an envelope. She opened it and it had a letter with a check in it. A SUBSTANTIAL amount! An amount that I cannot imagine anyone being able to just write a check for without being late on bills or making a house payment on time! I know, hard to believe, I began to cry! God was confirming my husbands word to me that the year of blessing was upon us! We don't know who sent the check. The letter just said that they read my blog and that they wanted to bless us. BOY did they ever! It was from the hand of God! We are so thankful for obedience and a willingness to give in this way to us. It is so much more than the money! It is a peace that God IS for us! If He is for us, who can be against us?! The check was great and did help us make it this month with our bills that we had NO way to pay! But more importantly, it came ON my birthday and it is proof that our year of blessing is upon us and that God is going to continue to provide! I already knew that, but to SEE it is so amazing!
I have some other little stories that I will share in the weeks to come of His blessings and from the way it looks, more that I don't know about yet. I thank you for all of your prayers and want you to know we feel them! Please know God IS who He says He is, and He does what He says He is going to do! Take care of His children! If you have something that you are not sure if He is hearing you and things look really bad, hang in there and keep your eyes focused on Him NOT your circumstances! They are NOTHING to Him! They can change with just one word from His heart!
40 isn't so bad after all!
My grandma grew up in a small town that I ABSOLUTELY love. Lots of great memories for me and when I go back there, I just feel all warm and fuzzy inside! A piece of heaven on earth. So, for my birthday, I asked my husband if we could go there for the day. The baby, him and I left around noon. My husband began to talk to me. He said he was going to give me a card, then he was going to write a letter but he decided speaking what he had to say was the only way.
God layed on his heart earlier that week a word for me that he was supposed to share. He began to tell me of how God had spoke the number "40" in his heart and what symbolism it has in the bible. Noah with 40 days and nights, Moses was on the mountain for 40 days before he received the 10 commandments, Jesus was in the desert 40 days and nights and tempted by satan himself, the Israelites wandered around for 40 years...He began to search it out and realized it always meant trial and tribulation. He felt like that was NOT good to share with me ON my birthday! Did it mean my 40th year was going to get worse? We have been through so much! Especially this past year. Job loss, miscarriage, my grandmother dying, gestational diabetes with my pregnancy, children going to Africa for 6 weeks, losing our house and MANY other things. He was very hesitant to go any further! God then spoke to him very sweetly and reminded him that it will be my 41ST year! 40 years is done and what happened after all the things mentioned in the bible after 40 years? BLESSING! God poured out blessing, favor and His hand was seen! God shared with my husband that the "desert" and wandering are over! Everything that the enemy has come to destroy will be returned to me and His glory will be seen this coming year! WOW! Needless to say, I was crying by the time He finished!
I felt like all that we have been through, was wiped away that instant! Not liked wiped away and forgotten but wiped away as in peace replaced all the doubt. All the times of wondering, questioning, and anxiousness were OVER! It was actually something that I had already knew, just not in the way God spoke to my husband. I had more of the idea of Christmas and what it is like to have this fun gift to give your child and you can't wait for him to open it but you know it is best to wait for that special day! God is waiting for that day when He can reveal His plan. A day when we are at the end and we realize that there is NO one but God who can get us out of our mess!
We went out to dinner that evening and on our way home, my 14 year old called and was so excited! She was talking really fast and I told her to slow down so I could understand her. She continued to tell me that in the mail we received an envelope. She opened it and it had a letter with a check in it. A SUBSTANTIAL amount! An amount that I cannot imagine anyone being able to just write a check for without being late on bills or making a house payment on time! I know, hard to believe, I began to cry! God was confirming my husbands word to me that the year of blessing was upon us! We don't know who sent the check. The letter just said that they read my blog and that they wanted to bless us. BOY did they ever! It was from the hand of God! We are so thankful for obedience and a willingness to give in this way to us. It is so much more than the money! It is a peace that God IS for us! If He is for us, who can be against us?! The check was great and did help us make it this month with our bills that we had NO way to pay! But more importantly, it came ON my birthday and it is proof that our year of blessing is upon us and that God is going to continue to provide! I already knew that, but to SEE it is so amazing!
I have some other little stories that I will share in the weeks to come of His blessings and from the way it looks, more that I don't know about yet. I thank you for all of your prayers and want you to know we feel them! Please know God IS who He says He is, and He does what He says He is going to do! Take care of His children! If you have something that you are not sure if He is hearing you and things look really bad, hang in there and keep your eyes focused on Him NOT your circumstances! They are NOTHING to Him! They can change with just one word from His heart!
40 isn't so bad after all!
