Promises
12:20 PMI don't know about you, but there are some promises that I rely very seriously on. Such as Kyle's promise to love and cherish me till death do us part. Or my bank's promise to guarantee my funds up to a certain dollar amount. Or even the simple promise that when I make an appointment somewhere, that hour is mine. Designated for me. I expect certain things based on certain promises.
The reality is, a promise is only as good as the one who makes it. I trust Kyle to keep his vows more than I trust the FDIC to guarantee my funds. I trust the appointment holder significantly less...but there's still hope there!
Within the past few weeks, I've seen some men seriously abandon their promises to their wives, leaving them far beyond high and dry. Some seriously despicable actions by people old enough to get their head out of their rear end and do the right thing. Men whose wives JUST gave birth to their child...men who apparently don't care about this because they run off to another woman without so much as a backward glance. Clearly, their promises meant nothing since they lack the character and integrity to back them up.
Some other promises that I've been relying heavily on are ones found in Matthew 6 where Jesus tells me not to worry about my life, what I'll eat or what I'll drink or what I'll wear because He knows what I need and He'll provide all those things for me if I seek HIM first, not the answer to all my needs. God's promises to provide for me and take care of me, I take very seriously. Why? Because if there is ever anyone who has proven himself big enough to fulfill those promises, it's Him.
I can personally vouch for God's power and might. I have seen Him perform supernatural miracles in my life. Seriously. Things that just don't happen in real life, except through God's handiwork. Like when I was dying to quit work and stay home with Brooklyn, but there was no way. Because we had just bought a big house that necessitated both our salaries and there was just no way, financially, short of selling our house, that we could afford to have me stay home. No way. I do our budgets, I know exactly how much it takes to live on and I knew that we would require an additional 40% increase in Kyle's salary if mine were to disappear. And all I could do was pray...knowing that only if God allowed it, could it ever happen. There was no way Kyle would be getting that many raises in time.
Except that I underestimated the bigness of God. Within a few weeks of our laying out these needs, desires and requests before God...out of the blue, completely "randomly", nowhere near his annual review time, Kyle received a 50% salary increase. He had not spoken a word to his boss or anyone else. NO ONE knew the dollar amount we had been praying about. Only God. And then, to have this completely unexpected answer, in an amount even GREATER than we'd been praying about...it left no doubt in my mind. God was big enough to do anything. Anything. Truly, nothing was impossible with Him. The only impossibilities lay in my finite mind. I was forever marked by that event...and since then, others have happened, just as miraculous.
So I know what I'm talking about. God is big enough to stand behind His promises.
He's big enough to work in the life of my husband...to strengthen him and turn him from a good man to a GODLY man...because as great as my husband is, I know that he's only able to keep the promises he's made because God equips him and strengthens him to do so. Just as God alone is able to give me satisfaction staying at home raising my children. And gives me the ability to honor my promises to Kyle.
In short, I have been paying attention to promises and those who make them. And I'm humbled that a God so big and awesome makes such wonderful promises to me. And keeps them.
2 comments
Well said and beautifully put, my love. I adore you.
ReplyDeleteK
Ashley, I just read this latest addition to your blog and it took me back to one of my "defining" moments from God that left an undeniable mark on my life. It was one of those 'miracles' that could only happen from God, who was reminding me who was in charge and that He was listening. It also taught me about God's timing and 'waiting' on Him. There is no "instant gradification" just because we pray diligently and faithfully. I learned so many lessons that have sustained me thru the next 30 yrs when other situations arise where, like the Israelites wandering thru the desert, who quickly forgot what God had just brought them thru, the next time they were outside of their comfort zone again, forgot and became impatient and tried to do things themselves to expediate their needs,instead of waiting on God, who had clearly shown them evidence of His power and sufficiency. And this situation was, on the scope of "life things", a big deal- getting a house that we had an offer on, but was contingient on the sale of ours. God made me WAIT for 9 months, and during that time, we watched in desperation and dismay, as our house didn't sell in time and someone else came along,made an offer and we had the customary 48 hrs to come up with the money or the sale or lose the house. I just knew that God was going to "come thru for me" and bring someone with an offer on our house within the next 48 hrs....I waited with ,what I thought was faithful anticipation, only to count the hours down one by one until 48 hours had passed and no "miracle" had happened. I was left confused and I admit, alittle angry at God, because afterall, I had prayed faithfully and tried in as much as humanly possible, to trust completely....and for what? To be disappointed and left hanging and most of all, the house that we "loved" , went to someone else. Talk about God's sense of humor! But then, the real miracle happened! Thru circumstances only brought about by God, which I won't go into here but , trust me, you know how God works!, another house on the same street became available and there was much interest and activity on it. It was a much nicer house, more than I ever thought we would have, and offers were pouring in on the first day it came on the market. As you can probably surmise, THIS was the house God intended for us and it was so much more than the one we lost but thought we just had to have. It was like a slap in the proverbial face as I realized how merciful and gracious God was , even amidst my anger and doubt.
ReplyDeleteOn the other end of the spectrum, in another,( although, much less important in terms of "life events"), "miracle", you know how much of a animal caretaker I am, being almost compassionate, to a fault. I remember telling you about the litter of kittens born in the field in the back of our property to a totally wild mother, and how , thru what I know to be only thru the intervention and grace of God, they are all alive and well today. These two events, although totally different in their levels of importance ( although the cats would surely beg to differ! ), show how God sees all things as significant , from the sale of a house to the birth of a raggedy bunch of homeless kittens, and places the same degree of importance on both, delivering His assistance and mercy with equal measure. The big things are but small to Him and the small things, big. What a wonderful , AWESOME GOD we serve! Auntie "J"