Abundance
It took a couple of days after moving in with my roommates in South Carolina to notice them. I was laying in bed when I noticed dim lights scattered all over my popcorn ceiling. I reached for my glasses and when I put them on, there were, in fact, tiny glow in the dark stars on my ceiling! They are invisible during the day, but in the dark, they glow like the night sky.
In that moment, I felt so seen and known by God. He knows how much I love to look at the stars, and He knew that I would be in South Carolina, in this house, in this room, at this moment in time, staring up at these stars in the middle of a hard and confusing season. It felt like He had specifically placed them there for me as a sign that I was exactly where He wanted me and also just because He knew how much I'd love them. It felt like a secret gift that only I would enjoy as a grown woman.
I used to take a few minutes before taking off my glasses to look at them. They were brightest right when I turned off the lights and then would slowly fade within a couple minutes. It was during those minutes that I would remind myself that God told Abraham that his decedents would be as numerous as the stars and that He is a God of promises and His promises are Yes and Amen. This was always a comfort to me and a way for me to hold onto hope for what my future would hold.
Fast forward a little over 2 years and I met that promise. He has sparkling blue eyes and the best smile you can imagine. We met in a coffee shop after being introduced by my roommate. It was his good looks and sense of humor that hooked me initially, but as I got to know him, it was like there was an endless sea of common interests, values, and connection points. He answers the phone by saying "Yello", is lovingly referred to as "Uncle Buck", and even shares the name "Dan" with my dad. He took a Jazz class in college, coaches high school human video teams, and plays on the worship team. He loves adventure, good food, and let's not forget Disney! And above all else, he seeks to know God's perspective of the world and His truths as opposed to following what culture tells us about Him. Who is this guy and how can it be that he is all that I have prayed for and abundantly more?!
I knew that he was who I wanted to do life with pretty early on, but on December 17th, I had the privilege of saying yes to forever with this man and boy was that the most perfect, joyous day! And as I sit here beneath my stars, I hardly have the words to thank God for His abundant gifts. His faithfulness through hard seasons and seasons that I have been distant because of my own disappointment, fear, and distrust. His attention to detail, in the countless ways Daniel is my perfect counterpart and then some. His kindness in giving me a best friend to spend quarantine with and to navigate this new world infiltrated with Covid and all of the other unknowns that life has to offer. God's generosity, His provision, and His perfect timing are just the surface of His abundance.
And it is crazy to think that the best gift that I have ever received came into the world 3 and half years before I was even born. And, though I don't know that I necessarily believe there is one person for everyone, I do believe that God knows our story, the paths we will chose, the mistakes we will make, and the people we will cross paths with. He knows the number of our days, the hairs on our head, and the many desires of our heart.
I believe that He loves to give us these good and perfect gifts all the time. Some big. Some small. But these gifts are so tailored for our specific hearts that they are like little kisses from heaven when we recognize them. It might be a rainbow at the perfect time or your neighborhood turtle "Sheldon" showing back up after a long sabbatical. Maybe it is the best Burger King Whopper after a fun night or a QT gas station popping up at the right time. It might be provision to fund the next project or finding a good deal on a new car. Or maybe it the perfect date opening up at the perfect wedding venue where I get to marry this man who encompasses an overflow of abundant gifts from heaven.
God's abundant gifts are all around. And they are specific to our hearts. It is my hope that during 2022 that my eyes will be more trained to see the abundance of God's goodness and love all around. When we see the gifts, joy and hope are sparked because in them we feel seen and known and loved.
So keep your eyes opened and look for the gifts that He gives daily.
And even though I will miss staring at my stars every night, in 6 months, I will be in a new house, in a new room, in a new bed, where I will only have to turn my head to be reminded that God's promises are Yes and Amen and that God is a God of Abundance.
Comments
Post a Comment