and sometimes He gives us what we ask for! That could be a scary thing for some people, but for me yesterday, it was perfect. Let me explain. Because I was determined NOT to just sit and watch tv or crochet all day yesterday, after we watched church (which was very good, by the way) on You Tube, I fixed 'brunch'. I even fixed steak and green beans! Steak was tough and dry. NEVER buy from a sales pitch that a farmer from out of state is having a big sale! The hamburgers were tasteless. Anyway, thoughts are going offtrack. I fixed lunch. Then hubby asked what were we going to do - take a nap, watch TV, etc. And I said....
"We are going to put these things together that have sat here for two weeks." So I handed him the stool that needed put together. I took control of the easel. As I sat on the floor trying to put it together, my thoughts were "God, it sure would be nice if my son-in-law could stop by and take over this project; he would get it done much faster!" I.kid.you.not. The doorbell rang just a few minutes later and it was the daughter and the son-in-law. I needed something done on my car and hubby hadn't gotten it done yet, so the SIL came over to do it for me. I had not asked him; the daughter knew it needed to be done, but I hadn't talked to her for a few days so she didn't know if it was done or not. Anyway - the SIL took care of my car and then asked what we were doing. I told him - and commented that I had been talking to God that if the SIL stopped by, I would let him put it together for me. (Instructions nowadays are hard to follow, in my opinion. But I had gotten started on it.)
So the daughter took the instructions and the SIL got to work and quickly got the easel put together. Hubby needed a bit of help at the end on the stool, but it got completed. And the daughter put together the little stand I had bought for the paints as well. I put the painting on the easel, and it is now ready to be painted. Looks great too! Talked to the SIL about redoing our courtyard. I think I have mentioned a time or two how it is cluttered, and it is starting to annoy me. Oh - and I finally planted my poinsettias into pots yesterday. When I asked hubby when the last time was he watered, he thought about it and said Friday. I think he was wrong. Why? Because there was water on the green 'carpet' where he would have dragged the hose (could it have been two days old?) but my question came not because the plants were dry. They were so sopping wet that there was water standing at the bottom of the pot. UGH. And it was starting to smell.
When I commented to hubby about the plants being watered too much, he went off on me that then I needed to do it. And take something else away from him. Sigh. I just looked at him, and said my watering the plants would probably be better because I know about how much water I should give them. He grumbled, but at least I know they will be watered. I think he overwaters so that he doesn't have to do it but once a week. But I asked the SIL to redo our courtyard and fix the plants. He was a landscaper way back when so I told him I'd give him so much money and if there was anything left over, it was his. He had planned last year to fix up my courtyard as part of my mother's day gift, but it got so hot so quick, I discouraged him. But now I will give him free rein. Our neighbors were out 'again' working in their courtyard. I kid you not, it is immaculate. They are clean freaks and I feel like a dirty slob next to them. Perhaps that is why I feel so cluttered lately. Their house inside is open and airy - ours is cluttered. Sigh. But I think that is the 'midwest' in me. Right?
Hubby has his surgery this morning on his face. He is so over-anxious about it. I don't blame him, really. And if he knew how bad those needles are going to hurt, (which I did not remind him of the pain I felt on the back of my neck!) to numb the areas - I feel for him, I really do! The needles go deep because the doctor has to go deep to get it all. I think I'm going to start the day working. Will need to take off about 9AM to take him to the office on the other side of town (of course). Will be back home about 10-10:30 I imagine. May work until I have to go back and get him - and then take the rest of the day off. It would only be a couple hours anyway and anything that comes in I can do tomorrow. I'll check messages just to be sure. Unless I change my mind and just take the entire day off - I have some errands I need to run.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV): For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart.
Have you ever really thought that the Lord thinks about you? He is always watching over you (probably because someone has asked Him to!) and He wants the very best for you. But are you reaching out to Him to receive it? The Lord wants to give you good things; He wants to give you a future full of joy and peace, and hope. What is hope anyway? Stop and think for a moment how many times you think "I hope that .............". Yeah, I think we all do it. "I hope I get that job." "I hope we get to the destination quickly." "I hope that the doctor's report will be good." Yeah, we all have our hopes and then the thought comes..... we hope for it, but did we pray and ask God for it? Before we even approach what we hope for, do we pause and ask God, "this is what I'm hoping for, will You provide it?" True, sometimes the answer isn't the 'yes' that we want to hear. But there is so much more peace going into situations, into doing things, when we surrender our request, however minor we think it is, to our God who loves us more than we can ever imagine. You want healing? Did you ask God to heal you? Are you doing YOUR part to get well? There is a lot I could probably write about that but I will hush about it. For now. Just know that the Lord longs to give you peace, give you a future and a hope. Turn to Him and allow Him to take care of you. It is one 'surrender' you will never regret.
Blessings!
