A God Story & Football Crackers

 

I just have to share this God story from this week and this is way too long for Facebook.  Its pretty personal, but when God works in a very personal and special way, I have to tell others!

 

So life has been a little heavy for me lately.  I have quite a few friends who are going through some life altering tragedies.  The weight I feel praying daily for them and becoming emotionally invested in their burdens is palatable.  Its been a tough week.  One of the friend’s family had a need for meals this weekend and God pricked my heart to provide.

 

“But God, I have been asked to provide a meal during the week of B’s birthday party and the budget is already pretty tight.  And on a Thursday night?  God, remember I work on Thursdays.  How would I have time to cook a meal and get it over there by dinner time?” 

 

Well, God reminded me that I had cooked a huge pot of chili the evening before that was supposed to be lunch and dinner for the next couple of nights.  And he asked me to share my chili.  This was my “good” chili recipe.  One that had expensive salsa as the base and ground turkey.  Not my cheap recipe with beans only and tomato paste.  But I was thankful that we did have something we could share and sacrifice is supposed to be inconvenient and noticeable, or its not much of a sacrifice, right?  I was more than happy to share our food for the week.  So Justin and I packed it up with bread and salad and ran it over there after work.

 

The same evening I needed to go to the grocery store since our kitchen was looking a little like Old Mother Hubbard’s.  And my “security tank” is full when my cupboards are full so I was feeling pretty anxious about our family’s food supply.  I half joked with God on the way there to please at least have the salsa on sale so I could make us some more chili! 

 

 

Since we have been on our budget, my grocery store trips feels more like General Schwarzkopf planning to storm a terrorist hideout.  Between coupons and the weekly circular, my assault on Food Lion is very strategically planned and executed.  If they have a buy one get one free sale on something, my family is going to be eating that that week.  If its turkey gravy, by golly we are finding a recipe that needs turkey gravy.  I had my list for this week including all the birthday party essentials.  I had my coupons and I knew what was on sale and what I was going to pay full price for.

 

I get into Food Lion and as I start to mark things off my list and place them in my basket, I began to realize something.  Every single thing on my list is on sale.  And I mean  ½ off or a couple dollars off and even items that weren’t listed on the weekly circular are on sale.  I’m just completely overwhelmed. 

 

On a side note, B’s birthday party theme is football.  I had read somewhere that Oreo made a football shaped cookie at some point and I thought that would be perfect for the party.  I contacted Nabisco and they said they hadn’t made those for a while, so I had nixed that idea.  While I’m grocery shopping and praising God and having a very surreal experience, I thought, wouldn’t it be just crazy if the store had those Oreos?  So when I got to the cookie aisle, I started to look.  I couldn’t help myself.  When I had searched and not found them, I started laughing at myself and talking to God.

 

“Ok, God, I get it.  You aren’t a magician who magically makes things appear just because I ask.  I get it.  Like the sales aren’t enough?  Gracious, forgive me for getting greedy, here!” 

 

So I continue down the aisle and right at the end I happen to look over and see football shaped Ritz crackers!!!  I mean, wha???  Just crazy amazing!  I started crying in the store and laughing and pretty much looking like a lunatic.  He provides all the time, even if its not exactly the way we think he ought to.  But He does.

 

My basket, at the end of the shopping trip, is overflowing to the point that my shredded cheese is sliding off the top to the floor.  I can’t fit one more thing in this basket.  And as the register finishes adding and the total is $15 less than my weekly budget, I just stand there trembling not even believing what just happened here at the grocery store.

 

Yesterday morning I was doubting sharing my food with a family in need because it may make my family need.  In my devotions, before any of this had happened, God had given me the following verse:

 

And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.  2 Cor 9:8

 

How insanely cool was it that He chose to illustrate this verse He gave me in this very real way on the SAME DAY!!!

 

Now look, I know some of you will doubt all this and think I’m pretty nutty.  But I don’t care one bit because I KNOW.  I know that God wants so much to walk with us every day and delight us with His hand in our lives, but we have to let Him!  We have to just ask Him to walk with us and “do” life with us.  If I am truly seeking Him and His will for my life, He does the most marvelous things.  And I am compelled to share them.  What if I decorated and baked and put together this terrific party for B and he came down the stairs and looked at it and just shrugged and said,

 

 

“Well, look what just happened by coincidence while I was asleep upstairs.  Isn’t that nice?”

 

I would be devastated that B didn’t recognize all the work and thought I had put into the party for him because I love him.  I believe this is how God feels when I don’t recognize its HIM!  Its His work, His hand, He did all of this for ME because,

 

You are precious and honored in my sight and… I love you.  Isa 43:4

 

I just wanted to share this God story, and how He just delighted me and provided in abundance for my family this week.  My cupboards are full and so is my heart.  Thank you, thank you, my Heavenly Father.