The skincare story…
Photo by pmv chamara on Unsplash
I love stories.
I could sit all day at the feet of someone and listen to their stories.
My favorite kind of stories are God stories.
They always fill me up and fuel my faith! They also seem to always come at the exact time I need to hear them.
My daughter, Presley, and I were in the car recently chatting away.
She then said, “Mom, tell me the story about the skincare again. You know the one that was a miracle.”
Gosh, I had not thought of that story in a while, but quickly it came to my mind. A big smile covered my face as I recounted the sweetness of God.
If you have been following along here for a long time, you may remember. Either way, it is worth repeating. God stories never get old!
Years ago, probably around 2009 or 2010, I found an an amazing skin care line. It was a Swiss brand that a friend sold.
I had to host a party in order to be able to afford it at the time. Hosting a party meant free stuff for me! So, I did.
After using it for a couple of months, I saw pretty dramatic results. I was in awe!
Well, eventually the skin care ran out.
Times were very tight back then. Skin care was not a top priority in our finances!
I logged on the company website to see how much the products would cost. Yikes.
It was a lot. A whole lot. Way more than I could afford.
My husband had just told me the night before…”Do not put anything on the credit card. Zero.”
I had a dilemma. I desperately needed/wanted that skin care! Yet, I knew I could not afford it.
As I was on the website, I added the items to my cart and just stared at the screen.
My heart was racing.
Surely, my husband would understand, right??
No, he wouldn’t.
I quietly logged off of my computer with a sadness in my heart.
Buying the makeup was not worth going against the direct command of my husband to not spend any money.
Honestly, I never thought to pray about it, I just logged off the screen and went about my day with disappointment.
The very next day, my friend Kristi called me.
“Jill, I have some skin care I just ordered and I do not like it at all. I think it may be the kind you like. It is too much trouble to send back. Do you want it? I will just give it to you!”
Kristi was at work that day and she had left the skincare in her car for me to come and get.
I could not get to her work fast enough!
When I pulled in the parking lot to her work, my heart was beating so fast.
I could not believe she was GIVING me this skincare.
Locating her car, I go to open the passenger side door that she had left unlocked…
Upon opening her car door, I gasped loudly!
There was a huge bag of skin care in a gold bag! It was overflowing with ALL of the items that I loved! It was way more than I had planned on ordering the day before.
Immeasurably MORE!
I was stunned. Speechless.
After getting the skincare out of her car and getting back into my car, I sat in my car awe struck.
“God, I did not even ask for this! I did not even pray about this! But, Lord, YOU saw the desire of my heart. You saw everything!”
He saw my heart racing as I had put those items in the cart on the website.
He saw my dilemma of not wanting to disobey my husband.
He saw my disappointment when I logged off of the computer.
He saw it all!
This incident has taught me two things.
First…
The importance of obedience.
There will always be fruit from obedience.
“To obey is better than sacrifice” 1 Samuel 15:22
Secondly….
God cares about everything that we care about. Big and small. Everything!!
Since that day, I have talked to God about every detail. Even the ones that I think are too tiny to bother Him with.
He has taught me that what is important to me, is important to HIM.
He delights to please us!
He delights to surprise us!
He delights to give us those deep seeded desires of our hearts!
The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23
Read that verse one more time! Let it fill your heart with so much HOPE!
Blessings follow obedience. You can bank on that statement.
Talk to God about your desires. All of them.
Ask Him if there are any areas you are not being obedient…even small areas matter to HIM!
Ask Him to show you and help you to be obedient in those areas.
He will.
He delights to show you.
He delights to bless you.
He delights to give you IMMEASURABLY MORE than you can think or imagine!
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..” Ephesians 3:20
One of my favorite verses that I literally quote almost daily is this one…
“We have not, because we ask not.” James 4:2-3
I am learning that when we have constant communication with Him in all of the details of our lives, we begin to want what HE wants for us. Our desires slowly change.
Truly, it is remarkable!
Friend, go to Him about it all. Hold nothing back.
He knows what you want and need anyway, so you may as well tell Him.
Secondly, repent of sin and disobedience.
Then, be ready to be blessed by His intimacy. He is so personal, it will blow you away!
One more thing…
When God does something in your life…share it with others.
Do not hide it and squander it away.
TELL a friend, your spouse, your kids…anyone that will listen.
Make His Glory known to all around you! We all need this spiritual fuel in our everyday lives.
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. Psalm 9:1
still using that skincare,
jill
