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Sunday, November 9, 2008

God's Abundant Blessings

The Cafe welcomes Sherri Woodbridge!

Read Matthew 10:26-34

I read a blog post the other day about a woman who sought affirmation from God that He was hearing her prayers. She had been raised to believe that laying a fleece before Him was taboo, but at this point in her life, she didn't know what else to do. She was at the end of her rope in so many ways and desperately needed to know that God was listening. If He chose to say wait or no, that was okay just so long as He was listening.


So, she approached the throne of God and made her request. She asked her heavenly Father, that if is He did indeed hear her requests, could He please send her a red or a yellow rose.


She got up the next morning as usual,dressed, and headed to work. One of her co-workers came into her office. This wasn't just any co-worker, but the one that annoyed her due to his jovial,joyful attitude. He was too happy. Why did this annoy her? Because… she wasn't.


As usual, he was joyful and full of smiles,and stood to greet her. He stood with his hands behind his back. She wasn't in the mood for his smiles. Somehow, lately he had sensed that and so this day, he had brought her a gift in hopes of cheering her up. He brought his hands to the front and there within them, he held a red rose. There, in that office,she let go of the bitterness and frustration she had held against him and knew…God heard her prayers.


I sat at my computer after I reading her entry and as I stared at the screen, tears began to roll down my cheeks. It was at that moment that I prayed for a rose. A fleece in the form of a scented bloom and any color would do.


We are in the process of moving. Packing up our much too many belongings, putting them in storage and heading who knows where. Temporarily homeless. Unable to meet our financial demands in our current place of residence, seeking God's will for our next placement within His perfect will, while not knowing what that looks like or where it truly is.


With each box that is taped and labeled and ready for storage, the question remains in the back of my mind as to when these boxes of mementos, memories and more will be opened. The bigger question that haunts me is whether or not we are doing the right thing. Believing we are and at the same time, feeling like we've gone absolutely crazy.


Sitting there before the computer, I laid a fleece before the throne of my heavenly Father. I asked for affirmation that we were doing the right thing. I didn't need to know where He was taking us or when or how. I just wanted to know we were being obedient and not crazy, as a few had alluded.


The next day my son was over and I was in the other room when the doorbell rang. He answered it and I could hear him talking to someone, but by the time I had walked upstairs, the visitor had left. I asked my son who had been at the door and he said it was one of my friends. She had brought something for me and he said that he had put it on the kitchen counter. I turned around and looking into the kitchen, there on the counter, in a tin can, stood six perfect, as beautiful as I've ever seen, red roses.


I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God. He doesn't just answer our prayers, but goes beyond and makes sure we know He's listening. and that He answers – abundantly.


Jesus,help us to remember that you care about everything – every small thing to even the largest of things. Help us to remember that you don't want to just answer our prayers, but you long to answer them – abundantly.


In Him,

Sherri


Sherri has written for over 30 years and has a passion for encouraging the weary and offering hope to the hopeless, giving all to the glory of God. She has been married 29 years to a wonderful man and they now live in Southern Oregon. They have three wonderful children and a beautiful new granddaughter.

Join Sherri at her personal blog,
Planting Gardens

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19 Comments:

Blogger Denise said...

Beautiful devotion.

November 9, 2008 at 3:01 AM  
Blogger Freddae' said...

What a beautiful story and it connects so deeply with where I'm at right now and something I experienced yesterday when a woman I didn't even know came up to me with a message from God. I'm still shaking from it.

November 9, 2008 at 7:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing - I love it!

November 9, 2008 at 7:33 AM  
Blogger Laury said...

Sherri, thank you so much for sharing this. What you say is so true: if only we were for sure for sure that God was listening, it would be a bit easier.

I have a friend who is now going through the same thing. They've packed their things up, rented out their house until it can be sold, and living at a campground because of the economy. It is so scary, but like you, they are trying to listen to God and faithfully obey Him.

Praying for you both.

November 9, 2008 at 8:25 AM  
Blogger Tammy said...

It is so hard to wait on the Lord. Thank you for the reminder and encouragement that indeed He is always listening! :-)

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

November 9, 2008 at 10:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Sherri. You don't "know" me but I was very moved by this post. I have lifted you and your family up in prayer, all the while being confident that God will provide for you. Even more, I have said words of praise and gratitude that you are so able to give yourself to His will for you in spite of it seeming, from our human points of view, to be, to use your words, "absolutely crazy." It's the very definition of obedience and faith. Thank you for sharing this with us.

November 9, 2008 at 1:07 PM  
Blogger IdaR said...

This is lovely and just what I needed to hear today. Sometimes we need confirmation that what we are doing is the right thing. Thank you for reminding me that it is ok to ask God for this confirmation. GBY

November 9, 2008 at 2:11 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Sherri,

I encourage you...I'm at the tail end (or so it seems) of a similar circumstance. My husband and I felt called to leave Texas and move to Florida--His home state. We knew he would have his job, but I would not be able to counsel or public speak right away...and our finances would be cut in half, if not more.

The day we picked up the Moving Truck, we had $12 to our name and had yet to sign our lease on the house we were trying to get. We had no money for gas or food, we had nothing.

But we are here, in Florida. I could go through all the details as how we got the money--but the simplest and most profound thing is that it was God. He provided..within in days...over $7,000.

It has been difficult...

It has been Faith...

But it has ALWAYS been God!

November 9, 2008 at 8:36 PM  
Blogger GingerLouise Clothing said...

Thank you.

November 9, 2008 at 11:56 PM  
Blogger Julie said...

Beautiful story, great word!

I loved it. Thanks for sharing!
Julie

November 10, 2008 at 12:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My heart and prayers are with you through this journey and season of your life. I pray that God will guide you, broaden your path and hold onto your right hand so you do not stumble. I am in Tennessee and would love for you to consider our beautiful state as your new residence!
Our family is going through a very similar financial situation and please know that you are never alon my friend in Christ.
Tammy

November 10, 2008 at 7:00 AM  
Blogger Christa said...

Wow, God is good!
God Bless

November 10, 2008 at 8:49 AM  
Blogger LauraLee Shaw said...

Wow, okay, my turn to cry as I sit at the keyboard. What a moving testimony. God did the same thing for me recently as I asked for affirmation over a difficult decision, but it was in the form of a book and a few catastrophes. He is so good to help us out when we doubt. I'm going to pray for you right now, that God would provide for your needs, but mainly that He would continue to provide you with this supernatural peace.

November 10, 2008 at 9:02 AM  
Blogger "Create Beauty" said...

I am reminded of a favorite quote of mine by Oswald Chambers, "What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His intimacy with us - He knows every detail of each of our individual lives."

November 10, 2008 at 9:46 AM  
Blogger Laurie Ann said...

I am more and more in awe of God each day! I love how He spoke to you through this rose of hope. May God bless your future and continue to bless your writing. Beautiful devotion!

November 10, 2008 at 11:11 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I so bad want to lay the fleece out there, but I don't even know what it would take for me right now!!
My head knows that He hears and answers prayers, but my heart is having a hard time remembering it!!

November 10, 2008 at 3:46 PM  
Blogger Joanne Sher said...

Absolutely, positively beautiful. Wonderful.

November 10, 2008 at 4:15 PM  
Blogger Pat Thacker said...

What an "awesome testimony"!!! Truly wonderful and I'm also weeping and waiting for my yellow rose.
Love you Sherri

November 1, 2009 at 9:20 PM  
Anonymous AngieP said...

WOW!! I am truly thankful for this devotion and the posted comments. I didn't specifically pray for a sign from God that He hears my prayers, but I do believe being led to this today was His way of reassuring me that He hears. My situation is almost exactly like Tiffany's post and when I read it all I could say was "Thank You Lord" because I know that it was no coincidence that I read this today, right when I needed it. I thank God and I thank you all too!!

November 2, 2009 at 5:13 PM  

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