Blessings Abound

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8

Did you ever take the time to marvel at all the incidences of coincidence in your life?  Guess what?  They're not coincidences.  Not even a little.  You know, those times where someone gives you something that you end up really needing, or you come across someone who has just the talent you need to complete a project.  God does that.  God is a beautiful orchestrator of perfect events in our lives.  I love it when He sees to a need before we even need it. 

Like the day that the kids and I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from church.  Basic, basic example here, but I went back and forth about the idea of stopping at the store.  We had enough lunch stuff at home, but we needed lunch fixings for the week for Andy, and I didn't want to have to squeeze in a grocery shopping trip later in the day.  So the kids and I stopped and picked up a few things.  Good thing, because we got home, and Andy had brought home lunch guests.  Had we not stopped, there would have been nothing on hand to prepare lunch for company.  God saw to that need before we knew we needed it.

I can't tell you how many times we've needed clothes for the kids, but I don't really know how badly we need them until I actually go through their closets.  Sure enough, God always sees fit to bless us with clothes for the kids, just as I need to go through their things.  And then, the blessing of clothes is even more appreciated, as the pile of clothing that doesn't fit gets bigger and bigger, the more things we pull out.  God is faithful every time!

Or the times where God has blessed Andy with an extra job to make a little extra money, and we're thrilled to have a little extra in our pockets when an unexpected expense comes along.  Sure, we're disappointed a little to not be able to do something fun with that extra, but it sure is a blessing to be able to afford a repair to a vehicle when it is needed, and not have to scrimp and save for a few weeks to manage the extra expense.

I've found that there are times where I will wake up in the morning and really feel rested.  I'll have gotten a great night's sleep and wake up feeling completely refreshed- only to have the day get crazy busy and when I look back and reflect on the day, I can see how God blessed me with the necessary rest to be able to make it through the busy day without feeling exhausted and out of energy.

God knows what we need before we ask Him.  While I've shared examples of times when God has provided before we even knew we needed it, there have also been times where what He has provided and what we thought we needed or wanted was not the same thing at all.   I know many times we've talked to God about finances and providing extra means of income for Andy, or some way for him to bring in a little extra.  We know God is faithful and will meet our needs, but often times God's answer is not our answer.  Keeps us on our toes I guess, because so many times, when we're in a bit of a financial pinch, that's when other things are coming in that actually help us to stretch our few dollars further.  Someone will give us a bag of groceries, or some books that I can use for school until I can afford the ones we actually want to use.  Or I'll look in the fridge or freezer, and not really see anything to prepare for a meal, and then just like that, God will bring something to mind that will use ingredients I already have on hand- so that we don't need the expense of running to the store.

I just love to think on all the different ways that God has provided for us without actually doing what we thought He would.  God ALWAYS knows what we need.  Always.  He knows us.  He knows us so well, and sometimes when someone has something in their possession that they offer to us- and we don't actually need it, I always think about it and wonder if that will be a need coming up, and this is God's way of making sure that we're ready for that need.  He is faithful to see that we're taken care of.  I especially love seeing God take care of a need that my children have- and know that they have so that they can see how God is faithful to provide. 

God is good, all the time.  His blessings abound over and over- sometimes I think we just need to refresh our minds and think on all the things He has done- and know that He will be faithful to us in every situation.