We’ve all had down, disappointing days, haven’t’ we! Just a few days ago, I had mine. I woke up, not in a positive mood. Have you had that experience yourself? For no reason, I woke up in a not-so-happy mood.
I’m so glad the Bible covers unexplained bad moods. Jesus knows that we are but dust, and that we can fall apart emotionally at any moment. Yes, we are fragile and need Him constantly.
As I was having my morning coffee, I read my Bible and shared with the Lord Jesus that I felt I just needed “His encouragement.” I also expressed that He could choose whatever scenario He felt best to encourage me.
Later in the afternoon, I put my body in gear and took our little dog for a walk. I headed out and walked one block. As I came to the intersection, I decided to head down the street on my right, instead of my usual left.
We were well into the walk when I noticed an odd package in the middle of the street at an intersection. At first glance, it looked like a wrapped Christmas package. As I considered going over to pick it up, I thought to myself there surely wouldn’t be a wrapped package, bow and all, in the middle of the street.
Curiosity wouldn’t let me proceed further on the path ahead of me, so I walked over to the beautifully wrapped item. The closer I got; my eyes increased in focus. IT WAS A BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED PACKAGE. I leaned over this gorgeous surprise and saw that it was a gift box of Belgin chocolates.
This can’t be…. or can it? One of my favorite two verses in the Bible is found in Proverbs 4:24. “Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established,” Proverbs 3:5,6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
Well, let’s get serious here; if I consider and apply those verses, the Lord was directing, or shall I say redirecting my steps to this item in the street.
I Iooked around to see if there was anyone in the vicinity of this beautiful package. Not a soul in sight. This wrapped delight was in the middle of the street in a pivotal location for a car to smash it to pieces.
I could stand it no longer. I leaned over and retrieved the box and headed home. In route, it dawned on me…. the Lord Jesus brought me “chocolates” to encourage me.
You may not choose to believe this, but if we “acknowledge Him in all our ways,” and we LOOK FOR HIM in our activities, responsibilities and surprises. Today, it was His delight to surprise me on my walk with chocolates. How practical is our heavenly Father!!!
I just smiled and thought to myself, I must take a photo of this because no one is going to believe me. So, the photo below is my gift to you, even if you can’t taste the contents.
I was so surprised and delighted, I decided to leave the gift wrapped (without indulging myself) and place it in our mailbox as a gift for our mailman.
The next morning, my mailman received the gift with delight. God blessed two people….my mailman and me.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU
And I hope your heart experiences the gift of His presence in your life, not just at Christmas, but every day of your year.
Let’s keep our eyes wide open and our hearts attuned to His presence with us all the time, so we won’t miss His “PRESENTS” to us in whatever way He chooses.
Published by Dianne Horne
I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than to see lives changed! There’s nothing more that puts “oxygen and joy” into my life than to bring the application of Scripture into the “shoe leather” of our lives and to share it with others.
I feel awkward speaking about myself, but I understand it can be helpful to enable others to relate to and enjoy the work of our Lord does in other people. Another down-to-earth way of sharing who I am, is that I love to eat, laugh and to talk about the Lord. I’m not a very exciting individual, but my Savior sure is!
I’ve been happily married for many years, and I now reside in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. God has transplanted my husband and I 28 times in our years together; and it is only when in His presence that you can ask the “why questions” as to the adjustments He’s brought us “to” and “through” in the numerous locations and countries we have lived.
God’s care, love, forgiveness, faithfulness and moment-by-moment presence has not only carried me (when I had every reason to fall apart), but lifted me to a joy I’ve never known. There’s one thing to have joy when things are going great, and quite another dimension of joy and peace when everything in your world is crumbling and unknown. Most of our lives will appear like “ordinary oatmeal living”, but when we allow Him to “establish our steps”, He alone takes our mundane acts of kindness or aid and makes them “extraordinary” for His purpose in the lives of others.
The seasons of caring for my parents and the associated grieving process has forever changed me. It was my honor, joy and privilege to participate with my Lord in what He was accomplishing in their lives, as they both gave their lives to Jesus Christ just days before they were escorted into His presence in heaven. The medical challenges and decisions that needed to be made for a number of those years thrust me into a trust and dependence upon the Lord that I had never known up to that point in my life.
In my journey, I’ve come to realize that our “weakness” is our greatest “strength”, because real power, provision, and His purpose being carried out in and through our lives, depends on Him orchestrating such through His sovereignty.
My “heartbeat of fulfillment” lies in sharing with women, in various settings, helping them to enjoy, study and apply the principles of God’s Word in a down-to-earth fashion. I thrive interacting with women and encouraging them to put their trust in the One Who knows them best and loves them extravagantly; and to prioritize “spending time alone with God each day” developing their relationship with Him. Our lives aren’t designed to just get answers to prayer….but to know and love a very personal Savior, and to surrender daily to “His plans, His agenda and purpose” for our lives.
Several years ago I was challenged to respond to a critical question I had never considered: Why do you exist? What’s your purpose in life?
I live to bring an expression of God in the ordinary events of life, seizing every opportunity of serving and delighting in others. I want my life to be an infectious expression of His love for others, and for them to know how special “they are” to Him; and thus be contagious with His grace.
My life compass is: After people spend time with me, what do they think of Jesus Christ?
The stories that will appear in my blog, are true events that have taken place in my journey. They’re all “very ordinary” circumstances that have occurred through sharing them with Jesus and watching Him orchestrate and demonstrate what He can do when we yield “our ordinary” to the Extraordinary One.
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Cups of Cold Water 
I love your stories ❤️
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Hello Katie
Thanks for your encouragement! You have your own stories God has brought into your precious life. Merry Christmas and much love to you and Bob! Dianne
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