Dec 5, 2010

Stop doubting and believe!


Did you ever have one of those experiences where you were going to just burst unless you told someone some good news? Well, that's me today.

Early this morning a friend was so upset and crying so hard that she couldn't even think straight. It all started yesterday when she was doing a good deed and baking cookies with a teenager who needed some extra tlc...When it was all over she could not find her set of engagement/wedding rings or her 40th anniversary diamond ring. She remembered taking the rings off so like any good Italian cook, she could use her hands to mix the cookie dough. She called the teenager to see if she had seen where she might have put the rings. My friend thought she had put them in the pocket of the top she was wearing, only to be devastated to look and find the pocket had a hole in it.

I told her I would pray. I got on my knees and had my talk with Jesus. I reminded Him that I knew how much he cared for people and their feelings. I visualized the little children climbing up onto His lap. I saw Him weeping with his friends over the death of Lazarus. I told Him how my friend was doing this good deed in His name, and how He had made us with the emotions that we have, and how much those rings meant to her because they were gifts from her husband of over 40 years. And I asked Him to let the rings be found QUICKLY.

She looked everywhere. She finally had to tell her husband, and he looked as well. She remembered that on the way back from taking the teenager home, she stopped at Subway to pick up sandwiches, so she called the store this morning to ask if by any chance the rings had turned up there. NOTHING.

But I KNEW the rings would be found. After an hour or so I even told my husband that I couldn't believe that my friend hadn't called me yet to tell me. It was one of those times when I just knew the prayer would be answered and while I thought about it, I wasn't wringing my hands or doubting at all.

Now, I need to tell you it has been snowing here last night and today. Probably two inches worth. Quite enough to cover up a couple of diamond rings that had fallen from a pocket with a hole in it into a parking lot of a Subway store. But my friend had an overwhelming urge to get in her car, drive a couple miles, and go look. A car was parked in the same spot where she had parked last night. She got out of her car and went and looked. There were the rings, about 8 inches apart, right where they had fallen and they had not been run over or touched.

Really, she shouldn't have gone by herself! She ran into the store, eyes swollen from crying and clutching her rings. To the kids who were working, she said, "I'm the lady who called you and asked about my rings!" Then she opened up her hands and showed them. One of the kids said something like "wow, those are worth something! where did you find them?" and she told them. As she was leaving, she turned around and said, "I just wanted you to know there IS a God, and He told me to come here, and I found my rings!"

Then she called me. As soon as I saw her name in the caller ID I knew she found the rings. I told her I had no doubt she would find them and was waiting for her call! Now that alone is a gift from God. Faith is a gift...not something we can muster up on our own.

God gave me the gift of faith to believe, and once again I am humbled to remember that He is FOR us. Why do we ever doubt?

This isn't about rings. My friend would even tell you that. This is about the everlasting love that a Father has for His children. For whatever reason, sometimes we just need to be reminded in a vivid way that He is THERE, and that He cares deeply for us. My faith has just been enlarged. Has yours? Oh friend, rejoice with me today!

7 comments:

Shirley said...

Amen!!!!!!!

Patrinas Pencil said...

Oh how i love our sharing of stories of FAITH and a great big caring loving personable God the Father.

Praising God with you and her. Amen!

Thanks for sharing your joy in Jesus.

Patrina <")>><
warrior Bride in boots

Jackie said...

What a wonderful reminder of Gods love for us. This story brought tears to my eyes...thanks for sharing it.

Jackie

Dar said...

Isn't faith ever a gift...It happened to me. I wear a thin gold chain around my neck that my Honey gave me at the birth of our now, 28 yr old son. It's been around my neck that long except twice., once when I had surgery, the other, when I lost it. My husband was even wondering what could have happened to it. I told him it would turn up and it did. A year later I found it, caught in the neckline of my winter jacket. It just as easily could have fallen in the snow too. Faith is wonderful. God is wonderful.
BlessYourHeart

Jess said...

Oh Jacque,
Thank you for sharing this beautiful testimony! A dear friend of mine recently "lost" her precious one year old puppy. Many prayed. Then after traveling 3 hours and posting flyers offering a reward, the dog was returned to her! Praise GOD!
Truly our Heavenly Father is kind and gracious, ever displaying His love for us.
I joy you in worshipping HIM!

Judy said...

What a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing.

Jennifer Meybaum said...

Judy said: "I lost my wedding band and engagement ring when the kids were young. I prayed about it. I put an ad in the paper. A lady called 2 weeks later. She said she was not going to return the ring, but she went to church and was told (she thought by Mary) to return the rings even though she had rings stolen when she was young."
Lisa said: "Wish I was as fortunate as her in finding them.... My engagement diamond was lost after an Open House at the kids' school. Perhaps on slamming the car door the diamond fell out. The kids scoured the parking lot but never found it. "