God's So Good

Obviously this blog is chock full of wonderings and amusements about my kids but, tonight, please allow me the full indulgence of rambling on about the Lord's goodness to ME!

When I was a kid my Pastor used to tell stories about his wife's amazing faith and how the Lord always answered her prayers! No exaggeration! Whenever he told us she was praying for something, we all knew it would come to pass! We coveted her prayers for us. However if we were messing up we did not want her praying for we knew it meant the Lord's judgment upon us! I remember thinking though how I would love to have that kind of relationship with the Lord!

Fast forward 15 years to last week when my washer decided to give up the ghost. This is no exaggeration. When we got the washer (4months ago) it was given to us and the cycles did not automatically change ( I figured this out the hard way) so I would time them and go out and move the nob myself. Then last week I discovered that the drum was no longer spinning! I had soaking wet, soap filled clothes on the bottom of my washer at the end of the wash cycle!

So, no biggie.Knowing that we didn't have the money to buy a brand new one this was another opportunity for the Lord to provide. I did not know how He intended to but I knew He would. He had to. I've been down the road of not having a wash machine before and I know how fast it can pile up. So, determined not to have my schedule disrupted, I gathered up my 6 loads and headed to Don Chiquito's launderland! We used 2 mega washers and 2 regulars and $10 later we had washed laundry, as clean as you get it when you wash in a community washer! Wednesday night, in our revival meeting, the preacher asked my husband and I to come to the platform. He informed us that he had asked the church to give toward our need and that enough had been collected for us to purchase a new washer. All we had to do was pick one out! He even arranged a sitter!!

So this morning I asked the Lord to help us find a front loading washer. I did not ask for a specific brand. I did not ask for a specific color. I did not ask for fancy. I simply asked for a front loading washing machine for $300!

We set off with a song in my heart and bubbling from my lips and a couple of hours to run around. We went to 6 stores total. At the first we found one for $278. I knew my husband was thinking "eureka, only one store and we're through! I knew Lowe's would have what we were looking for." But I informed him that I had asked the Lord for a front loader and didn't want to settle. We then looked at those aforementioned front loaders and I learned how expensive they are!!! I was not discouraged in the least. I was ready for the long haul. The one with the glowing sign on it. We went to the car and prayed together. Knowing now that we were on the same page we proceeded in our search. At the fourth store we found a front loading maching with a damaged sign on it and no nob! No worries. It was only $250. Now I'm thinking eureka!! Then I looked at the settings and noticed it was a dryer. I suggested my husband call his cousin who works for a Lowe's 1 1/2 hrs. away. To shorten this up, when he finally contacted him he said he had a machine that had a fly in the door that got in there in manufacturing and the woman it was made for returned it. He said he could sell it to us for $300 and it was a front loader. you cannot imagine my excitement. I arranged for the sitter to stay a WHOLE LOT longer and we started driving. When we got there he told us the door with the fly in it was on a dryer (whta is it with dryers) BUT he still had a washer. He asked me if we had been shopping at all? Had we! He then took me to see the floor model (I had not shopped these) and informed me that mine was...get ready... brand new (as opposed to damaged, returned, missing parts, etc), last years model, upgraded so it was better than the floor model for this year! It was still in the plastic! It was a Whirlpool Duet! It retails for $1200!! Our price out the door was $299.55!!!!

Can you comprehend the hallelujah fit going on inside of me! Only God can so perfectly orchestrate something like that! Don't call this luck!

Psalm 40:5 - Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

When the preacher was telling us about the money he told me not to be looking at the $1200 machines so today when I told him about it I told him I didn't. I really didn't! I just prayed for it!!!

The Lord delights in blessing those who brag on Him! I think just like I as a parent enjoy showering gifts on my girls who remember to show gratitude, so the Lord delights in showering those of us who remember to praise Him for His wondrous gifts. He is sooo good! He gave me sooo much more than I asked for!

For the first time, EVER, I am looking forward to doing my laundry and I don't have to wait long because tomorrow's laundry day!

When the guys were setting it up, I was saying, "it looks so pretty, it's a shame it has to go in the garage." Of course they laughed and of course I was out there with my little Sony Cybershot to capture the moment~