Pausing to Notice His Goodness

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for you because of what you have done.
~ Psalm 92:4, NLT

 

Yesterday marked ten awesome months of marriage for Joseph and me. Time is going by so quickly! Being just two months away from celebrating our first anniversary, Joseph and I have talked a lot recently about the Lord’s BIG provision for us!

When we began looking into buying a house last year we had no idea what God had in store. We prayed specifically for the Lord to direct us to the area in which He wanted us. The home He gave us far surpassed anything we had in mind.  We often sit and just gasp in awe of His blessings.  We aren’t “stuff” oriented people and we never thought about purchasing a new home when we began talking about where we would live, but seeing God’s hand every detail really just makes us pay attention to the fact that God’s ways are indeed higher than ours. God loves to bless His kids!

In our ten months of marriage, God has shown Himself faithful at every turn, as always. When any issue of an unexpected expense has come up He’s made a way, providing more than enough.

I mention all of this because after the recent hail storm Joseph and I had a choice.  We could have easily chosen to be upset and have a “woe is me” attitude about needing a new roof on the house in addition to many other repairs.  We could have fussed about my car being too damaged to keep.  Instead, the Lord has taught us to pause and pay attention to His GREAT goodness!

The Lord sent a roofer to our neighborhood “at just the right time” to rescue us from having to climb on the roof to put tarps down before rain came again.  This was not one of the roofers we had called. Those fellas never called us back.  God knew exactly who He wanted to send our way!

The roofer did many temporary fixes until everything with insurance was squared away... and he did so at no charge! God is well aware of surprises like this and He provides!  The insurance company declared the damage to the house to be about $8,500.  Again, instead of being upset that the repairs may cause a little inconvenience in our schedules, I see the Lord’s hand in even allowing us to have insurance that covers all of the cost!

The damage my car received from the storm is actually a blessing in disguise.  I have driven my little Cavalier for ten years. It’s the only car I’ve ever had; so to say that I needed to start looking into getting something different would be a slight understatement.  I have just accepted the minor flaws due to wear and tear and have been grateful for transportation.

Our appointment with the insurance company regarding the car isn’t until the middle of the month, but after several reports we know what the verdict will be.  Two days after the storm the car’s check engine light came on and the car began driving differently and running hot.  God’s timing is in effect for sure here!  He knew all the details that would cause us to need a different mode of transportation, and now we will receive more money for it than if we had simply traded it in.

We were able to purchase the exact vehicle that we wanted earlier this week.  God cares so much about the smallest details of our lives, folks!  After being able to drive my mom’s vehicle for a few different trips, Joseph and I agreed that we would look for one like hers.  A new car was out of the question as it just didn’t make sense to us.  So we prayed for wisdom on a newer used vehicle.

After test driving a couple of cars and not having a peace about moving forward, Joseph and I went home in my beat up Cavalier.  Two days later, we found the car online… at a dealership within minutes of our house!

If we had made a hasty decision when we were test driving other vehicles we would have missed this HUGE blessing God had in store for us.  Any of those options would have been good, but certainly not God’s best for us.

Joseph took care of everything the Monday after Easter since he had an extra day off for the holiday.  Everything worked out far better than we had hoped.  The numbers that we had crunched to figure out finances were thrown out the window when things came out BETTER than we could have imagined!  God’s faithfulness has blown us away again!

This testimony of His goodness has caused me to wonder how many times I’ve neglected to pause and really pay attention to His hand at work in my life. In the midst of life’s surprises (like an unexpected hail storm) it’s far too easy for us to react negatively and become frantic.

The hail storm and other unexpected events come as no surprise to God… EVER!  When we stop to pay attention to all He has done we are able to change our attitude of “woe is me” to one of gratefulness.

I have been so encouraged in these weeks after the storm.  The Lord’s provision in sending the right people, the right vehicle and all the finances needed has been nothing short of a miracle!

Today there are many things that have the potential to upset us.  Often when we are surprised by difficult circumstances our initial actions stem from being angry that we simply don’t have control over everything.  Rather than reacting negatively, we can choose to be grateful for the Lord’s great provision for our lives, which is always in effect.

When we take time to pay attention to all that the Lord has done and is doing for us we cannot help but to be thrilled! Today my prayer is that I will continually notice the ways He shows that He is for me.  May we not overlook all the ways that God is reminding us that He is in control and has power over all things!

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for you because of what you have done. ~ Psalm 92:4, NLT