Last Christmas a good friend of mine said she saw a sign and thought of me. She wanted to buy it for me, but you know that goes. The sign said “Jesus loves you, but he loves me more!” Well, you know what I sort of felt that way last night. We spent an exhausting day in Orlando, going to the Young People’s Concert, lunch at Chick-fil-a, Downtown Disney, Target, then home. We got back around 5:00, and I was feeling a little guilty because I had spent some money on the kiddos, I let them each get a new toy. I NEVER do that, but for some reason, I felt like I needed to do something for them. So, the boys picked out something at Lego Land. The girls tried to pick out something at the Disney Store, but nothing was in their price range. So, we went to Target and they got to pick out something there. Now, I wasn’t feeling guilty about doing something nice for my kids, it was more the money I spent. I was kind of bugging me. Then, on the way home, I did an on phone interview with a reporter from a local paper who is doing a story on homeschooling. I really didn’t want to do it, because it really puts me out of my comfort zone. Contrary to what you might think about an avid blogger, I don’t like to be actually IN the spotlight. But, I really felt like God wanted me to do the interview, so I did. My kids were so good and quiet in the van while I was doing the interview, that I wanted to reward them. So, we cashed in our free Jr. Frosty coupons. Then I thought, man I am really spoiling them today, what is with that?!?
So, after enduring the 2 hours drive home, without opening their toys, my kiddos very cheerfully helped me clean out the van when we got home before opening their toys. At this point, I was ready for a nice quiet evening at home, I put on my old sweatpants, and my favorite hole-riddled t-shirt and started dishing up dinner from the crock pot.
Then, the phone rang. It was my mother-in-law, calling with tickets to go see Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, in concert, in two hours. After much finegaling, at 7:30 I found myself standing outside the concert, my children safely with my mother-in-law (for a sleep-over, no less!) waiting on my ticket. (Mr. Overkill was still on a job and he couldn’t go with me.) While I was getting ready to go, I kept thinking, “God I can’t believe that you are allowing this for me. Especially since I probably shouldn’t have spent that money on the kiddos today”. Then these verses came to mind…
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” [Luke 11.9-13]
I felt at that moment, that it was OK to have gotten the kiddos something new. And that now, God was giving me a good gift, a free $60.00 ticket to a sold-out concert, that I really wanted to go to, but couldn’t afford. Three hours of great God-honoring music by two of my all time favorite artists. Blessing upon blessing came my way last night, along with the break I needed from everything. The break I had been telling Mr. OK I needed, and was asking God for. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation, I went alone, saw several people I knew, and even sat right behind someone from my Sunday School class, I was alone, but not (if that makes sense).
Growing up I listened to everything these 2 recorded. I even had tickets to go to Steven Curtis Chapman’s Great Adventure concert back in the day. But, I didn’t end up being able to go, because I had to have my wisdom teeth removed. My friend Devon ended up going. But did he think to get me a shirt, or maybe an autograph when he got to stand around and chat with Steven. Oh no! So finally, 15 years later, I got to see SCC in concert and it was so worth the wait! His whole attitude, demeanor, and testimony about what he has been through since losing his daughter in May made the songs he sang so powerful! Michael W. Smith was awesome too! They even did a set where they each sang the other one’s older songs, like, Great Adventure, Go West Young Man, I Will be Here for You, For the Sake of the Call…Steven even sang the song we danced to at our wedding, “I Will be Here”. If I cried in public, I would have been crying! I thought it was neat too that both guys has a son playing in the band! How cool is that!
What a great gift God gave me! I even got a t-shirt :)