My teammate wrote earlier this summer about how God had used shuffle on her ipod to demonstrate his spirit to her. I’d like to share with you about one experience that I had this morning with God and shuffle.
The first song that played as we taxied was In Need. Toward the end of the song the words repeat “I am your child, I am in need.” As we had pulled into the airport at 5 am that morning I found that I had left the strap to one of my bags at my cousin’s house where we had stayed in the city the night before. As soon as we discovered that, Robert, my foster father, hopped in the car and raced over to the house across town and raced back making it back literally with me through security and having the gate attendants calling me for the final boarding opportunity. It was a strap (it was quite humorous to see it coming through security) but I had a need and as his child he provided for that need no matter how seemingly insignificant.
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; 10 or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matt 7:7-11 (ASV)
When we figured out where the strap was I turned to Robert and simply said “please go”. All I had to do was make him aware of my need and ask him to serve and he did so joyfully. How cool is it that how amazingly Robert served me our Heavenly father is so much more and gives so much better than Robert can even begin to imagine giving to me or any of his other children. And the really cool thing here is that God is already aware of our needs. I may need to search my entire being thinking I may have what it takes just like we searched the entire car frantically for that strap, but God already knows that I need the blessings and gifts that only he can give to me. I only have to realize my need, tell him about it and receive his blessing. How cool is it that I get to come before God Almighty and sing, pray, cry, ‘I am your child, I am in need’ and know that my daddy is going to come through for me and give me all that I need to make it through.
The next song to play was Ain’t No Mountain High Enough which is always a favorite for me ever since Stepmom. For sure encouraging in that moment. God definitely used that song to remind me that nothing can separate me from the love that he has for me and the love that he has given this family for me.
I love having the opportunity to sit and listen as God reveals himself to me and those around me. I look forward to how that happens this year.
One of the guys that is going on the race asked me tonight how leaving the family was and told him that it had been difficult, but in his wisdom he pushed on and asked how I was feeling about being with my team (we had 5 of 7 together) and I was definitely able to recognize that while I had been “alone” on the plane and in the airports, I had struggled, but when I got together with this family I was so much better. I was with my family again. It is good to be home, whatever that may look like this year.
