Some years ago my husband and I took a mini weekend vacation trip down to New Bern, North Carolina. It seemed like an interesting destination with a few sights to see and was just a few hours’ drive to get there. We found a nice B&B place online to stay for the two nights we planned to be there.
After we checked in and got a recommendation for dinner that evening, we decided to stroll around the downtown area to check out some shops and art galleries to get the lay of the land and enjoy the surroundings and make further plans for the next day.
We found a delightful art cafe and stopped in for coffee. The menu was inviting so we decided to have lunch there the following day. It was one of my favorite types of places to be – with the combination of fresh tasty salads and sandwiches plus the enjoyment of the creative spirit of the local art all around us.
Continuing our exploration of the core shopping area, I noticed some posters advertising a play at the Little Theater. It seemed that “Kiss Me Kate” was to be performed there the next evening. The thought of enjoying that performance got me really excited! Although I’d never seen the play, it just sounded like it would be so much fun to go see. We hurried over to the box office window to get some tickets but were told that they were all sold out for that performance. Since that would be our last night there, I was so disappointed we wouldn’t be able to make it. I guessed we would just have to figure out something else to do.
As we wandered out to a park area near the water, I was looking down at all the bricks used to pave the area. Most had someone’s name carved into it, as these purchased bricks had been contributed by the community members to help build the lovely public area. As I was enjoying reading some of the names aloud, I came to one that had an unusual Native American name on it. I stopped and remarked about how interesting and unusual that was as I read the name aloud.
My husband heard and asked me to repeat it as he quickly came over to see the brick for himself. When he saw it with his own eyes, he said he couldn’t believe it. He had worked with someone in New Jersey who had that same name. It was so unusual to see that I suggested we do some research to see if anyone knew him or if we could find his number somewhere to perhaps connect with him.
It turned out we were able to find his number and phoned, but just had to leave a message that we were here staying at the B&B and hoping it was the same guy my husband knew and that we could connect somehow.
The next morning when we came down from our room for breakfast, there was this man we’d left the message for now waiting in the reception area for us! It was indeed the man my husband had worked with. They were happy to reconnect. We couldn’t believe it! It was so great that we were able to meet up with him and hoped he’d at least join us for breakfast or meet up for lunch later. He said he just wanted to say hi but had to run along as he had a busy day getting ready for the theater’s opening night that evening. I remarked that we had tried to get tickets but they were sold out.
It turned out that “wildly coincidentally” he was in charge of some of the goings-on at the theater and involved with a group from his church who had obtained a block of tickets to go that evening. He said there were extra tickets if we wanted to join them. Plus there would be a social time afterward that we could attend and get to meet others from the community.
Wow and double wow!
All I could think of was how miraculous it was that God knew and heard the desire in my heart expressed to enjoy the play at the theater that seemed impossible to go to. And he delighted in arranging things so my soul and spirit could be fed with fun and fellowship and food to boot! What a loving and abundant God! This was another gift from my Father who knows me well and the little things that light up my soul!
I felt I just had to share this with you today so you can have more evidence about YOUR loving Father – who is waiting to bless you in ways that speak his love in the language of your own heart. And not just once but many times throughout your days and life. That is how he wants to walk in that more close and intimate connection with you – not just with a one-way conversation, but with a continual dialogue as you talk with him about all that is going on in your life.
Now I’m not saying that God is like a magic genie that we just give our every wish to grant. No true and healthy relationship is just about taking or receiving but needs to have a two-way stream with conversations and actions that lead to getting to know each other better and being able to express love to each other in whatever form that may be.
I like to think of the relationship with our Heavenly Father more in the earthly terms of walking with Jesus, the God-man aspect of the Trinity – the one who showed up in the world as one of us but brought the God perspective on how to live and walk through life. And this is not just for the time and space continuum of our short life span here, but for us as an eternal spirit just having a physical experience here temporarily – so the Father-God can show us more of who he is and how deep his love for us is right on through the eternal ages.
Did you read Miracle Zone: God At Work yet? If you did not get a chance to finish it, the last few chapters, especially chapters 18, 19, and 22, go into more of how to have that intimate and loving relationship walk with Jesus that may surprise and delight you!
You won’t believe how much he desires to walk with you and feed your body, soul, and spirit with delights from above that supersede even the delights we can experience on earth! But since he is the Creator of all on the earth and he has given us five senses and beyond, he delights in meeting us right where we are and celebrating all the gifts that earthly life has to offer too, framed with his heavenly perspective.
Just keep walking with your heart and your eyes open to see how God wants to deliver his love gifts to you today! I’ll bet they will show up in some unusual ways and places! And maybe with some “Kisses” to boot! 😉
