This was a funny thing to leave out yesterday when I wrote of what we were daring to ask God, but we also asked for boldness in our faith. I included gospel tracts at Christmas in each card I gave the neighbours as well as the baking. Usually I get some of the neighbours reciprocating in some way, either a card, or even baking themselves. This year.....nothing! Oh dear. We'll see what becomes of this as I eventually run into all of them at some point in the spring or summer. Praying again!
I forgot to do this along with the budget. I'm supposed to be keeping better track of all the meals I make so that I can figure out what each meal costs. I'll have to see if the kids can go back a whole week and remember all the meals....should be interesting.
This year, I'm also going to keep a written record of our days. So often, at the end of a week, someone will ask me, "So, how was your week?" I can often never remember?! I'll say, "I think it was good?" and I can't recall anything we did! One year I did this - I actually would write down each thing we did as the days went by, even if it was just going to the library or even staying home. At the end of the year when we sat together as a family and tried to remember what had happened that year, I pulled out the calendar and there it was....our whole year written down! It was fantastic to look back and see all the things we'd done, the places we'd gone, the people we'd had over. Many things we'd completely forgotten and it was a great way to brings things to our mind again. We could really thank God more specifically for His goodness to us in so many ways. I'm planning on doing that again this year.
I also have written down all our requests some years, on the calendar as well (well, it's a notebook/datebook-type calendar). Even yesterday, it was neat to see what we'd been praying for on the exact date last year as I was using the same book for this year. I'll be sure to do that again, too. Once again, to see what God has done and how He has specifically answered things we brought before Him.
The books I was reading this week were very interesting. One was on Gandhi! The other was on Hudson Taylor, both school books. Reading about Gandhi was fascinating. I had always wanted to learn more about this famous man. It's sad he was misled by Hinduism, but interesting to read that he made changes simply by praying and fasting. Never with violence. The fasting, to him, was a way to focus. That part rang true with me, even though, we weren't praying to the same God.
Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to China, knew he needed to learn to rely on God before he went to China. He had to see if he had enough faith to go as he knew he would have nothing in China except God. So he put God and the power of prayer to the test. In one situation, he had no money except one coin left in his pocket yet someone poor asked for his financial help. At first he couldn't give it up, but finally the spiritual battle was so strong that he knew he had to give it to this family in desperate need. He gave. He figured it wasn't his anyway and that it was simply a loan to God. He asked God to return the loan as soon as possible as he had nothing to eat after the bowl of porridge he was eating. Sure enough, the next day, a package arrives, anonymously, with enough money for four days of wages. Taylor realized God had returned the "loan" with 4 times the interest! This happened on another occasion as well, where he was due his wages from his employer. The employer told him, "Tell me when I owe you money as I'm a busy man and I'll probably forget." The employer ended up forgetting, but Taylor refused to tell him. He, once again, turned to prayer, asking God to bring it to the employer's mind without him telling him. God did just that, in such an unusual way that Taylor could only assume it was God's answering his prayers again. At that point, Taylor decided, "Ok, prayer really does work. I can go to China now."
Haven't I seen those types of answers, too? Even moreso, I would have to say. Does that mean I have to go to China, too? No, not necessarily, but it certainly means I can definitely trust Him for our year, for all that concerns me. I have proven Him over and over.
I pray about everything, from big things to small things. One thing I've been praying about is my daughter's birthday. A small thing, but not really. To me, it's kinda big! I long to bless my kids. I know it doesn't have to be something financially big, but I want them to feel special, especially in light of no Christmas presents. We still give birthday gifts, but then it is something for one child, not 8 at once, so we feel we can handle it a bit easier. I kept wondering what it could be, how could I bless her? I prayed about it. Then, unique opportunities came up - simple things. First, she wanted to take her friend out for lunch who also was turning 17 yesterday (my daughter's is on the 10th). I gave her the van and off she went to surprise her friend with lunch. They ended up getting their nails done, too, and had a wonderful time together. We went to that same girl's house for a Bible Quiz practice/dinner and when the evening was over, I went up to the friend of my daughter's and I said, "Do you want "S" to stay a little longer? Go ask your dad if he can drive her home later?" She quickly did and suddenly my daughter decided I was the best mom on earth as she looooooves staying a little longer with friends when everyone else is going home. I told her I figured it was the beginning of her celebrating her birthday. Still hadn't cost me anything to bless her in a small way.
Then, this weekend, her birthday falls on a Saturday, the day of the quiz meet. She's not happy about that. I couldn't figure out a way to change that, so I just kept praying about what to do. Then, last night, at the quiz practice, another friend of mine and I were talking about the National Quiz Meet coming up in a week in New York. We had decided to let our boys go this year as they had worked so hard and I knew last year was such a great experience for my oldest boy. My daughter wasn't going to go as she hadn't memorized enough and didn't want to participate as a quizzer. We made a team of 3 boys, my boys and my friend's son. But then my friend said her daughter wanted to go as well, to be on the team, too. Suddenly it occurred to me - I'll let my daughter go, too, but just for fun! It won't cost us anymore to have one more person and then she'll get a little surprise getaway with her friend (and dad and brothers)! I'm not sure when I'll tell her, but perhaps on the morning of her birthday.
Then, last Sunday, we were asked by my parents to go out for lunch. We were already booked. I was so disappointed as we LOVE going to this one restaurant with my parents. It's going to be a special memory for my kids and a great way to spend time connecting with my parents. Once again, it suddenly occurred to me, "How about next Sunday? I won't tell "S" and we'll just show up as a surprise for her birthday??" It was a deal. So this Sunday, without her knowing, we'll be going to one of her favourite restaurants, with her grandparents, as a special surprise. It'll be so fun.
Were all these things answers to prayer? Yes. For sure. I had told the Lord, "I want to bless my daughter. I don't know how. Will you please give me an idea? Something she loves to do that isn't too expensive????" Going away to see a friend actually was something she wanted to do, but she wanted to go away somewhere else, where another friend lives. We kept telling her it wouldn't be possible. We couldn't make it work. It was too far, no adult supervision, too expensive on her own, etc. This way, she gets to be with a friend, over a period of a weekend, doing something fun, with adult supervision and gets to be around a ton of Christian youth doing Bible Quizzing! Amazing. Going out to eat was something she loves doing, but we don't do that anymore, we eat at home and have special meals here on birthdays, so now she gets to go out for her birthday, too, I share these answers to show how God cares for me, for my specific requests, for my daughter, for her specific concerns. I just love that. Now, I can go to China.
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