It was Christmas Eve 1999, and I remember it well. I had to work at Walmart that day. It was a very easy day at the service desk, unlike the day AFTER Christmas, and everyone was definitely in the Christmas spirit. I was sad to be away from Jeremy and the kids, but at least I got off at 7:00 PM, unlike everyone else that worked that day. The store did close at 7:00 PM, but everyone else had to stay to clean up in preparation for the day after Christmas. I got to leave because my availability on that day of the week was only until 7:00 PM. So, I was the only one leaving at 7:00 PM, and trust me, my co-workers kept giving me a hard time about it, too! I didn't mind though! I just wanted to get home to my family! It was almost Christmas!
Whew! Anyway, now that we have that straight, on with the story. So , I got off work, and started out the Walmart door. I was still in my customer-service mode, and feeling quite festive and happy! I couldn't wait to get home to see Jeremy, Diane and Daniel. I got about 20 feet away from the Walmart door and I saw a man, about my age, walking towards the door. I quickly told him, "Oh, I'm so sorry, but we're closed for the evening. We won't be opening again until the day after Christmas." It was pretty dark outside, and although some customers were loading up their vehicles with the treasures they had just purchased, it was mostly just him and me standing there.
He replied, "Oh no, that's not good. A friend just dropped me off here and now I don't have a ride home."
Hmmm, that's not good. If Jeremy had been there, I could have offered him a ride home, but I certainly wasn't going to do that since I was alone. I did respond to the man and say something like, "Sorry to hear that. I think there is a pay phone right by our door." Guess he would just have to call someone to come get him.
Now, the employees at Walmart parked way out at the end of the parking lot, in the far corner, so it was quite a walk from where I was. What I should have done at this moment was turn around and walk back inside the store. But, I didn't think of that. I just wanted to get home, and so I turned to start walking to my car, and the man followed me. I thought that was odd, but I guessed he was just going to walk on home instead of call someone. Maybe he lived close.
Right then, much to my surprise, Jeremy and the kids pulled up in our mini van. Jeremy opened the passenger side door, which was just a few feet away from me, and said, "Get in!"
I was so surprised to see him. He never picked me up at work, and there was no reason for him to be there. I had the car to drive myself home. But, I quickly thought how wonderful this was, because now we could offer that man a ride home. I started to explain the man's situation to Jeremy, but he simply said again, "Nikki, get in the van!"
"OK," I thought. He sure is anxious for me to get inside the van. I'll just explain the situation once I get inside. So, I got in and he said, "Close the door." So I did, and he drove straight across the parking lot, towards our car that was parked in the employee parking.
"Wait a minute, Honey. I want to tell you something," I said.
"No," he said, "Who was that man you were talking to? I didn't like the way he was looking at you."
"What do you mean?" I replied, confused, "He just came here to shop, and I told him we were closed and he said that he didn't have a ride home. A friend dropped him off. I think he is going to walk home, and it's so cold I was thinking maybe we could give him a ride, now that you're here."
Jeremy drove over to where our car was and parked. "No, I didn't like the look he had on his face when he was looking at you. Let's just watch him a minute and see what he does," he said, locking our van doors.
We were pretty far away from where the man was by this point, and we sat and watched him. He walked right over to a beat-up car, opened the door, got inside and drove away, all by himself. I couldn't believe it. I was completely dumb-founded.
Jeremy and I were both pretty shaken up at this point, as the realization of what had just happened sunk in. Diane and Daniel were oblivious in the back seat. Oh my! We sat in the parking lot, and I asked Jeremy why he had come to pick me up, since it had not been planned and I had the car right here. He explained that he had taken the kids to McDonald's that day to play in their play area while I was at work. As he was sitting there, this idea popped into his head. He said he thought it was the Lord saying, "You should go pick Nikki up at work today." He said he quickly dismissed the idea, since there was really no reason to do that. But, later at home, he heard it again, "You should go pick Nikki up at work today." He said it wasn't a very strong thought, and didn't seem pressing at all. He dismissed it again. But, the third time the thought came, "You should go pick Nikki up at work today" he decided he would do it.
So, he loaded the kids back up again, drove to Walmart, and pulled up exactly as I was starting to walk to my car, with that strange man following me. Wow! I mean, we couldn't have planned it out any better if we had tried. He got there at exactly the right time to "pick me up from work," even though I already had the car there. Who does that? No one, except for a Godly husband who is definitely listening to the voice of God and protecting his silly, naive wife, who should have thought to go back inside with that man there, but didn't. No, I was just going to walk on out to my car, all by myself, with that man following me all the way.
God knew exactly what I was going to do, and He protected me! That Christmas Eve, and all day Christmas, we just couldn't stop thanking God for His protection! What would have happened if Jeremy hadn't "picked me up" from work that day? I am so very, very thankful that I do not know. God is so good, and He protects His children even when they're being foolish! Thank you, Lord! To God be all the glory!!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Walmart
"Find out what God wants you to do and do that."
It is easy to say. But, it takes trust to actually do. Trust in God, really. So, God had made it pretty clear to us that He wanted us to send Diane to a private Christian school, even though there seemed to be a perfectly fine public school a few blocks from our house. And, from the outside, the public school looked so much nicer, and offered a huge benefit that the private school did not. It was completely free.
But, when you're following God, money can not be your deciding factor on things. No, the only thing that can be your deciding factor is what God wants you to do, whether it seems like a financially wise idea or not. God always knows best, and He always has your best interest at heart. It's true. I feel a side note coming...
Soon after I got filled with the Holy Spirit and started living for God, I spent a lot of time visiting Christian bookstores. I mean, I wanted to go into every Christian bookstore that I could find to see all the gems they had. I was so hungry to know God even more. I "happened" to go into the Christian bookstore in my hometown of Parsons, KS, and I "happened" to buy this little 2x3 inch card that had Jeremiah 29:11 written on it. Now, I know that is a very popular verse, and people quote it often. It is such a wonderful, wonderful promise from God!
"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Wow! Well, I bought that little card. I think it was a dollar, and it may have been the best dollar I have ever spent. I put that card in my little light blue Chevy Spectrum, right in front of the steering wheel. You know, that plastic "window" where you can see your speed and how much gas you have left. I set that card right there. And, every time I got in my car, I read that card out loud. And, as I was driving here and there around town, I would say that scripture. I would say, "For God knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me, and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11" I have no idea how many times I spoke those words out loud, but it was at least hundreds.
And, that verse got inside of me. I mean, it truly changed me from the inside out. No can ever convince me that God doesn't have a good plan for me and for my life. No one can ever convince me that God doesn't love me, and want wonderful things for me. Why? Because that verse has gotten so rooted into my heart nothing can take it out. And, I didn't realize it at the time, but it helped me so much when a few short months later He started talking with Jeremy and me about attending Bible School. Because when you believe Jeremiah 29:11, you have absolutely no problem obeying the Lord. It can still be hard to do what God wants you to do, but you are so convinced that what He wants you to do is best, you wouldn't dream of not doing it!
Yes, God had a lot of wisdom having me meditate and read that verse over and over again. It's still in me today. I only want to do what He wants me to do. I only want to be where He wants me to be. I haven't followed Him perfectly over these last 20 years, but God knows my heart, and I have truly endeavored to follow Him always.
OK, end of side note! :) So yes, the private Christian school was not free. Interestingly enough, it was the same cost as Jeremy and my tuition had been at Rhema Bible Training Center. This would cause my mind to go tilt. I would think, "She could be going to Bible School for the same cost as we're going to be paying for her to go to kindergarten!" Little did we know in a few short years we would be paying for three kids' tuition at that very school. And, something funny about that was that Olathe Christian School actually had a deal that if you pay for three kids' tuition your fourth one is free. Only we didn't have a fourth one to enroll! That can definitely be a hard blow for a bargain-hunter like me. It didn't bother Jeremy one bit, and he would laugh when I would say, "But, if we just had one more child enrolled there, they could go free!" Ha!
So, Diane's first year of school we decided that I would get a job at Walmart as a cashier to pay for her schooling. I worked 16 hours a week, and soon after starting they moved me over to the service desk. I really enjoyed working the service desk. And, I got wonderful opportunities to share about the Lord while I was working there. But, it was pretty hard for Jeremy and me to do in the beginning...
At the time we went to a church where most of the husbands worked and the wives stayed home with the kids. Have you ever noticed that different churches have different ideas about things? I don't mean that badly, I just mean that some churches may have a lot of stay-at-home moms, whereas at another church a lot of the moms have careers. We were at the stay-at-home mom church. And, to be quite honest, I kind of had the idea that it was best for the husband to work and the wife to stay home with the kids also. I wondered if this idea could really be from the Lord. Should I really get a job to pay for Diane to go to kindergarten?
Around this same time, I was reading the Bible, not really thinking about the whole work thing. And, praise the Lord, He spoke to my heart. He said, "Have you ever noticed that the Proverbs 31 woman worked outside of the home?" The Proverbs 31 woman. Aw, yes. That wonderful passage of scripture that Christian women read, sometimes with much trepidation, wondering how they could ever live up to this woman that the Bible calls "The Virtuous Woman."
I certainly had not noticed that, and I didn't even think it was true. "Could that possibly be true?" I questioned the Lord. He responded, "Look for yourself."
So, I flipped through my Bible to Proverbs 31 and began reading. I started in verse 10, where it begins talking about this Godly woman. And, sure enough, I got down to verse 16 and noticed that it said, "...out of her earnings, she plants a vineyard." At this point the Lord questioned me, saying, "Out of whose earnings?" And I responded, "Hers!" I was so amazed!
I continued reading and got down to verse 24 and saw that it said, "She makes linen garments and sells them..." Wow! She had her own clothing business! At this point, she became even more impressive to me than she already had been! She seemed to be able to do so much, and she was graced to do it all. And, I got such a peace in my heart. And, I knew if it was what God wanted me to do, God would grace me too! Yes, the Lord did want me to get a job to pay for Diane's kindergarten year.
Why did I share all this? I think it is because sometimes the Lord wants you to do something, and it might not really be the "popular" thing to do, even among your closest friends. I think that could be when it's hardest to do what He wants you to do, because you think that your closest friends would surely agree with you. But, it's always a good idea to follow Him, no matter what. Oh, He's so good and so wonderful, and you can never go wrong following His leading! Because, just like Jeremiah 29:11 was written to ME, it was also written to YOU! So, I worked at Walmart for almost exactly a year, and we used my earnings to pay for Diane's tuition.
It is easy to say. But, it takes trust to actually do. Trust in God, really. So, God had made it pretty clear to us that He wanted us to send Diane to a private Christian school, even though there seemed to be a perfectly fine public school a few blocks from our house. And, from the outside, the public school looked so much nicer, and offered a huge benefit that the private school did not. It was completely free.
But, when you're following God, money can not be your deciding factor on things. No, the only thing that can be your deciding factor is what God wants you to do, whether it seems like a financially wise idea or not. God always knows best, and He always has your best interest at heart. It's true. I feel a side note coming...
Soon after I got filled with the Holy Spirit and started living for God, I spent a lot of time visiting Christian bookstores. I mean, I wanted to go into every Christian bookstore that I could find to see all the gems they had. I was so hungry to know God even more. I "happened" to go into the Christian bookstore in my hometown of Parsons, KS, and I "happened" to buy this little 2x3 inch card that had Jeremiah 29:11 written on it. Now, I know that is a very popular verse, and people quote it often. It is such a wonderful, wonderful promise from God!
"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Wow! Well, I bought that little card. I think it was a dollar, and it may have been the best dollar I have ever spent. I put that card in my little light blue Chevy Spectrum, right in front of the steering wheel. You know, that plastic "window" where you can see your speed and how much gas you have left. I set that card right there. And, every time I got in my car, I read that card out loud. And, as I was driving here and there around town, I would say that scripture. I would say, "For God knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me, and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11" I have no idea how many times I spoke those words out loud, but it was at least hundreds.
And, that verse got inside of me. I mean, it truly changed me from the inside out. No can ever convince me that God doesn't have a good plan for me and for my life. No one can ever convince me that God doesn't love me, and want wonderful things for me. Why? Because that verse has gotten so rooted into my heart nothing can take it out. And, I didn't realize it at the time, but it helped me so much when a few short months later He started talking with Jeremy and me about attending Bible School. Because when you believe Jeremiah 29:11, you have absolutely no problem obeying the Lord. It can still be hard to do what God wants you to do, but you are so convinced that what He wants you to do is best, you wouldn't dream of not doing it!
Yes, God had a lot of wisdom having me meditate and read that verse over and over again. It's still in me today. I only want to do what He wants me to do. I only want to be where He wants me to be. I haven't followed Him perfectly over these last 20 years, but God knows my heart, and I have truly endeavored to follow Him always.
OK, end of side note! :) So yes, the private Christian school was not free. Interestingly enough, it was the same cost as Jeremy and my tuition had been at Rhema Bible Training Center. This would cause my mind to go tilt. I would think, "She could be going to Bible School for the same cost as we're going to be paying for her to go to kindergarten!" Little did we know in a few short years we would be paying for three kids' tuition at that very school. And, something funny about that was that Olathe Christian School actually had a deal that if you pay for three kids' tuition your fourth one is free. Only we didn't have a fourth one to enroll! That can definitely be a hard blow for a bargain-hunter like me. It didn't bother Jeremy one bit, and he would laugh when I would say, "But, if we just had one more child enrolled there, they could go free!" Ha!
So, Diane's first year of school we decided that I would get a job at Walmart as a cashier to pay for her schooling. I worked 16 hours a week, and soon after starting they moved me over to the service desk. I really enjoyed working the service desk. And, I got wonderful opportunities to share about the Lord while I was working there. But, it was pretty hard for Jeremy and me to do in the beginning...
At the time we went to a church where most of the husbands worked and the wives stayed home with the kids. Have you ever noticed that different churches have different ideas about things? I don't mean that badly, I just mean that some churches may have a lot of stay-at-home moms, whereas at another church a lot of the moms have careers. We were at the stay-at-home mom church. And, to be quite honest, I kind of had the idea that it was best for the husband to work and the wife to stay home with the kids also. I wondered if this idea could really be from the Lord. Should I really get a job to pay for Diane to go to kindergarten?
Around this same time, I was reading the Bible, not really thinking about the whole work thing. And, praise the Lord, He spoke to my heart. He said, "Have you ever noticed that the Proverbs 31 woman worked outside of the home?" The Proverbs 31 woman. Aw, yes. That wonderful passage of scripture that Christian women read, sometimes with much trepidation, wondering how they could ever live up to this woman that the Bible calls "The Virtuous Woman."
I certainly had not noticed that, and I didn't even think it was true. "Could that possibly be true?" I questioned the Lord. He responded, "Look for yourself."
So, I flipped through my Bible to Proverbs 31 and began reading. I started in verse 10, where it begins talking about this Godly woman. And, sure enough, I got down to verse 16 and noticed that it said, "...out of her earnings, she plants a vineyard." At this point the Lord questioned me, saying, "Out of whose earnings?" And I responded, "Hers!" I was so amazed!
I continued reading and got down to verse 24 and saw that it said, "She makes linen garments and sells them..." Wow! She had her own clothing business! At this point, she became even more impressive to me than she already had been! She seemed to be able to do so much, and she was graced to do it all. And, I got such a peace in my heart. And, I knew if it was what God wanted me to do, God would grace me too! Yes, the Lord did want me to get a job to pay for Diane's kindergarten year.
Why did I share all this? I think it is because sometimes the Lord wants you to do something, and it might not really be the "popular" thing to do, even among your closest friends. I think that could be when it's hardest to do what He wants you to do, because you think that your closest friends would surely agree with you. But, it's always a good idea to follow Him, no matter what. Oh, He's so good and so wonderful, and you can never go wrong following His leading! Because, just like Jeremiah 29:11 was written to ME, it was also written to YOU! So, I worked at Walmart for almost exactly a year, and we used my earnings to pay for Diane's tuition.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Olathe Christian School
Diane was four when we moved to Olathe, KS that summer of 1999, and she started preschool that fall. Towards the end of preschool, we began thinking about her starting Kindergarten. There was an elementary school not far from our house, and we assumed that Diane would be going there to school. However, as it got closer to school starting, we began sensing that the Lord wanted us to send Diane to a private Christian school, not a public school. We kept thinking about it, so we decided to see if there were even any Christian schools in Olathe.
Meanwhile, the elementary school near our home had a Kindergarten Round-up. All the new kindergartners got to come to the school, meet different teachers and see one of the kindergarten classrooms. I decided I would take Diane since we weren't sure if she would be attending that school, or a Christian school. "It won't hurt to go look at the public school," I reasonably thought.
So, she and I went to the open house, and the school was beautiful. The classroom we got to see was perfect. It looked like it would be so much fun for five year olds! It even had a reading loft in the corner of the room. Of course, Diane was very excited seeing that classroom. And, all the kids got to plant seeds that afternoon, which was also lots of fun! Diane left that open house with a bag full of all kinds of goodies, and her newly planted seed that we were going to watch grow! She could hardly wait for school to start!
Well, I also had found a Christian school in the area, Olathe Christian School, and it wasn't too far from our house. So, we set up an appointment to go visit that school, and we went there soon after our visit to the open house at the public school. Jeremy, Diane and I met the director of the school, and he walked us around the building. The school was actually in a church, and the classrooms were small and not very exciting. But, he told us about the curriculum the school used, how the school had been founded, how they prayed before they ate lunch. It was very impressive from that standpoint, but not too impressive to look at. I could sense the love of God at that school though, which I really liked. As we were leaving, the director turned to Diane, almost as an afterthought, and told her they had just done a fund-raiser for the school selling sports bottles that said Olathe Christian School on them. They had some left, and he handed her one of them to keep. She politely said, "Thank you." As I was looking at that plastic bottle though, I was thinking about all the fun and exciting things the public school had given her, and how she probably really wasn't too excited about that cup.
I was feeling pretty convinced that the Lord wanted us to send Diane to Olathe Christian School, and I was really wishing that I hadn't even taken her to the public school's open house. It was just so nice and fun-looking at that school, and Olathe Christian School didn't even compare with it externally. I prayed that I hadn't made a mistake, and that the Lord would help Diane if we did decide to send her to Olathe Christian School. I was pretty sure that was the school she would be attending!
Now remember, Diane was only five years old. What five year old would choose a boring classroom over a fun and exciting one where she got to plant seeds? So, when she came into my room about a week later and told me that she knew what school God wanted her to go to, I was pretty skeptical about what she was going to say. I will never forget this moment. My adorable little five year old stood before me and said, "I've been talking to God about what school I'm supposed to go to, and He told me where He wants me to go."
"What did He say?" I asked.
"Do you know that story in the Bible about the lady that put a penny in the offering at her church?" Diane asked me.
"Yes," I said.
"Well," she said, in her cute, little five year old voice, "she put that penny in the offering and Jesus said that she gave more than anyone else even though it was only a penny. She gave all that she had."
"True," I responded.
"I think God wants me to go to Olathe Christian School. When we visited the other school, they gave me a lot of fun things, and I got to plant a seed. And, when we went to Olathe Christian School, they gave me that cup," she said, "But really, Olathe Christian School gave me more because I think the other school has a lot more than they do. Yeah, God wants me to go to Olathe Christian School."
Wow! If it wasn't settled in Jeremy and my hearts before that, it sure was then. So, we enrolled Diane at Olathe Christian School, and thus her school years began! And, we never regretted it one bit. Because although Olathe Christian School didn't have much from a financial standpoint, they had lots from a spiritual and educational standpoint. They didn't have top of the line computers, but they did have top of the line curriculum. They didn't have lots of nice, new toys for the kids to play with, but they did have teachers that loved and prayed for and with their students each and every day. And, that is what really matters, what is on the inside, not just what things look like on the outside.
Meanwhile, the elementary school near our home had a Kindergarten Round-up. All the new kindergartners got to come to the school, meet different teachers and see one of the kindergarten classrooms. I decided I would take Diane since we weren't sure if she would be attending that school, or a Christian school. "It won't hurt to go look at the public school," I reasonably thought.
So, she and I went to the open house, and the school was beautiful. The classroom we got to see was perfect. It looked like it would be so much fun for five year olds! It even had a reading loft in the corner of the room. Of course, Diane was very excited seeing that classroom. And, all the kids got to plant seeds that afternoon, which was also lots of fun! Diane left that open house with a bag full of all kinds of goodies, and her newly planted seed that we were going to watch grow! She could hardly wait for school to start!
Well, I also had found a Christian school in the area, Olathe Christian School, and it wasn't too far from our house. So, we set up an appointment to go visit that school, and we went there soon after our visit to the open house at the public school. Jeremy, Diane and I met the director of the school, and he walked us around the building. The school was actually in a church, and the classrooms were small and not very exciting. But, he told us about the curriculum the school used, how the school had been founded, how they prayed before they ate lunch. It was very impressive from that standpoint, but not too impressive to look at. I could sense the love of God at that school though, which I really liked. As we were leaving, the director turned to Diane, almost as an afterthought, and told her they had just done a fund-raiser for the school selling sports bottles that said Olathe Christian School on them. They had some left, and he handed her one of them to keep. She politely said, "Thank you." As I was looking at that plastic bottle though, I was thinking about all the fun and exciting things the public school had given her, and how she probably really wasn't too excited about that cup.
I was feeling pretty convinced that the Lord wanted us to send Diane to Olathe Christian School, and I was really wishing that I hadn't even taken her to the public school's open house. It was just so nice and fun-looking at that school, and Olathe Christian School didn't even compare with it externally. I prayed that I hadn't made a mistake, and that the Lord would help Diane if we did decide to send her to Olathe Christian School. I was pretty sure that was the school she would be attending!
Now remember, Diane was only five years old. What five year old would choose a boring classroom over a fun and exciting one where she got to plant seeds? So, when she came into my room about a week later and told me that she knew what school God wanted her to go to, I was pretty skeptical about what she was going to say. I will never forget this moment. My adorable little five year old stood before me and said, "I've been talking to God about what school I'm supposed to go to, and He told me where He wants me to go."
"What did He say?" I asked.
"Do you know that story in the Bible about the lady that put a penny in the offering at her church?" Diane asked me.
"Yes," I said.
"Well," she said, in her cute, little five year old voice, "she put that penny in the offering and Jesus said that she gave more than anyone else even though it was only a penny. She gave all that she had."
"True," I responded.
"I think God wants me to go to Olathe Christian School. When we visited the other school, they gave me a lot of fun things, and I got to plant a seed. And, when we went to Olathe Christian School, they gave me that cup," she said, "But really, Olathe Christian School gave me more because I think the other school has a lot more than they do. Yeah, God wants me to go to Olathe Christian School."
Wow! If it wasn't settled in Jeremy and my hearts before that, it sure was then. So, we enrolled Diane at Olathe Christian School, and thus her school years began! And, we never regretted it one bit. Because although Olathe Christian School didn't have much from a financial standpoint, they had lots from a spiritual and educational standpoint. They didn't have top of the line computers, but they did have top of the line curriculum. They didn't have lots of nice, new toys for the kids to play with, but they did have teachers that loved and prayed for and with their students each and every day. And, that is what really matters, what is on the inside, not just what things look like on the outside.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Words of my Daddy
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!" I don't know if you remember this little chant, but when I was growing up, kids used to say this to each other often. I remember saying it, and having it said to me. And, it was always in the midst of some fight or disagreement. Yes, in my childhood we said it a lot growing up, but is true?
As I think back, I see there were key moments in my life when people spoke things to me that changed me and changed my life. I imagine those people didn't even realize it at the time, but what they said impacted me so much that it changed the direction and course of my life forever. I am sure if you think back, you could say the same thing. Because yesterday was Father's Day, I was thinking about my dad. I am sure he doesn't even remember this, though maybe he does. And, I've never told him this, though I've shared it with numerous other people.
I was probably four years old, or maybe three, at the time. I don't remember much from when I was that age, but I do remember this. My daddy was tucking me into bed one night. Now, I always slept with a lot of stuffed animals. My daddy always teased me and said that he couldn't find me in the bed with all those stuffed animals. He'd give one of the animals a kiss, pretending that he thought it was me. He'd do that over and over again, and I would just laugh and laugh, because he couldn't find me anywhere in my little twin bed with all those animals.
Well, this night after going through that little routine, he said it was time to say my prayers. My prayers went something like, "God bless this person" and "God bless that person," which was also our routine. But, this night my dad told me something different. I think I said something about not knowing what to pray when I prayed to God, and he said, "Nikki, you can tell God anything you want. He loves it when you talk to Him about anything. You can just talk to Him just like you are talking to me, and tell Him just what you would tell me."
Now, that seems like a small thing, but actually it was huge. Everyone has a perception of God. Everyone has a way that they view Him, rather they are right about that or not. And, the way that you view God matters so much. Do you think He is a good and loving God who cares deeply and intimately about you, or do you think that He is a cold and hard God, who is ready to punish you if you make one wrong move? I think the first thing about the God I serve and love, and one really big reason was from my daddy telling me that when I was such a small little girl. You know, little girls believe everything their daddies tell them, and I was no exception to that rule.
It changed me. It changed how I interacted with God then and throughout my whole life, because all of sudden that night I had a view of God the Father. A Father who cared about every little detail of my life, and wanted me to share all my thoughts, hopes and dreams with Him. Abba Father (Daddy-God). The Bible calls Him that, but lots of people have never viewed God as a loving Daddy who wants them to run and sit on His lap and tell them about their day. But, from that moment on, that is exactly how I viewed God, as a Heavenly Father full of love, compassion and care for me.
I am so thankful that my dad spoke those words to me that night. From that point on, I talked to God just like I would talk to my best friend. I didn't really know Him, and I hadn't accepted Him as my Lord and my Savior (didn't even know that I could do that). I never heard Him speak back to me throughout my years growing up, but I would sense His presence. And, what I did know from what my daddy had told me was that God cared about me and wanted me to talk with Him.
Words. They matter. What you say to someone matters. What you say about yourself matters. There are numerous places in the Bible where it talks about the power that is in our words. Power in our words? What? In Proverbs it even says that the power of life and death is in the tongue, meaning in what we say. I think most people don't really think their words amount to much, that it really doesn't matter what they say or don't say. Yet, according to the Bible, the opposite is true. What you say matters so much that it affects life and death. That's pretty amazing!
So, Happy Father's Day, Dad! There is no other dad I would rather have than you! I'm so thankful that God chose me to be your daughter, and I'm so thankful you spoke those words into my life so many years ago (Hmmm, what would it be? Thirty-six or 37 years ago now, and yet I still remember that moment and those words.). You set a correct view of God for me that night (and I have shared that story numerous times when sharing about the love of God to other people), and for that I am forever grateful! Love you bunches!
As I think back, I see there were key moments in my life when people spoke things to me that changed me and changed my life. I imagine those people didn't even realize it at the time, but what they said impacted me so much that it changed the direction and course of my life forever. I am sure if you think back, you could say the same thing. Because yesterday was Father's Day, I was thinking about my dad. I am sure he doesn't even remember this, though maybe he does. And, I've never told him this, though I've shared it with numerous other people.
I was probably four years old, or maybe three, at the time. I don't remember much from when I was that age, but I do remember this. My daddy was tucking me into bed one night. Now, I always slept with a lot of stuffed animals. My daddy always teased me and said that he couldn't find me in the bed with all those stuffed animals. He'd give one of the animals a kiss, pretending that he thought it was me. He'd do that over and over again, and I would just laugh and laugh, because he couldn't find me anywhere in my little twin bed with all those animals.
Well, this night after going through that little routine, he said it was time to say my prayers. My prayers went something like, "God bless this person" and "God bless that person," which was also our routine. But, this night my dad told me something different. I think I said something about not knowing what to pray when I prayed to God, and he said, "Nikki, you can tell God anything you want. He loves it when you talk to Him about anything. You can just talk to Him just like you are talking to me, and tell Him just what you would tell me."
Now, that seems like a small thing, but actually it was huge. Everyone has a perception of God. Everyone has a way that they view Him, rather they are right about that or not. And, the way that you view God matters so much. Do you think He is a good and loving God who cares deeply and intimately about you, or do you think that He is a cold and hard God, who is ready to punish you if you make one wrong move? I think the first thing about the God I serve and love, and one really big reason was from my daddy telling me that when I was such a small little girl. You know, little girls believe everything their daddies tell them, and I was no exception to that rule.
It changed me. It changed how I interacted with God then and throughout my whole life, because all of sudden that night I had a view of God the Father. A Father who cared about every little detail of my life, and wanted me to share all my thoughts, hopes and dreams with Him. Abba Father (Daddy-God). The Bible calls Him that, but lots of people have never viewed God as a loving Daddy who wants them to run and sit on His lap and tell them about their day. But, from that moment on, that is exactly how I viewed God, as a Heavenly Father full of love, compassion and care for me.
I am so thankful that my dad spoke those words to me that night. From that point on, I talked to God just like I would talk to my best friend. I didn't really know Him, and I hadn't accepted Him as my Lord and my Savior (didn't even know that I could do that). I never heard Him speak back to me throughout my years growing up, but I would sense His presence. And, what I did know from what my daddy had told me was that God cared about me and wanted me to talk with Him.
Words. They matter. What you say to someone matters. What you say about yourself matters. There are numerous places in the Bible where it talks about the power that is in our words. Power in our words? What? In Proverbs it even says that the power of life and death is in the tongue, meaning in what we say. I think most people don't really think their words amount to much, that it really doesn't matter what they say or don't say. Yet, according to the Bible, the opposite is true. What you say matters so much that it affects life and death. That's pretty amazing!
So, Happy Father's Day, Dad! There is no other dad I would rather have than you! I'm so thankful that God chose me to be your daughter, and I'm so thankful you spoke those words into my life so many years ago (Hmmm, what would it be? Thirty-six or 37 years ago now, and yet I still remember that moment and those words.). You set a correct view of God for me that night (and I have shared that story numerous times when sharing about the love of God to other people), and for that I am forever grateful! Love you bunches!
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