Today

As I left for work Wednesday morning, I held onto Steve extra tight. I saw our reflection in the closet mirror. He's so strong and handsome! I said a quick prayer about how much I love this man and ask God to protect him while we are apart. Something I do often. I am so clingy and it must drive him nuts. Steve will use his funny sense of humor and say, "Get off me!" but I know it's his way of saying, "I love this attention, don't stop". Anyway, this all familiar goodbye is short lived just as it is every morning. I gave him one extra squeeze and told him how much I love him and he playfully says, "Yep!" as he smiles and walks away, stops at the door and says, "I love you too! Be careful! Leave school and get home!" It feels good to hear that while others may think, "I don't want a man controlling me." I feel blessed to have a man that takes care of things. I often wonder how on earth I would ever survive without him.


Then life quickly takes over. I'm fighting traffic, trying to get to work and start on my very long list of "to do's" that I should've done yesterday. I enjoy a few moments with friends, chat a while, laugh and enjoy the beginning of my day.


Speaking of the beginning of the day. Did you ever notice that the bible speaks often of doing things early in the morning? Mark 1:35 says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." There are so many verses that mention the early morning and praying. It is only my opinion but Jesus prayed early in the morning because that is when he was refreshed and at his best. I believe God wants our best and if I wait until I am ready to go to bed to pray, then he's going to get the least of me. This is what my prayers are like when I get bogged down with life and wait until 10 pm to talk to God.


 Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for my...Zzzzzzz!


So I try to seek him all throughout the day thanking, praising and yes asking Him to keep my husband safe from harm and to direct his path.


So back to my story...


I'm overwhelmed by the constant needs of my third graders and report cards that are due by lunch and I hear my phone beep. I don't instantly check it like I normally would because I'm too busy to slow down, I feel overwhelmed. Yet, something tugs on me to make sure everything is okay.


I am shocked by what I read from Steve. I have to reread the text. It was one of the most beautiful texts I've ever gotten from Steve. I hope he will forgive me for sharing it; but I was so moved by his humble attitude that I wanted others to see just how amazing my husband really is and how God can show up at any moment and work miracles that you and I cannot possible understand.


"Man, oh man... I have a story for u. I helped a lost 4 year old wandering, back to his home. Wow! The guy who helped me said he had lost his 8yr old n a 4wheeler accident and thanked me so much. As soon as I leave, I get a Joel Osteen email (which I've never got b4) sayin "Today is Your Day"... Holy crap! I could not stop my self from crying!!"


Fast forward to that evening when Steve reminds me that he had cancelled the subscription to Joel Osteen months ago and had not received one since...until this day. We were shocked. He then tells me the whole story and how the little boy was about the size of one of the kids at church. The image in my mind of this little boy causes a lump in my throat, I want to cry. Steve says he walked hand in hand with this little boy and another guy who was taking him to his mom. The little boy, without a care in the world goes right along. By the time they get to the boys house, his mom is crying and thanking Steve. Praise God this child made it home safely when so many children are not as fortunate.


Makes me think of the blessings in my life and how God has provided for me in good times and bad. Where do people get their strength when they do not have God in their life. I just can't imagine doing it my way. I'm not capable of creating my own heaven, but I would be pretty qualified to create my own hell. Nah, I think Ill let God lead my path and continue to seek him in all things. It is a promise that I know God will fulfill.


In this crazy world, that baby was wandering around and crossing a major highway. The possibilities of what could have happened are endless.


I ask about the devotion that he got that day and before I read the second sentence, I am tearing up. It was titled, Today is Your Day!


Dear Steve,


It’s so vital to receive what God wants to freely give you! It’s simple, but so many people believe exactly the opposite. Instead of receiving from the Lord, their mindset is, “God has better things to do than think about me,” or “I don’t deserve God’s blessing” or “Everything good always happens to somebody else but not me.” I know it’s easy to feel that way, but don’t let your heart and your words go there; don’t agree with this way of thinking. God is for you! And He desires for you to have every blessing and every good thing that He promises to you in His Word.


The Bible calls this “favor.” At some point in our lives, even if we didn't recognize it, we have all experienced God’s favor. Favor is the undeserved, unearned, unexplained goodness of God in your life. Favor causes you to reap even where you’ve not sown. Favor protects you; it promotes you. It opens new doors — that should taken years to open — in a single moment. Favor takes you places you could never go on your own.


I declare today over your life that in the coming days and weeks ahead, God will unleash His unprecedented favor on you. Favor like you’ve never seen before. Unprecedented means “unmatched, unparalleled, for the first time.” You've seen God’s favor in your life in the past, but what He’s about to do is bigger and even greater. You just have to be willing to receive it and get in agreement with God. If you will believe God and stand on the promises of His Word, He promises you will see incredible and wonderful things happen. His unmatched, unparalleled, for-the-first-time favor is for you.


When I finshed reading the devotional, I turned and looked at Steve and thought "Yes, today is your day!"


I am so blessed to have such an amazing man who loves me. I don't deserve the things he does for me and I know I take for granted how wonderful he is to me and our boys. So I wanted to end this by saying how proud I am to be his wife and to thank God for unimaginable blessings. Today (Wednesday) was truly Steve's day! Thank you Jesus from whom all blessing flow; that He put Steve in the right place at the right time to keep this little boy safe.