There’s a story I’m supposed to be writing tonight. Right now, in fact. But I was standing at the kitchen sink and all of these memories just suddenly flooded my head and my heart all at the same time, and I’m one of those journalers who has to write stuff down just as soon as I think of it. So, that story? It’s gonna have to wait.
I’m clearing out my kitchen, carrying appliances to the basement, filling up bowls of snacks, setting up every inch of my kitchen, my living room, my dining area, my front porch, and my garage for an event on Saturday that has kept me pretty busy for the past few months, doing just a little bit at a time every day or so. Hey – slow and steady wins the race, right? None of it has felt overwhelming to me because I have paced myself wisely. I can’t tell you yet (some of you know) what the event is all about, but I can’t sleep thinking about it. And that got me thinking about all these other things……..
Just about everyone knows how I landed my kitchen table. It was the one I dreamed of owning. Solid oak, clawfoot, has a leaf so I can seat 6-8 people – it’s beautiful. I found it on the side of the road the very day after I told someone who was making fun of me that kitchen tables are not something you pray for. They are something you save up for. Boy, was I ever wrong.
Two months later, the person who threw out their table found out that I had gotten it, and asked my sons if we wanted the chairs that matched it. Now I have 6 beautiful, heavy, solid oak chairs that match my table.
Sure, it’s got some history on it that look like scratches, but… did I mention it’s got some really good history? Oh, if my beautiful little table could talk. An awful lot of people I cherish have sat at my kitchen table; they’ve laughed, they’ve cried. Did you know that the biggest compliment you can pay an Irish fiddler is to get up and do a jig? Well, same concept here. The biggest compliment you can give me is to come and sit at my table for a visit.
My point? (I should say, GOD’s point) – you CAN pray for tables. And maybe God gave me a table because I wanted a table, but I’d like to believe He gave me the table I loved because He intended to use that table for my good and for His glory because He’s done that over and over and over and over.
Then there was that time a neighbor was vsiting and made fun of my old-fashioned TV. He said if someone tried to rob me, they’d take one look at my television and leave to go rob the house next door instead. We all laughed, but that night my son said we should pray for a new TV. After all, I was leading a high school small group, and both of my sons and I were using the TV to watch Louie Giglio videos, and using them in our small groups. So we prayed for a new TV, and I kid you not – the very next day our next door neighbors left their condo and moved in with family. They came on their way out and asked if we wanted their brand new flat screen TV. We were dumbfounded. That night, we watched Louie on our new TV.
Rory had to raise money one year for an internship he was going to do at church. I was concerned how we’d pull this off, so we had bowling fund raisers, restaurant fund raisers, comedy club fundraisers, and you name it fundraisers. But then we had this bright idea to make spaghetti every Monday and sell it. So, for the next year I took off work every Monday and made spaghetti, baked chocolate chip cookies, and packed it all up in to-go containers with parmesan cheese on the side and two cookies. The entire meal cost $5, and that included delivery. I cooked and boxed up the meals, and Rory and Ian drove all over town delivering dinners. Every Monday the security guards met the boys outside of Mt. Clemens General Hospital, and they and the medical staff in the ER had spaghetti and cookies for dinner. All day long the phone rang with orders. (I won’t lie – I was glad when that was over).
So we prayed again. But we didn’t pray for stuff. We prayed that God would use our house, and I have continued to pray this year, after year, after year. And He has used it – year, after year, after year.
I’ve had people come and share their stories in my living room – people who have almost gotten killed by the Taliban, people who’ve gone to prison and come out changed, a woman who was held captive by Muslim terrorists for a year with her husband (her husband was killed), and even a man who was one of the Lost Boys of South Sudan. I’ve taken in summer camp Spring Hill teenagers, traveling nurses and doctors, and even a few reptiles one summer. It’s His house – not mine.
And please understand – this is not about praying for “stuff” you want, and then God providing it. This is about God knowing the desires of our hearts, because He knows the heart of our desires! And He KNOWS them because He GIVES us the desires of our hearts as our hearts change and align with His will, and we look more and more like Him. Please, please hear me clearly. This is NOT about me. This is about God wanting to show us Himself, and I mean – make Himself super-duper obvious. It’s about God answering our prayers when we ask Him to use our homes, use our cars, use our talents, use our broken hearts, use our mistakes, and even use our money and our TIME. (I capitalized TIME just for me and you, Edna).
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17
Someone recently asked me “How come you don’t date?” I told them I was perfectly content and had zero interest in dating. They responded by asking, “Yeah but, don’t you want a husband?” I repeated my first answer, probably a little differently. I’m so, so satisfied. I have a full, full, full life. So full. I’m happy, satisfied, perfectly content. (Okay, wait a minute. I definitely do wish I was about 50 pounds smaller). Anyhow… She looked at me like I had 7 heads, 3 arms, and 10 legs, and responded with, “Whatever floats your boat!” First I thought to myself – Wow, I haven’t heard THAT in DECADES! And then I thought…
This. This kind of stuff floats the heck outa my boat. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE letting God use my house! And then pointing all of that out to people. And do you know what? It’s all about Him. All of it. Every ounce of it.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 1 Peter 4:10
I have 100 more stories of how He has used my home and every other gift He has given me. Come pull up a chair at my table and we can share our stories of all He’s done, and how we can give our gifts right back to the Giver!
Dear Rita,
I love reading your devotions. I have been so blessed by them. I, too, am an old nurse and can relate to many of your stories. I am also an older” nurse but still working doing home care visits.. I pray that God will use me as I visit my patients but more often than not I am the one that is blessed.
I would love to come and sit at your kitchen table and hear more of your stories. What a gift you have and are willing to use in any way that brings God the glory.
Bless you.