God Can Talk To You, Too.

            The following is a story of faith, or what I like to call, “A God Story.”  For those of you who know God’s character and can recognize the Holy Spirit when He is talking to you, this story will resonate with you, and you’ll nod your head in agreement.  If you are not sure about how or whether or not God talks to you, the following will help you believe.   

            If you read a couple posts ago, you know about my situation with my beloved Hyundai Santa Fe that was totaled in an accident.  The good news is that my daughters who were in the SUV walked away.  The flip side of that situation is that I am driving a 1996 vehicle.  Let’s just say that it gets me from points A to B to C and back again.  But one day, I got a letter in the mail that I would typically consider junk.  But “something” told me to open it.   

            The letter was from the dealership that sold me the Santa Fe.  It was holding a raffle to win a 2014 Hyundai Elantra, and the flyer said if I came into the showroom with my pre-selected number and it matched the number on the prize car, I’d win it!  It claimed I had a one in 10,000 chance of winning.  Plus, the first 100 people would receive a $5 Starbucks gift card.  Well, people who won the Lottery had worse odds than that.  I had enough faith to realize that the same God who parted the Red Sea could give me a new car.  So, I grabbed my middle daughter who was out of school, and off we went. 

            As we were driving along, she asked me what kind of car it was.  I reached into the back seat and gave her the flyer with my raffle number on it.  When she looked up from the flyer we saw something amazing in front of us:  the very car with the same color as the car in the flyer and a bumper sticker that read, “Believe.”  Now, whether or not I won the car doesn't matter.  What mattered was that I received a message, and I know He will eventually answer my prayers in His own time.  Was the flyer just a marketing strategy to get folks into the showroom?  Probably.  Was the “something” that told me not to throw it away the Holy Spirit?  Definitely.  As we later sipped our Vanilla Bean Frappuccinos, we couldn’t stop talking about the car we saw in traffic.  So, if you want the Holy Spirit to talk to you, ask, trust and believe!

It's Prom Time. Everything Will Be Just Fine Anyway!

            Ah…the first prom.  I remember it clearly.  We began in March searching for the perfect dress, the perfect shoes and the perfect clutch.  Along with hair, makeup, nails and pedicure, I knew the dress was only the beginning.  That was the first time I shopped for a prom, and it wasn’t even my own. 

            Five years ago as I stood in line with daughter number one and her sisters a half hour before the boutique opened, I could feel the excitement trickle through the voices of all the girls in line.  The wind was chilly, but there we stood, shivering in our lightweight jackets, thinking our clothing would bring the warm weather.  Then the announcement came.

            “Listen, everybody!” A female’s voice boomed.  We couldn’t see, so we craned our necks over the heads of the other girls in the line. 

            “When you get into the store, please stay inside the front area for important instructions.”  What? Instructions? To buy a dress?  What was she talking about? That just added to the nervous excitement everyone was already feeling.  Then the doors opened.

            Huddled in the front of the store, we heard another voice that sounded more like a drill sergeant.

            “Okay, ladies.  You are to start with three dresses.  Once you find your three dresses, you are to let one of our associates know and they will escort you to a fitting room.  If you do not see the dress in your size or color, don’t worry.  We have plenty of dresses in the back, so I’m sure we can find it or a similar dress you’re going to love.”  And then, almost like the shot of a gun at the races, the girls were off.  But my little group didn’t get far.

            A dress called to my daughter and me at the same time.  It was nothing short of perfect.  It had a fitted bustier at the top and was all flowy and cinderella-ish at the bottom.  She was truly a princess.  Fast-forward to present day.

            I found myself yet again in the line to hear the same words.  Only this time it’s for daughter number two.  There will be no princess look for her.  For my daughters are like morning, noon and night.  So she picked three dresses.  Then another three dresses.  Then they brought some dresses from the back.  Then they brought some dresses from even farther in the back.  Then I think they shipped some dresses from another country.  No luck.  We left.

            We went to two more boutiques several miles away.  Then my daughter began to get frustrated.  I could tell because her eyes got misty, and she was on the verge of getting angry.  I regrouped us by taking the girls to get something to eat. 

            “Hey,” I said, "Let’s go back and try once more.  After all, they did say we could always come again.”

            I saw a glimmer of hope in my daughter’s eyes.  So we went back.  And she picked a dress she tried on in the first group of three dresses.  Now as she stands in her room wearing the perfect shoes with her glamorous, fitted, halter-style dress, all I can think is beautiful.  All I can think is red carpet.  In three more years, we’ll be standing in that line yet again looking for the perfect dress for daughter number three.  I hope a dress calls.  But if not, I’m sure we will pick the right one.  The only question is which dress will be lucky enough to win?