Ordinary Miracles

I get the feeling this will be my last post for Stones by the Road. Not a dead end, but a bend in the road. A friend prayed for me today  that the “extraordinary” provisions of God would become “ordinary” to me. That I would know Him so well, trust Him so deeply, that I would cease to be surprised but would graciously expect and accept His divine provision. I think she articulated something that has already been taking place in me.

At the end of this year of “gratitude (and trust)”, my opportunities to exercise both have been legion. I will continue to carry the rich lessons and memories of this year with me as God’s story for us unfolds and I know that God will continue to provide more opportunities to continue to thank and trust Him. As He does, I come to know more and more who my Father is, and how deeply He loves and cares for us.

I think the final stone for my little roadside cairn is fitting for two reasons. One, it has to do with Christmas, and the close of this year. Two, because in a way it also ties in with the word that God has given me for 2016.

Lighting has been on my mind the past few days. Our new house has those kind of lightbulb candelabras everywhere that use anywhere from 5-8 light bulbs per fixture. Most of the lightbulbs are burned out, leaving anywhere from 0-3 lightbulbs working per room.  Because Europeans are very conscious of energy consumption may I just add, that these let off nowhere NEAR the light we are used to living under in Canada. This is not a bad thing, unless you are trying to read aloud to your kids after dark.

The second lighting I have been thinking about is Christmas lighting. For the tree. Which I hope we get to put up during the course of this next week.

So today we went to the grocery store and I stopped short in the lighting aisle. I was aghast when I saw the prices of the little bulbs we need for the candelabras. Thinking of the Christmas lights (priorities people!), I cringed a little and walked away.

When we got home I was working on the last of my unpacking in our bedrooms, transferring summer clothes from moving boxes into trunks we had been given after an American woman moved away. When I got to the last trunk, I was surprised to find it had stuff in it. My heart kind of skipped a beat as I anticipated what was coming. I don’t know how I knew, all I can say is that I am getting to know God…. And yes, there were 5 boxes of unopened Christmas tree lights (white of course, my favorite) in the bottom of the trunk.

And what I love about it is that the word God has placed on my heart for 2016 is “Shine”.

I think that is what Sarah Maclachlan would call “just another ordinary miracle today….”