The Good and the Perfect

This past weekend I went car shopping with my friend Jeff. It turned out to be a real learning and growing experience. Here are my official 2 Rules of Car Buying:
1.Don't let them pressure you.
2.Don't buy it unless you love it.
3. Don't believe your Dad when he tells you, "Face it Colleen, you're buying a used car, you're going to have to settle."

(Okay, that last one was really for me only, but hey it's relevant to the story.)

So as Jeff and I are checking out the car that I went to see, I was immediately put off by the smell and the scratches on the inside. It was merely "okay". Nothing to write home about. Nothing to get all excited about. I was left with a general sense of "Meh, it'll do I suppose..." (Now oddly, I've experienced that feeling before, only it had nothing to do with cars.)

The salesman was also really pushy and I suppose with good reason. He was practically giving the car away to me. Which made it all the more logical that I buy that vehicle. "Are you sure you don't want it?" My friend Jeff asked as he raised his eyebrows. "This car is a steal if you do!" "I don't know." I said. "I just don't love it. There's nothing special about it and when I prayed about it I feel nothing from the Lord leading me to buy it."

So with that and admittedly some slight hesitation, I turned down the amazingly cheap offer.

Then I had this crazy thought, that I should hold out for what I really wanted and what I really wanted more than anything else was a car with heated seats. I told myself that I was being ridiculous but as I sought the Lord on this seemingly menial issue of buying a car, I felt as though the Lord wanted me to believe His ability to give me exactly what I wanted.

Now before I go any further I must say that I spent years grappling with the whole idea of telling God what I wanted and expecting Him to deliver on my command. That Prosperity Gospel has scared the pants off me and I repented of ever having come to God in that way in years gone by. However, I believe He was now doing a new thing in me and using this circumstance to show me HIS way.

So with the fear of the Lord in me, I patiently waited with expectation at what the Lord wanted to give me.

Not one week later did I get an email from a friend who had obediently sought the Lord (on my behalf!) that he found a car with heated seats and was I interested in checking it out. I told him straight up that we should see it as soon as possible. When we got to the dealership and I saw the car inside and out, I was dumbfounded. It was exactly what I wanted and more. It was too good to be true, but there it was.

Long story short, I bought that car; excuse me SUV and I praise my Heavenly Father for it. Because the reality is, it's not about the car, it's about the character of God. It's about His goodness and His faithfulness to know our hearts desires and how He wants us to trust Him with those desires.

You see, I could have bought the first car that I looked at and it would have been a perfectly good thing, but having sought the Lord and waited on Him; He gave me His best. There is no doubt in my mind about it.

Oh that we would be a people who seek the Lord at all times, pray about everything, and wait for His timing, because the Father is so faithful. ;-)

Matthew 7:11

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Last Night

While I was sleeping, I turned over in my sleep. I tend to move a lot while I sleep and I often wake up because of it. Last night though, as I rolled over onto my back and woke up, I sensed I was not alone. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but felt the very real presence of the Spirit of God very close to me.

It wasn't a fleeting moment either. I felt His presence remain close. In the way a father would look in on their sleeping child to check on him or her, but not just walk in and walk out. No, it was more like walk in and just watch them sleep and love them while they slept.

In this groggy state I knew it was Him and tried to talk. I can't remember exactly what I said but I wanted Him to know that I acknowledged His presence even though I was half in and half out of sleep.

Then when I woke up this morning, I remembered something. Before I went to bed last night I had a friend call me and asked me to pray for her because two months ago her house was broken into while she was home. Ever since, she has had difficulty sleeping and so last night we prayed that God's presence would keep her in perfect peace and that her sleep would be sweet and that even if she awoke in the night, she would still sense His nearness.

Here's the funny thing, to my knowledge, I've never prayed something for someone else and received the blessing of that exact thing for myself. All I know is the Lord heard my prayer for her and then blessed us both.

God is Good.


"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

"Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life." Psalm 42:8