God is good =)
Ok so today im having my quiet time and afterwards I look over and see this book I bought the other day. It is called, "Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman's Soul." Okay so im a big fan of the Chicken Soup books. =) Well I get the urge to read a story out of it...so I will share, believe me, it is worth the time!
"Oh, I love your diamond," Janet said admiringly as we served lunch to the children in the school gym. "It's beautiful." "Thanks," I said, and then I confessed. "It's not real; it's just a cubic zirconia." Her eyes widened. "Wow. I would have never guessed." I have always had a passion for collecting fine jewelry, but I also own a few quality fake pieces, which generally fool everyone. Janet eyed my large sparkling ring. "I've never owned anything like that," she sighed, looking down at the plain thin wedding band on her hand. We finished serving the children their Thanksgiving turkey lunch, but Janet's words stayed with me. I knew she and her husband could not afford even the small luxuries of life; they are a Christian family who lives down the street with four boys, and they work hard to make ends meet. The idea of giving my ring to Janet came to me the next day. I pushed it away immediately. Although the 14-carat gold ring was only cubic zirconia, I liked it and wore it often with my wedding band. The thought of knocking on Janet's door and presenting her with my ring seemed ridiculous. I try to shrug the notion off, but the thought persisted. It bothered me for a week. I had no peace until finally I prayed: "Lord, if this is something you want me to do, I'll do it, but please go with me and let her be home when I go." I reasoned that if I knocked on the door and Janet wasn't home,which she often wasn't, I would take it as a sign that I didn't have to part with my ring. I felt a little better but was still unenthusiastic about this errand. The next morning I put the ring in its little blue velvet box, wrapped it up in tissue paper and walked down the street to Janet's house, my heart pounding. "She'll think I'm crazy," I thought. "What kind of neighbor gives someone a 14-carat gold ring? I don't even know her that well." I felt like turning around and going home but forced myself to climb the steps to Janet's house. I knocked quietly on the door. No one answered. I stood on her porch, waiting uncomfortably. Knock again, God's spirit prompted. Reluctantly I knocked again. No one answered. I felt the stirrings of relief. Maybe she was away and I could forget about this whole thing. Just as I stood there contemplatingmy escape, I heard the doorknob rattle. Janet looked incredibly surprised to see me. "Hi," she greeted me. "Good morning," I siad, struggling not to blush with discomfort. I handed her the small package. "I have something for you." She looked astounded. "For me?" I nodded. "The Lord has been telling me all week to give this to you." She took it as her fingers closed over the contours of the box, she realized what it was. To my immense surprise, her eyes filled with tears and her hands began to shake. "No," her voice quavered. "I can't accept this. It's too much. I can't accept this." An immense peace and joy descended upon me there on Janet's front porch. "You're my sister in Christ and I want you to have it," I said, unable to keep the delight from spreading over my face. Janet unwrapped the ring and cried. I hugged her, my eyes full of tears. She hugged me back. It took a bit of convincing on my part, but she finally agreed to keep the ring. "If you ever change your mind, just tell me and I'll give it back," she promised. It was a few sizes to small for her, so I told her to have it adjusted at the nearby jewelry store, which ahd extremely reasonable prices. I thought that was the end of the story, but several weeks later as I was walking past Janet's house, she flew out the door, across the porch and out to the sidewalk. "I have a present for you," she said breathlessly. She thrust a little package at me. "Janet you don't have to do that," I protested. "Open it," she said, grinning. I opened it and found a little blue velvet box with my ring in it. I looked up at her, puzzled and slightly disappointed that she had chosen not to keep it. "I went to the jewelry store you had told me about to get it sized, " she explained, "but the clerk didn't think it would be good for the claws and setting to enlarge it that many sizes. I was devastated. I finally had something beautifuland I couldn't even wear it." Janet's smile was incongruent with her story. "I don't understand," I admitted. On the sidewalk, in the late afternoon, with the sun slanting through the maple tree in Janet's yard, she told me what had happened. For years, her set of wedding bands had lain in a dresser drawer in her bedroom. She had lost the diamond solitaire, and the rings needed repairs and sizing. It was a gorgeous antique set but she had been unable to wear it. Every Mother's Day, birthday, and Christmas, she had quietly gone to that dresser drawer and examined her rings, hoping her husband had surprised her by getting them fixed. And everytime she went to the drawer, she was disappointed. Repairing and restoring the rings were simply too expensive. She and her husband had received estimates from jewelers of nearly one thousand dollars for the work. They couldn't afford to spend their money on something so frivolous. My gift had touched her heart, but what she wanted most was to wear her own wedding bands. On a whim, Janet asked the clerk in the jewelry store about getting her wedding rings fixed. She had given up hope that it would ever happen. It had never occured to her to consider a synthetic gem-until now. Janet's rings were sized and repaired and the center stone replaced with a cubic zirconia for under $100. She held her hand out to show me. Her rings sparkled in the sunlight. Rows of glittering diamonds encircled a solitaire that flashed with brilliant fire. They were stunning. "For the first time in seven years, I am wearing my rings again," she said, her voice breaking. "Thank you for your gift. Thank you more than you'll ever know- but these are the only rings I really want." I walked home in a daze. It took quite a while for the whole extraordinary sequence of events to sink in. I have concluded that God's intricate plans are altogether too incredible to anticipate or comprehend. The next time He wants to entwine my life with another, I will do as He asks- without questions, without doubts- and with trust.
So anyway I loved this story and am glad I came across it because, my quiet times have been about blessings following obediance. I have always realized that when I react the way the Lord instructs me to ...he blesses me as well in return. He does it for us all...all we have to do is have Faith in Him!!! See God is sooo good He gives us these many things that we could not ever begin to deserve! =) ~ Amber
"Oh, I love your diamond," Janet said admiringly as we served lunch to the children in the school gym. "It's beautiful." "Thanks," I said, and then I confessed. "It's not real; it's just a cubic zirconia." Her eyes widened. "Wow. I would have never guessed." I have always had a passion for collecting fine jewelry, but I also own a few quality fake pieces, which generally fool everyone. Janet eyed my large sparkling ring. "I've never owned anything like that," she sighed, looking down at the plain thin wedding band on her hand. We finished serving the children their Thanksgiving turkey lunch, but Janet's words stayed with me. I knew she and her husband could not afford even the small luxuries of life; they are a Christian family who lives down the street with four boys, and they work hard to make ends meet. The idea of giving my ring to Janet came to me the next day. I pushed it away immediately. Although the 14-carat gold ring was only cubic zirconia, I liked it and wore it often with my wedding band. The thought of knocking on Janet's door and presenting her with my ring seemed ridiculous. I try to shrug the notion off, but the thought persisted. It bothered me for a week. I had no peace until finally I prayed: "Lord, if this is something you want me to do, I'll do it, but please go with me and let her be home when I go." I reasoned that if I knocked on the door and Janet wasn't home,which she often wasn't, I would take it as a sign that I didn't have to part with my ring. I felt a little better but was still unenthusiastic about this errand. The next morning I put the ring in its little blue velvet box, wrapped it up in tissue paper and walked down the street to Janet's house, my heart pounding. "She'll think I'm crazy," I thought. "What kind of neighbor gives someone a 14-carat gold ring? I don't even know her that well." I felt like turning around and going home but forced myself to climb the steps to Janet's house. I knocked quietly on the door. No one answered. I stood on her porch, waiting uncomfortably. Knock again, God's spirit prompted. Reluctantly I knocked again. No one answered. I felt the stirrings of relief. Maybe she was away and I could forget about this whole thing. Just as I stood there contemplatingmy escape, I heard the doorknob rattle. Janet looked incredibly surprised to see me. "Hi," she greeted me. "Good morning," I siad, struggling not to blush with discomfort. I handed her the small package. "I have something for you." She looked astounded. "For me?" I nodded. "The Lord has been telling me all week to give this to you." She took it as her fingers closed over the contours of the box, she realized what it was. To my immense surprise, her eyes filled with tears and her hands began to shake. "No," her voice quavered. "I can't accept this. It's too much. I can't accept this." An immense peace and joy descended upon me there on Janet's front porch. "You're my sister in Christ and I want you to have it," I said, unable to keep the delight from spreading over my face. Janet unwrapped the ring and cried. I hugged her, my eyes full of tears. She hugged me back. It took a bit of convincing on my part, but she finally agreed to keep the ring. "If you ever change your mind, just tell me and I'll give it back," she promised. It was a few sizes to small for her, so I told her to have it adjusted at the nearby jewelry store, which ahd extremely reasonable prices. I thought that was the end of the story, but several weeks later as I was walking past Janet's house, she flew out the door, across the porch and out to the sidewalk. "I have a present for you," she said breathlessly. She thrust a little package at me. "Janet you don't have to do that," I protested. "Open it," she said, grinning. I opened it and found a little blue velvet box with my ring in it. I looked up at her, puzzled and slightly disappointed that she had chosen not to keep it. "I went to the jewelry store you had told me about to get it sized, " she explained, "but the clerk didn't think it would be good for the claws and setting to enlarge it that many sizes. I was devastated. I finally had something beautifuland I couldn't even wear it." Janet's smile was incongruent with her story. "I don't understand," I admitted. On the sidewalk, in the late afternoon, with the sun slanting through the maple tree in Janet's yard, she told me what had happened. For years, her set of wedding bands had lain in a dresser drawer in her bedroom. She had lost the diamond solitaire, and the rings needed repairs and sizing. It was a gorgeous antique set but she had been unable to wear it. Every Mother's Day, birthday, and Christmas, she had quietly gone to that dresser drawer and examined her rings, hoping her husband had surprised her by getting them fixed. And everytime she went to the drawer, she was disappointed. Repairing and restoring the rings were simply too expensive. She and her husband had received estimates from jewelers of nearly one thousand dollars for the work. They couldn't afford to spend their money on something so frivolous. My gift had touched her heart, but what she wanted most was to wear her own wedding bands. On a whim, Janet asked the clerk in the jewelry store about getting her wedding rings fixed. She had given up hope that it would ever happen. It had never occured to her to consider a synthetic gem-until now. Janet's rings were sized and repaired and the center stone replaced with a cubic zirconia for under $100. She held her hand out to show me. Her rings sparkled in the sunlight. Rows of glittering diamonds encircled a solitaire that flashed with brilliant fire. They were stunning. "For the first time in seven years, I am wearing my rings again," she said, her voice breaking. "Thank you for your gift. Thank you more than you'll ever know- but these are the only rings I really want." I walked home in a daze. It took quite a while for the whole extraordinary sequence of events to sink in. I have concluded that God's intricate plans are altogether too incredible to anticipate or comprehend. The next time He wants to entwine my life with another, I will do as He asks- without questions, without doubts- and with trust.
So anyway I loved this story and am glad I came across it because, my quiet times have been about blessings following obediance. I have always realized that when I react the way the Lord instructs me to ...he blesses me as well in return. He does it for us all...all we have to do is have Faith in Him!!! See God is sooo good He gives us these many things that we could not ever begin to deserve! =) ~ Amber