Friday, August 12, 2011 - It's The Little Things That Say "I Love You"

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, 

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 

1 Peter 3:12

     It's taken me a long time to learn just how attentive God is to our prayers and to the desires of our hearts. When I'm praying and I'm uncertain of my own motives or if I'm asking for too much, I've found the best thing I can do is to sincerely pray, "Lord, if You want us to have this, do this, buy this, commit to this, YOU see that it happens in a way we can't question as Your doing."  His answers provide the pavement for our faith journey in the Noland family.

    As we started looking for "the house," Nick asked for two features: a nice sized bedroom and enough flat concrete area to put up a basketball goal. We prayed, "Lord, if You want these things for Nick then please direct us to the right house." The house God sent us has two bedrooms fitting Nick's hopes and his problem has been choosing between them. As to basketball, the house sits on a flat cul-de-sac containing not one but two goals. Amazing God, blessing us down to the basketball goals!

     One day, the three of us were talking with the owner, Dennis, in the driveway when Tom pointed to the nearest goal and said, "Looks like you've got kids living close by." Dennis agreed and pointed out houses with 11 to 13 year olds living in them before saying, "but the goal is mine, well, yours now if you want it."  Nick heard it himself. No one had mentioned Nick's desire to Dennis. We felt the cul-de-sac with two goals and neighbor kids were the answer to our request, but God had more in store because His is a thorough thoughtfulness to our deepest desires. And, by the way, Dennis's guitar was displayed in the corner and Natalie, Dennis's wife, is French Canadian and speaks French. Amazing God of details, shining His Light for us!

     In the not-so-distant past we've cried to God for help and healing in our family and in our church families and  He's  come to our rescue financially, physically, and spiritually. He's worked out details in miraculous ways we couldn't predict, leaving no paper trail to trace. He's brought prodigals home and broken open His Light of revival from flickers of hope. And, as thrilled and grateful as we are for these big, big blessings, nothing says He's attentive to our personal heart whispers like the blessing of a basketball goal and teammates standing by to play.

"Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of our father David, says: 

'I have heard  your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.'" 

Isaiah 38:5

"I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy." 

Psalm 116:1

"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, 

and He saved them from their distress." 

Psalm 107:19

Praises to You, Lord, for Your thorough thoughtfulness! We love and thank You, loving Abba, for every blessing, great and small. May our hearts always trust Your Love. Guide us to pour this same love on each other, doing our best to give what means the most. 

In the Name of Jesus, Who gave on the cross exactly what our hearts needed and Who, by His resurrection, healed our souls!