FALL SURPRISE
I squealed with such delight when Lori brought it in. It was soooo beautiful. A variety of cheeses, fruits, specialized little crackers, deli meats, sauces, cream cheeses and even little dill and sweet pickles, all on a charcuterie board set. She also brought a colorfully selected fruit platter. I on the other hand, had made mini lemon zest pastry creme tarts with a lemon curd topping, blueberries, fresh homemade whip cream, and a raspberry to top it all off. Lastly, a delicious red wine, compliments from both Luke and Lori. With my fall decor already on our table a picture was taken. It reminded me of something that would be found in a upscale food magazine! Just looking at it brought me such JOY. But eating the different foods brought all of us even greater JOY!! Both Lori and I have the gift of hospitality so it was made from a heart of true pleasure. Lori even went a step further to make sure that the foods met the WW guidelines…who does that right? So, you may be asking, “what was the occasion?”. It was “snacks” for our new bible study group called “Rooted”. Snacks, really? For just four of us? Yes and YES! It may seem “over the top” but when you enjoy doing it and others appreciate it well…you get this. And this is how our bible study went…God doesn’t just give what we need..He goes beyond our hearts desire because it brings Him great pleasure. He loves to hear a squeal from us when an answered prayer is MORE than what we asked for..in this case it was found in a human body named Jesus. When was the last time you were so excited about Jesus you let out a very loud squeal ? To be honest, it’s been awhile. This past 18 months, including the reminder of 9/11 coming up, doesn’t make me get all getty inside. My recent diagnosis doesn’t make me shout “ praise God”. But, in this weeks study about prayer, God spoke to me. I’ll share it at another time but He reminded me, that with all that has been since the time in the garden with Adam and Eve, nothing surprises Him. Instead, all things are working for the good…even if it doesn’t look like it in our perspective. Whatever your circumstances, whatever your burdens, give them to Him. Like this unexpected, over the top, food spread “ God who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”