I'd like to say that I've done a decent job.
Of following Him.
I haven't.
I'm a total and complete.....wash out at times.
Who am I kidding?
Many times.
But I do love Him.
I really do.
And the thing I've seen happen in me this last year.
2014.
Is that I'm paying closer attention.
To the personal things.
The things I know He provides for me.
I saw one last week.
I'd been working long hours on a project at work.
And woke up tired.
And a little grumpy.
I left the house in Due West for the drive into Greenwood.
Topped the hill right outside of town.
And there it was.
Bright pink skies.
Just plain. Stunning.
An incredible sunrise.
And at the very moment I saw it.
My favorite Christmas song started playing on the radio station I tuned in.
I'd been listening to the all-Christmas station for three weeks without hearing that song.
Nobody was playing it.
But right at that moment.
I got the stunning sunrise and my favorite Christmas song simultaneously.
And I knew.
It was from Him.
For me.
And it was personal.
I was really struggling with a question a few months ago.
About a situation in my life?
Had I done the right thing?
Made the right decision?
The back & forth of the struggle.
Was wearing me out.
And on the day I finally decided to stop wrestling with it.
And start asking Him to give me some kind of confirmation.
I got the card.
Inscribed with a hand written note.
From a co-worker.
Who had no idea about the question I'd been struggling with.
But there it was in black and white.
My confirmation.
Honestly.
It was as if the hand of God had written it.
So specific to my questioning.
From an unsuspecting co-worker.
But His way of speaking truth over me.
And the clincher?
The note was written on a card that featured one of my favorite artists.
Yeah.
It was on that card.
His way of giving me the confirmation I needed.
And on that day.
That particular struggle ceased.
Because He was personal.
Probably the biggest example this year.
Was the hummingbird.
A hummingbird that appeared in my living room back in July.
At 5:00 a.m.
As I sat down to do my quiet time.
Yes, the door to my porch was slightly ajar.
So it could have come in through that small space.
But in the darkness of early morning?
Right beside my chair?
At the moment I opened my devotional and the first sentence read:
"as you listen to birds calling to one another....hear also my love for you."
Seriously!?
It was for me.
And I knew it.
And it was personal.
My love for Him is flawed.
And sometimes I'm full of doubt.
More often....... just full of myself.
But He still provides it.
Personal encounters.
Showing me.
In a way I can see and experience.
That He cares about me.
That He loves me.
That He's with me.
And......He makes it personal.