Today is my birthday.
My gift to me is to be myself.
To receive fully who I am and who I was created to be.
Do you believe in the divinity? Do you desire your destiny? Well then, please read on and let me
encourage you with the story of my rebirth on this day of my actual birth.
In the late spring of 2012, the Lord began placing the
numbers 10/29 in my path several times a day.
It was unbelievable and at the same time undeniable. Have you ever had that happen? I had a pastor who said, “You just know, when
you know that you know.”
This always confused me until I actually experienced it. I just knew that it was God sending me these
signs. There was something he wanted me
to get from this. Of course, I took
notice right away since it was my birth date, but there seemed to be more than
that.
There are too many little happenings for me to mention them
all, but I can honestly say that each and every appearance of 10/29 produced a
sincere smile on my face. I actually saw
the number 29 more often than the two numbers together. It happened many times a day.
My first real confirmation with this
numerical phenomenon happened when I was telling a friend of mine about the
number combo popping up all over the place. She commented that she too thought
it was wild that this was happening. She
went on to tell me that she felt as if the Holy Spirit had brought a
certain young man to her mind. I’d told
her about him a few years back. My
oldest daughter spent a semester in Africa, and one of the various people who
were so helpful to her was Eugene. I
spoke with him on the phone shortly after she arrived there. It didn't dawn on me at first when my friend
brought up his name. She said she
thought maybe I should get in touch with him.
A few seconds later I grabbed her arm and with wide eyes exclaimed, “He
and I share the same birthday!” I
contacted him, and we had a nice chat.
That in itself was more than enough for me to understand that I was not
imagining this. God had different plans.
I work for a school district. Last spring, in the midst of so many other
personal hardships I was facing, I received a pink slip. I was being laid off. I hesitated to share this story because some,
who read this, will know where I work. I
decided that the benefits of sharing this far outweighed the risks if there
were any risks at all. You see, I hold
nothing against anyone. As a child of
God, I am called to submit to authority
figures in my life. I have great
compassion for those who have to make such grueling
decisions that will affect the lives of those that they know so well. Less money means cuts have to be made.
It is as simple as that. I've
always loved this community and the people that live here. That will never change.
In addition, I accept fully that nothing comes to me except
through the Father. Even though I cannot see how my life will play out; I
believe with all of my heart that He knows what is best for me. His will for my life matters more than
anything. I love Him for caring enough
to change me from the inside out.
That being said, submitting to this pink slip plan was no piece of cake.
Rather it was like a huge slice of humble pie. I think He wanted me to
look into some dreams that I've had sitting on a shelf for some time now.
Just days after receiving my pink slip, my colleague and I
played a “listen and follow the directions” game with our students. Each numbered card had a set of directions on
it. The students had to listen carefully
because at the end of each card was a set of directions for what was to happen
next. The goal was to run through all
the cards without talking and to complete all the tasks as quickly as
possible.
My mind was still reeling from the aftershock of losing my
position, so Darcy was kind enough to run the game. I was sitting at my computer typing up a quiz
that we were going to use the next day in class. I was in a bit of a fog, but I was doing my
best to complete the task at hand.
I suddenly realized that Darcy was sort of scolding the
students because one of the handmade pieces had been damaged. A great friend and former colleague of
Darcy’s had made this game, and so of course it was of extreme sentimental
value to her. I chimed in with my
disappointment that we would ruin such a momentous thing. This is a picture of the game…
Almost instinctively, a feeling of certainty rose up from
deep within me. I started calling to
Darcy, “What number is missing? What
number got damaged?” I had known it
before she answered. It was #29. This is what it said…
Jesus calls us His saints and His disciples. The moment I found out I was losing my position, everything I had ever been was in
jeopardy. My name and my identity felt
as though it was being thrashed through the public eye and scrutinized by
all. Earlier, I wrote that according to
His Word I am to bow to authority. His
is the greatest authority of all and bow I will. He’s got this. I was born for this. I was born to share my stories so that I
might offer encouragement to someone else. I'm back to work in the same district and the dream is no longer on the shelf. I've wanted to start a blog for a long time.
Bad things happen in this life. Hard, hurtful, debilitating things happen,
but He is in control. He promises to
hold our every tear in His hand. He
promises light after the darkness subsides.
Darcy’s house burned down a few weeks ago, and her beloved dog was
inside. She lost so many special
memories and other important material things along with her good friend,
Zoey. I dedicate this post to her. I pray that the peace of God, which surpasses
all human comprehension, will sustain her until she and Zoey can be together
again in paradise throughout eternity.
