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Carolyn Lockett
God's will is perfect.
I recently moved and if you know anything about moving usually there are some things that are either lost or misplaced during the move, they simply just disappear. I’ve been looking for my missing makeup bag for days. I looked everywhere I knew to look, and then I came to the conclusion that it was gone and maybe I had thrown it out with the trash unknowingly. My missing makeup bag really bothered me because it had my favorite weekday eye shadows in it and it was the one I carried in my gym bag. It contained all my weekday essentials.
I could not accept that my makeup bag was gone, so I began to ask Holy Spirit to help me find my makeup bag. I know it probably sounds ridiculous to some of you, but that’s how important the makeup was to me. For four days I repeatedly asked Holy Spirit to reveal to me what happen to my makeup bag. This morning during my prayer time I heard Holy Spirit say, “Look in the closet”. After I was done praying I looked in the closet and it wasn’t there. I then proceeded to push some shoe boxes back against the wall but the boxes wouldn’t move. I removed the shoes boxes only to discover that my makeup bag was lying behind the boxes preventing them from being pushed back. I want to let somebody know this morning that God will perfect the very thing that concerns you (Psalms 138:8) no matter how small or how insignificant it may seem, if it concerns you, it concerns God.
God is not only concerned with the big things in our lives, He’s also concerned with the little things, those things we don’t think are worth telling Him about. The fact that Holy Spirit cared enough to reveal to me where my makeup bag was is proof that God does cares about all the things that concern us, both big and small. There is nothing in our lives that is unworthy of God’s time or attention…Go ahead tell him about the things that concern you, I’m sure He’s waiting and wanting to perfect them.
Janet Austin
Yes, I’ve had numerous miracles happen. This is my favorite. I’ve typed
this true story as I’ve written it in my (not-yet-published) book. The story is named: Like a Teddy Bear That Came to Life
For six months, a vision of a cat was growing within my mind’s eye. Each day I had a stronger vision and a more intense desire to have this particular cat. I never owned a cat before; never cared to own one. If I saw a cat, I would pet it…or not…it didn’t matter. But for six months, one specific cat was developing in my mind until the urge to find him was bursting from within. Then one day, while small-talking with a client, I began describing my cat. “I’m going to have a big, brown, fluffy cat, a male that’s neutered, completely declawed, and one I can pick up and cuddle. I’ll name him Bear because he’ll be like a teddy bear that came to life.”
A couple hours later, I called my boyfriend. “Don’t make any plans for the weekend; I’m going to the animal shelter to get my cat.”
Two days later, first thing Saturday morning, I drove to the local animal shelter, a place I’d never been before. With great anticipation, I told the lady at the front desk, “I’ve come to get a cat.”
The employee replied empathetically, “Sorry, we don’t have any kittens; you’ll be better off coming back in May. We only have three older cats.”
“Oh, that’s fine,” I said, never doubting that my cat was there somewhere. “I never pictured getting a kitten.”
“Well then, follow me.”
As we walked through the building and out the back door, the woman described the cat we were about to see. “This one is three-years old, male, neutered and completely declawed.” We turned the corner and there he was climbing a cat pole - the cutest, fluffiest, long-haired orange tabby I had ever seen! She handed him to me and he immediately put his front legs around my neck, his back legs around my waist and snuggled his head against my neck inside my long hair.
“I’m taking him home!” We hugged and hugged never wanting to let go of each other. I was elated! This was the cat God made for me!
Throughout the following years, I marveled with delight over this miracle…and the more I did, the more it fascinated me. The way God fulfilled a desire He had created within me reconfirmed my belief that God is real and He continues to speak to us today, caring about every little detail. In fact, when I learned how extremely rare it is for a cat to be completely declawed, I was all the more in awe. For some people, what happened was merely a coincidence; for me, it was the beginning of an amazing walk with God…and Bear!
By the way, my cat had been introduced to me as Chester, but I re-named him...kind of like the way God re-named his disciples when they chose to follow him. And Bear followed me everywhere. He ate with me, slept with me, and sat right next to me when I played the piano. When a good song came on the radio, he pawed at my legs until I danced with him. He loved being carried around like a baby and I loved looking at his adorable freckled nose that highlighted his face between his extra-fluffy cheeks! Bear was perfect for me. Oh, his hair was an orangish-brown, rather than the deeper brown I had pictured, but he was undoubtedly the awesome cat I had desired. He really was like a teddy bear that came to life! I loved him so much for sixteen years and I still do even though he died when he was 19. I guess God wanted him back. Can’t blame him!
I believe this miracle happened because my number one prayer is “God, make Your desires mine.” God answered with the vision. I think He gave me this cat so I would not be lonely when I broke up with my (unequally yoked) boyfriend two months later. It would be just like a loving father to do that!