A year later . . . God's anniversary gift

A year ago, I had no clue that my life was about to change.   If I remember right it had been a sort of down day, and I'd spent some time that afternoon finishing up a novel that I was reading.  As the clock ticked closer to dinner time, I got the the end of the book, and quickly skimmed the discussion questions at the end.

2.  Abigail, which means 'source of joy," is the heroine of Daughter of Joy.  

5:35 pm, my life changed forever.  Your daughter's name will be Abigail.  Tears sprang to my eyes.  Lord, it that you, I found myself asking?  Not an audible voice, but one that imprinted immediately on my heart. And is the fact that I'm getting the feeling that she may not be joining us naturally also from you?   So, so, so many little things since that moment have confirmed that yes, this was from God.

After putting dinner in the oven that day (ah, I love pizza Fridays!), I logged into Facebook to find a friend request from a "friend of a friend", nudged by God to be sent at the very moment I was getting the message about Abigail, accompanied by a short note:

• love this picture
  it looks like you delight in your kids and that warms my heart

Somehow I found myself telling this as-of-yet unknown woman what had just happened:

Would you pray for Abigail and for us? This all feels extremely surreal, and I have no clue what it truly all means or where it is leading, or even for certain if it wasn't just a random thought. I flipped open my Bible and it fell to Psalm 98. "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things .. . . ." and then I saw on the page before it, several dates penciled beside Psalm 96, which begins nearly the same. So whatever new song I am to be singing, I accept it.

Thank you for your message. The timing is more than you know, since my first response to it was "Yes, they are my joy."

Not only did this new FB friend not blink at eye at hearing my story, but she responded with a heartwarming story of the way God had called them to adopt and provided for them.

Fast forward through a year of Abigail references popping up in the most unlikely places, well timed Bible verses, and behind the scenes work on our hearts to today, February 11, 2012.  While our lives look, on the outside, like not much has changed, in other ways everything has changed.  Our hearts have changed.

This morning, I opened my Bible to do my daily reading and found God's anniversary gift awaiting me there.  In my current plan, I'm reading a chapter from each of ten different lists.  Today, List 3 was in Hebrews 11.  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.  By faith.   Yes, God certainly has us on a journey of faith, a journey of hope.  That was good, but List 8 was the real gift.  Because in that list, today's reading was 1 Samuel 25.  Not sure what that one is?  Take a look here. 

Yes, in His infinite wisdom, God arranged for me to land on that chapter on the anniversary of His promise.  Only God!  As I began it in the quiet of the morning, my daughter came downstairs and climbed into my lap, so I ended up reading it aloud to her.  (As she later told her daddy, "I got to hear a Bible story from Mama's Bible ~ all about David and some girl.  :)  )

Lord, we still don't know when.  We still don't know where or how.  But You have confirmed over and over this year who ~ Abigail ~ source of joy, father's joy.  And we thank you!