It’s Sunday evening, the end of another busy week, but I am looking back with a smile because in spite of some yuck, stressful things that have come up, the thing that stands out, is God’s goodness that has been laced through the days.

I feel that He is strengthening me in my ability to declare and trust in His goodness, no matter how difficult or gloomy circumstances appear – not fun, or easy – but the thing is, that even in the midst of hard stuff, the thing that amazes me about God is that He finds ways to bless me in really tangible, practical, amazing ways. He doesn’t need to do it, because He is a good Father to me any way I look at it, but He chooses to go above and beyond, and give little gifts that make me feel ridiculously cherished by Him. He is so good, and I just shout out His praises!

So here a few highlights from the hand of God over the last week.

Top of the list would have to be a SPA DAY that my dear friend and I treated ourselves to. Oh my goodness, have you ever done one these?! I never had until this week and it was AMAZING. We had good reason to celebrate with my friend being given a new job, and so we went all out – 5 star, ha, ha! It truly was a slice of luxury. Dressed in our white fluffy robes and slippers we went down to this special room called a relaxation room – every home should have one, ha, ha! It was a room to soothe the senses basically. Candle lit, with a very soft, gentle audio playing. There were these heated marble beds that you were able to lie back on, and simply close your eyes. Or read. Or sleep. There were tables of little treats set up – healthful foods like dried fruit and nuts, and herbal teas in little satin sachets!

There were so many beautiful treats to fill this day, but one other thing that has to be mentioned was the high tea in the main restaurant. This truly was an event. The waiter served us hot coffee, and then came back and placed this tiered tray on our table, like a pyramid of delight! The delicacies that were there were really too good to be eaten, and my friend laughed at me because I was more interested in looking at what was there, than in eating! Individually made, miniature sandwiches, each with a unique filling, like salmon, a type of cream cheese, smoked ham, egg and cress, to name a few. The next tier was traditional scones, jam and cream, and I couldn’t really manage the next tier – individually made desserts and pastries! Wow! Little glass cylinders of trifle, macaroons, meringue and cream, raspberry pastries, chocolate cake … what a kiss from heaven that day was. Not one quickly forgotten!

Another delight this week was the snow. I know I mentioned this in the last post, and as I said there, it is such a rarity where I live, that whenever it comes, I fall in love with it. It is as if it silences everything with its gentleness. There is such a quietness that comes with the snow. To sit for a while at the window, and watch it fall. My friend described it in a beautiful way. No one could get to work when the snow was at its heaviest, because it could cause hazard on the roads and tracks, and so a lot of people stayed home and literally went out to play in the snow. My friend said she felt as if God were giving His children a day of play in the midst of our busy lives. I thought this was such a nice way to look at it! I’ve included a photo below of a hedge blanketed in white. It reminds me of the icing on Christmas cake.

And one last blessing of week to mention was this experience I had of corporate worship. I went to this mid-week event through church. The seminar itself was something through which God really ministered to me, but it was the worship that had me in awe that night. There was this one point where I felt like the building would cave with the passion and intensity of people crying out to God. It was this one line where we were singing about what Jesus has done for us, by bearing the weight of our sin on the Cross, hundreds and hundreds of us there, and it was like the presence of God descended so thickly upon us, like a cloud. It was so intense. Worshipping together in that moment was something else that felt like a gift for me. Truly, what an incredible thing to be a part of His Body on the earth.

And so, I am so grateful to God. With my whole heart I declare His goodness, above and beyond what I ever deserve. I see His kindness to me in a hundred different ways, and feel so cherished. I would so love to hear about the little ways you have felt cherished by Him too recently.

~ by Birgit on February 8, 2009.

Posted in Christianity, Church, Devotional, Faith, God, Jesus