by Barbara Weeks Spayd

 Come away with Me my fair one,

Come away with Me

To a hiding place where we can be alone.

Come away with Me my fair one,

Come away with Me

For I have chose thee to be My very own.

In my presence in all that you have need of

There is peace and joy and strength

For each new day.

And every question that you have will all be answered.

And all your doubts and fears will fade away.

Come away with Me my fair one,

Come away with Me

To a hiding place where we can be alone.

Come away with Me my fair one,

Come away with Me

For I have chose thee to be My very own.

For this is the day of restoration.

And you know that my return is very soon.

Let the wind of the Spirit blow upon you

Preparing you for your Bridegroom.

Come away with Me my fair one,

Come away with Me

To a hiding place where we can be alone.

Come away with Me my fair one,

Come away with Me

For I have chose thee to be My very own.

Copyright 2009 – Barbara Weeks Spayd

I AM your God

I’ve come to rescue thee

From all that binds or even hinders thee.

I AM your God

What will you ask of me?

I’ve come today to set you FREE!

This is the hour

This is the day

Receive your blessing

Don’t run away

This is the hour

This is the day

Bring me your problems

I’ll make a way.

I AM your God

Repent before My throne

I AM your God seek me and me alone.

I AM your God

I’ll wash your sins away

Come to me now, don’t delay another day!

This is the hour

This is the day

Receive your blessing

Don’t run away.

This is the hour

This is the day

Come to my throne room

I’ll make a way!

Copyright 2009 - Barbara Weeks Spayd. All rights reserved.

I’m standing at the water’s edge

looking out into the sea

And all my heart and mind can think is

“That’s where I want to be!”

To ride upon the open waves

and feel the crashing tide

To chart my course, to set my sails,

and reach the other side.

So I’ll wait here at the ocean’s shore

and dream of days to come

Until it’s time to launch my ship

into the rising sun.

I’m looking back toward the shore

My sails set to the wind

I see past swells I’ve ridden o’er,

crash on the rocks and sand.

Shallow waters fade away

and deeper waters come.

I catch the wind deep in my sails

and jump the waves – what fun!

Windless days and starless nights

make my path unsure.

I sit and ponder on my plight

My ship aimed back to shore.

One evening, stars reveal the route

my Maker’s set for me.

I set my jib to turn about

and venture on out to sea.

I’m tossed about by the raging storm

As the waves wash over my deck

But with the Captain guiding my vessel

There’s no way this ship will wreck.

His vision burns within me

And His hand’s upon the wheel

I hear His voice call to the storms of life

“Quiet, peace be still.”

I’m sailing on the ocean depths

far from the sight of land

Flowing ever more swiftly now

according to my Master’s plan.

As the tide of the Holy Spirit

carries me along

I’m totally dependent on my God

unhampered by the throng.

Exhilaration and Joy overwhelm me

To be chosen for such an adventure

Knowing I will fulfill my calling

and reach my final destination.

Copyright 2009 - Karen Power, Marlene Hoenig & Barbara Weeks Spayd. All rights reserved.

I’m adding a new category, A Rhapsody of Souls, to the Connectivity blog. This collection is from poems, songs, and other spiritual writings by Marlene Hoenig, Barbara Weeks Spayd, and Karen Power. (All Rights Reserved.)

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “rhapsody” as any ecstatic or enthusiastic speech or writing. The Greek word “rhaptein” means stitch together. This collection of words and its authors are just that – stitched together – by God, the Author of our lives, writings, poems, and songs.

         This collection is as varied as its authors – each with their own background, vision, and rhythm. Yet somehow each fits together like threads of a tapestry to make the colors change hues or complete a design. The laughter, tears, joy, and pain are for such a time as this to complement and complete each other, giving a deeper perspective, a richer blend, and a new desire to fulfill a greater calling.

          Sometimes we hear a new song and begin singing it alone. Other times we blend our words and voices in harmony to take on new heights side by side. Then there are those times when we each must take our separate path until we meet again somewhere around yet another curve.

          Like a patchwork quilt, each piece, each word, and each life is brought together and stitched with loving hands – God’s hands. Something beautiful is created, A Rhapsody of Souls.

We usually see time as a negative. We hear the word “time” and we usually imagine WAITING. We often think that nothing is happening, however, there is much activity going on in the “time” phase.

Let’s look at 4 elements that make up T.I.M.E.

T – TOIL (Labor/Work)

1 Corinthians 15:58 –Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not {in} vain in the Lord. We know that “ministry” is not the work — PRAYER is the work.

I – INVESTMENT

We must make an investment into lives of others to win the lost to the Kingdom of God. We make an investment of our:

• Finances
• Energy
• Talents
• Gifts
• Abilities

 R.O.I. is an acronym used in the business world. It means Return on Investment. R.O.I. exists in the Kingdom of God too.

Luke 6:38 — Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

2 Corinthians 9:11 — Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously.

M – MISSION OF MULTIPLICATION

Introduce someone to Jesus Christ. That’s our mission.

Matthew 28:20 — Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”

E – ENERGETIC EXPLOSION

A vigorous exertion of power, effort, investing time and energy resulting in a large-scale, rapid, or spectacular expansion or bursting out or forth.

Let’s start with just 2 people. The first year, they each get 2 people and disciple them – the next year those 4 people get 2 people each and disciple them… and so forth for the next 32 years.

What’s the R.O.I.? What started as 2 people — after 32 years — is multiplied into over 8 BILLION disciples for the Kingdom of God.

Acts 6:1 – “…the believers rapidly multiplied…”

HARVEST:

It all starts with sowing the SEED of God’s Word, then going through process of T.I.M.E.

It takes each one of us doing our part, sowing, toiling, investing, and multiplying for the energetic explosion to result in a HARVEST beyond our wildest dreams.

 A harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God. That’s what it’s all about.

We have an opportunity today to participate in this process of SEED, TIME and HARVEST.

PRAYER: (2 Corinthians 9:10)

Heavenly Father, we know that you are the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, bless us today. We thank you for the many opportunities you give us to do good. We thank you for producing a great harvest of generosity in us – and a plentiful harvest of people brought to eternal life in Your Kingdom through this seed planted today.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2009 – Karen R. Power. All rights reserved

 ”I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep without fear. I will remove the wild animals from your land and protect you from your enemies.” Lev. 26:6 (NLT)

There are two things that most people hate to have happen during the middle of the night. The first is to receive a phone call from a family member. That’s almost never a good thing. The second is to hear something “go bump in the night” and then have to get out of the bed to check it out. The latter is where I  found myself on a typical Tuesday night around 1:00 a.m.

I was sound asleep with three of my four cats snuggled up with me as usual. I felt the fourth one, Alex, hop up in the bed and for a few seconds she let me pet her. This is very unusual as she NEVER gets in the bed when the others are there. However, I was half asleep, and actually was wondering if I’d dreamed it, when she jumped back up in the bed. I thought, that’s really odd, something’s up. She’s done something twice that she never does. Maybe she was sick. So I got up to check on her.

I went into the dining area with the lights still out and called for her to come to me. Acting somewhat skittish, she finally came. About that same time I heard a noise coming from what appeared to be outside — on the deck or porch. It sounded like the deck boards were creaking as if someone was walking across them. Now I was getting more nervous, I didn’t know what it was that was causing Alex to act differently, but whatever it was I was going to have to face it — man or beast.

I was looking out the window on to the porch, when I heard it again to my left – and it sounded closer than I wanted it to be. I flipped on the living room lights and looked at where I had last heard what sounded now like a low growl.

There in the corner just under the window with the cat door, huddled on top of the cedar chest, was an OPOSSUM!

My first thought was to run…but where? Then I had my second thought, get the cats locked up before they see it.

I know opossums can be vicious and seeing a bloody fight between it and one my cats was more than I wanted at that moment. I began running around the house grabbing cats and throwing them into my bedroom, while at the same time hoping the opossum didn’t start moving on me.

I shut all the interior doors and blocked off access to other parts of the house. As I’m doing this I’m thinking “what the heck am I’m supposed do? How am I supposed to get this critter out of the house? What if it jumps on me?! Is there someone I can call? Will the fire department respond to my aid? Or….have I been trained for this by watching my dad do the same with mice and snakes as I grew up? Can I protect myself and my home?”

As the seconds flew by, I realized the time for action was NOW and I was the only person in the house. The longer I took to decide, the greater the chances were for this critter to decide to run through my house – at which point I would just hand over the key to it and run.

Suddenly, a thought came (I realized later this could only come from God, my Protector) and I decided to create a path to the porch door and to  freedom – the backyard.

As I’m lining up the route and blocking it with anything — pillows, chairs, trashcans — that might create a barrier, I realized that I might need a weapon. I don’t own a gun. Just then I spotted a rake that I’d left on the porch from raking leaves over the previous weekend. (See there is something to be said for not always putting my things away.) That’s it! The rake would be my weapon of choice.

Holding the rake in one hand and a couple pillows from the ottoman in the other, I started prodding the intruder. Coaxing it down from it’s place on the cedar chest  and what had appeared earlier to be a safe, warm place for it to spend the night. After a few firm nudges, the intruder got the message that it was time to leave the warm cozy surroundings of the inside of my house. It quickly made its way out to the porch by following the path laid out of a litter box, a turned over chair, and a flower pot – to FREEDOM and relief for us both!

Alex, my gray tabby cat, was the real heroine in this event. I’ve heard stories of pets waking up their owners in a fire to save the whole family from danger. That’s exactly what Alex did. The “little gray kitty,” as I call her, saved the day! There may just be a can of tuna fish in her future.

Copyright 2009 – Karen R. Power. All rights reserved

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but when dreams come true,
there is life and joy.”
Proverbs 13:12

Having a dream come true is thrilling, but having a dream unfilled or delayed can be a discouraging reality. Often people begin to think they will never find a mate or the job they have worked so hard to achieve. As time passes, it becomes easier to believe the dream will never become reality. They give up or settle for less. If only they had waited just a little longer on the dream God placed in their heart.

When our dreams are deferred, we often quickly draw the conclusion it will never happen or it is “the end.” There is a big difference between “the end” and deferring. “To defer” means “to postpone.” Simply put, it means, that which was promised will not happen right now but it will at a future time.

There are people throughout the Bible who were given a promise, a dream or a covenant by God. Delays happened and they had to wait for many years before the fulfillment. Hebrews 6:15 states, “Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.” Abraham waited twenty-five years for his promised son, Isaac, to be born. Abraham’s promise did come true and his descendants are too numerous to be counted.

There are many reasons why our dreams are postponed until a future time. Sometimes it has to do with getting us ready, getting our souls healed, or getting us into alignment with God’s plan. For the most part, it has to do with God’s timing and “the big picture.” Think about the dreams and promises of Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, and many others. If any of these promises had been completed prematurely, the results could have been disastrous. They could have missed the very opportunity for which the promise was meant. For example, there was a thirteen-year delay in Joseph’s dream of him ruling over his brothers. Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused and thrown into prison. Some may have thought this was the end for Joseph, however, they could not see the big picture. These events allowed Joseph to be in the right position as a ruler of Egypt during seven years of famine. His dream manifested when his brothers traveled from Israel to Egypt and unknowingly bowed before him to request provisions. In Genesis 45:4-5, he said, “I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it.He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.” 

Let us look at Hebrews 6:17-18, “God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie…” Interestingly, there is no record of Joseph complaining during his unfair and unjust circumstances. Instead, he was blessed of the Lord and was given responsibilities over the entire prison. Joseph had confidence in God because of the promises made and kept with his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Like Joseph, when our vision, prophetic word or promise is delayed, God still keeps his end of the deal; his promise and oath are unchangeable. Like Abraham, we can wait patiently, even if it takes years for the birth of a covenant. Like Jacob, when we wake up to a broken promise, we can hold on and work to see it fulfilled. Remember, “…we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls” (Hebrews 6:18-19). God’s dream, his plan, in his time will come true!

Imagine the sound as the children of Israel sang Psalm 126:1-6 on their ascents up to Jerusalem, “When the LORD restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.” Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy! Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”

In the midst of your delayed hope, keep believing, hold on to your dream and let your heart (mind, emotions and will) sing! Think of the life and joy waiting when your dreams do come true!

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

© 2009 – Karen R. Power. All rights reserved.

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning…”

Have you ever done or said something and as soon as it was out of your grasp you wished you could do it over or take it back? That’s a “do over.” One of my many “do over” experiences started when I responded to an email from a friend.

Bunny had just finished writing her latest book and had sent the manuscript to her publisher. Since I had spent the last few weeks as a reader and contributor to this project, I was thrilled that she had finally reached this stage of completion. Within hours of sending the book off, she had received an email from someone giving harsh criticism of the project. In disbelief of the accusations contained in this email Bunny asked if I would read it and give my opinion. Within minutes I received Bunny’s email with the email in question as an attachment. I opened it, read it, hit the “reply” button, typed my response, hit the “send” button, and walked away from my computer.

Later in the evening I went back to check email and there in my “sent” box was a message I had sent out to a name I didn’t recognize. I explored further and realized that because I was actually in the original sender’s message I should have hit the “forward” button to send my response to Bunny. Instead I had hit the “reply” button. The result was I had sent my honest and straightforward remarks to the original disgruntled sender.

When the phone rang, I was standing in my office shocked and wondering what I had done. It was Bunny on the line asking if I’d read her email. My response was, “you’re going to kill me!” After which I explained the unfortunate error on my part. Thankfully she took the news well and gave me a gentle word of caution for future responses.

I woke up the next morning still thinking about what had happened the night before. My intent had not been to harm the original sender but to give my honest opinion to my friend. Yet, I had done just what I had intended not to do. As I wondered what the reaction on the sender’s part would be, I knew there was nothing I could do to rectify this situation. Anything I could think of doing would only make matters worse. So I began asking God, and myself, “What lesson could I learn from this situation?” The answer came quickly and clearly. First, always be sure of whose name is in the recipient line of my outgoing emails, especially when it’s a touchy situation. Second, and most importantly, remember, “…let the words of my mouth…be acceptable…” and that means in emails too.

As I was getting dressed for work I was still contemplating these events and turned on the radio to listen to my favorite Christian station. Most mornings the DJ’s discussed some funny thing from the latest news story and asked listeners to call in with their personal stories. This particular morning the topic was “do overs”. A God-cidence for sure.

At the Iowa primary election, Presidential candidate Howard Dean had let out a very excited, yet un-Presidential, “RREEyeeoweeH!” The DJ’s were commenting that he probably wished he could have a “do over.” But alas, too late, it was history.

I called the radio station and told the DJ’s of my most recent “do over” experience from the night before. Although my story wasn’t played live on the air, they did however come back after a commercial break and mention that “do overs” also apply to when we hit “reply” instead of ”forward” on email messages.

Unfortunately we do not get “do overs” to most of life’s events. What’s done is done, over, finished, history. Thankfully though God gives us “do overs” through His provision of forgiveness, mercy and compassion that are new every morning.

© 2009 – Karen R. Power. All rights reserved.

“As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, ‘Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!’ When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, ‘Do you really believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Why, yes, Master!’
He touched their eyes and said,
‘Become what you believe.’ It happened. They saw.”
Matthew 9:27-30, The Message

In the passage just previous to the one above (Matthew 8:18-26), Jesus had just been asked by a local official to accompany him home to heal his daughter. As they were traveling, Jesus encountered a woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years. Jesus healed this woman and they went on to Jairus’ house where he healed the little girl.

As Jesus left Jairus’ house, two blind men began following him. These two blind men were so desperate for their healing that they followed Jesus all the way home and went in to the house with him, maybe even uninvited.

We often times read these as three separate stories, however, in a short period of one morning or afternoon, these four individuals experienced the healing power of Jesus Christ. There is a common thread that runs through each of these lives that enabled them to receive what they so desperately needed.

Do You Really Believe?

Before any of these people approached Jesus, they had already made a decision that Jesus Christ was able to heal them. Jairus said, “My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live.” The woman with the hemorrhage thought, “If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well.” The two blind men were asked by Jesus, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” They came boldly with no second thought.

When we approach The Healer in prayer, have we made that same decision? Or do we “worry our prayers” like wind-whipped waves?

A Risk of Faith

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for…” If faith is substance, then what is substance? Substance is… taking action. So faith is taking action in the things hoped for.

Jairus, the woman, and the two blind men each took action to receive the healing they needed. Jesus noted that the woman took a risk of faith. Due to her medical condition, this woman was an outcast among her family and friends. She had surpassed the “play-it-safe” mentality and went out on a limb to touch Jesus. Jairus, a high ranking local official, had to push through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing casseroles to get the Healer to his daughter. As for the two blind men, at this point, being blind served them because they were not able see the faces of those who might have been critical or disapproving of them coming in to the house uninvited.

Have you had to push through the opinions of others, the safety of the familiar, or gone beyond your boundaries of belief, maybe even risking your reputation or social standing, to receive your healing?

Become What You Believe

So often we cry out to God to heal our bodies, our finances, our relationships, or our emotions, and when nothing immediately happens, we begin to doubt that God heard us. The problem here is not that God can’t or won’t heal; Isaiah 53 says that “He took our illnesses, He carried our diseases.” It’s been promised to us – it’s a done deal. The solution may lie in what we believe or expect.

Let’s look at how Jesus answered the question posed by John’s disciples in Matthew 11:2-6. “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?” Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side. Is this what you were expecting?”

Jesus is the Healer. He has promised to heal us if we believe and have faith. We also have to be expecting to receive it.

A friend of mine, a professor at a local Bible college, tells how she “became what she believed.” She woke up one morning not feeling well and was scheduled to teach nine hours of classes that day. Her first reaction was to find a substitute for her classes. Then she decided instead to take action on behalf of her healing. So she dressed in her finest purple suede shoes, purple sweater with a purple fur collar, and her favorite amethyst ring. Her students were pleasantly surprised and wondered what was going on, as she usually dressed more casual for class. She told them that she believed she was healed and that she was making her body come into alignment with the Word of God. Nine hours later, she left the college campus feeling great!

Are You Ready?

The Word says if we ask taking action and believing, it shall be done. Do you really believe Jesus can do what He promised in His Word? Are you willing to take a risk of faith? Will you go out on a limb if necessary? Are you ready to receive your healing and so much more? Are you ready to become what you believe? 

© 2009 – Karen R. Power. All rights reserved.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD…”
Psalm 37:23 (KJV)

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying,
This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand,
and when ye turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21 (KJV)

Some people call it coincidence, while others say its fate, destiny, or a divine connection. One of my friends has coined the phrase, “God-cidence.” I am always amazed when God gently whispers and tells me which way to turn next to find a delightful surprise or an old friend I had not seen in a long while. Sometimes His direction is as subtle as a thought like “take the next exit.” It makes me wonder how many times I didn’t listen to that “little voice inside my head or heart,” missed a clue to do just what was needed next and missed a blessing. Most often these signals from God happen on a day like any other day. It’s just that when I’m tuned in, that typical day often reveals an amazing turn of events.

This particular Thursday started off like most of my workdays. I was running late, taking longer than needed to sort through my clothes closet and couldn’t find that certain sweater. I asked myself, “Where was it? Didn’t I just see it yesterday morning? Why hadn’t I taken the time to re-organize this mess? Why couldn’t I find a few minutes to put some things back where they belonged and speed up my morning routine?”

As I was going through my litany of excuses, I noticed sitting on the shelf the black leather camera bag containing my auto-focus, 35mm Minolta camera. “What a waste of good camera equipment. I don’t use it any longer,” I thought. It had been probably a year since I’d used that camera. I’d been like most people and kept up with the technology craze by recently purchasing a digital camera.

Later in the day while driving home from work, I was trying to decide whether or not to participate in my several times a week ritual – stopping at the grocery store. Today a stop was needed; I had to pick up cat treats or not go home, however, it was just too much trouble. My stress-fractured foot was still sore and hobbling through that big store with a cane, then getting back to the car with packages in cold weather was just more than I wanted to endure. So I reasoned my “needed” items weren’t critical and could wait until tomorrow. I would just have to make a deal with my four hungry cats to get into the house.

What’s that old saying, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today?” Seems God operates on that plan too. As I continued driving, I kept telling myself that I should just stop and get my shopping done. Just do it! Then I realized everything I needed from the grocery store could be purchased at the drug store about a block from my house. I could park at the door and maneuver faster through the much smaller store. I could also leave my cane in the car and just hobble. The decision was made.

I stopped at the drug store, found the items I needed and quickly made my way to the cash register. As I was paying for them, I spotted my former neighbor about to exit the store. Carolyn had been a dear friend since the day I moved to town over 4 years ago. Quite a fascinating, retired lady, she was the county historian and a part-time writer for the local newspaper. I called out a greeting to Carolyn and she made her way over to me.

As Carolyn walked over I noticed she wasn’t her normal cheerful self. So I asked, “How are you doing?” Her response, “Not too well. I had a crown fall out on Tuesday, then today I dropped my $600 camera and it exploded at the seams – totaled it!” What could I say to that? Yet having no idea why, I said, “Sounds like God’s going to do something.” We chuckled, more out of disbelief than faith, chatted for a few more minutes and then we headed out to our cars to leave.

I was just about to pull out of the parking lot when the thought flashed through my mind of my unused camera sitting on my closet shelf. Would I ever use it again? Was I supposed to offer it to her? Should I sell it to her – for how much, maybe $200? These questions continued to develop as I shot up a quick prayer for direction. I jumped out of my car, hobbled quickly back to Carolyn’s car, mentioned that I had an available camera she could use and that I’d call her when I got home to discuss it.

My one hesitation in making an offer so quickly was that my dad had given me this camera and I didn’t want to just give it away without first talking with him. Driving the mile home, I once again asked God for clear direction in this matter. I called my dad, told him the story of Carolyn’s plight and asked if he would be comfortable if I loaned, gave or sold this camera to her. “Certainly” was his response. It “was a waste of good camera equipment just sitting on the shelf. You just bought that digital camera and will probably never use the Minolta again. What if you offered to let her try it out and if it met her needs, and then offer to sale it for $200.” I sat with the phone in my hand amazed. My dad had just said almost word for word what I had been thinking a few minutes earlier. A God-cidence, indeed! I had my direction.

I quickly telephoned Carolyn with the offer. She said she would need a new camera fairly soon as her next newspaper assignment was coming up in just two days. Due to her failing eyesight, she had just one question, “Is it auto-focus?” She was delighted when I said it was. As an afterthought I mentioned that I had an extra camera bag and asked if she needed one. “No, I should have one somewhere” she responded. We ended the conversation with her stating she’d like to “chew on the idea” and would call me back the next day.

The next morning she called and expressed her interest in the camera. I offered to sell it to her for $200. She quickly replied, “If you’ll throw in the camera bag, you’ve got a deal.” 

We met for dinner later that evening to make the trade. We discussed the events of the past 24-hours as we compared our individual stories leading up to that moment in the drug store. We both knew God had planned our steps, causing us to both be at the right place at the right time. We were delighted to think each picture she took for a story with her “new” camera would be a reminder of how God cares about our every step – even the photographs we take.

© 2009 – Karen R. Power. All rights reserved.