Sooooo.
..this weekend, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Christ Church Apostolic…the amazing assembly of God that I have the privilege of attending. One of the festivities of the weekend was an all white party, to celebrate, which meant I had to wear all white. In addition to Saturday’s white party, we were to wear white on Sunday morning. Now, I am accustomed to being required to wear white once, maybe twice a year so I was prepared for at least one more day (we wore white a few weeks ago on Pentecost Sunday) but not 2. This meant I had to go on a mad search for a reasonably priced white outfit (uhhhh…I’m on a budget!) for Saturday…Sunday was already set.
I set out over the past few weeks and found nothing. My last effort came on Saturday…the day of the white party…I know, I know, crunch time…but anyhoo…… I’d gone to a couple different stores and was unable to find anything that suited me. When I pulled up to the fourth store, I said, “Lord, please let me go in here and find the perfect dress…let it fit my taste and be the perfect price. Thank You, Lord.” At this point, I was pretty “done” with driving around and declared that I’d give up if I found nothing there. So, I went into this store and looked, and looked. I even found a couple of “maybes” which turned out to be “NOs”. I went to a rack and gave it one more look and found the PERFECT dress. It was super cute, it was the perfect price, and it fit my taste, exactly! One thing made it imperfect, it wasn’t my size. It was 2 sizes too small (no cracks on my size…I’m NOT THAT small…lol). I was slightly upset because it was too small and disappointed because this meant I had to go to another store ( I know I said I was done but Jesus said, “no you’re not…on to the next store!”). Now, I LOVE shopping but this was just down right frustrating!
Mmmkay…so now we’re heading to store number five. Frustrated and tired and DONE! I pulled up to the 5th store, REALLY wanting to go home and take a nap before I had to be at the church but REALLY wanting to be “in order” and in white. I go inside and look around for about 15 minutes, try on a couple things, and find NOTHING! I walk back over to a rack that I thought I’d looked on and see a skirt hanging. I grab it off of the rack, it was my size! So, I found a skirt…but it wasn’t a dress, so, I needed a top. I walk up a couple aisles and see a white top hanging on the end and grab it…again…MY SIZE! And it matched the skirt PERFECTLY!!! Okay…I had this outfit that I found at store number 5 (Did you know that 5 is the number of grace? Well, if not, you know now!) and it costed me all of $10!
Okay…so I’m sure you’d like my point now. I mean…I couldn’t have told you all this info just to let you know that I had to spend all morning searching for a white outfit…you don’t care! Well, I’m glad you know me so well by now! 🙂 I’d said to God, as I was driving around for what seemed like an eternity, “I know there is a lesson in all of this, and I know you will reveal it soon.” I was correct. After I’d gotten in my car from purchasing my white party attire, I thought, “Lord, you could’ve just sent me here to begin with.” Then, God said to me,
“Often, what you want and need, you must work for. You have to be willing to travel to get it because what is worth your time and effort won’t be easily attained. If you want it bad enough you’ll go after it. I didn’t tell you that your road to destiny would always be easy; in fact, you will get frustrated often and even want to give up at times…but what I have for you will be well worth your struggle, miles, and time. Take your situation today…you drove from store to store looking for something you knew that you needed and at a point, you were willing to give up even though you recognized that it would not be to your benefit. Notice that I sustained you and told you to go on and not give up. When you took heed to My words, you came out victorious in your search.
As for the “perfect” dress you found in store number four…the one that WAS NOT your size…remember how close you were to what was actually yours? How that dress was in store number 4 and what was for you was in store number 5? That’s how it is at times…you will come in contact with things that seem as though they are to be yours…they look perfect…they fit the description…but they are NOT yours. This causes you to want to give up when you are steps from the finish line…from your blessing…from your destiny. And remember your prayer, ‘Lord, please let me go in here and find the perfect dress…let it fit my taste and be the perfect price. Thank You, Lord.’…well, you were not precise in your specifics. You asked for EVERYTHING except that the dress be YOUR SIZE. There will be many things that look like what you asked for, but they won’t be your size. And, there is no perfect price…you will often be required to pay a good sum for what is necessary for you. What does that mean??? It means that it is NOT YOURS. Know that WHENEVER I bless you, that blessing will fit you PERFECTLY! So, in your prayers and requests, be sure you ask that what I provide you with will fit YOU. Remember that I won’t EVER give you anything that isn’t created for your measurements specifically so if it’s not…it’s NOT from Me. And, this anointing, this blessing, this purpose WILL cost you but again, it WILL be worth it!
Baby girl, be ready to work for what is yours and know that when you get it, it will fit YOU like a glove!”
So…I ask you…beg you…plead with you…DO NOT GIVE UP!!! Keep driving…keep walking…keep running…you’re almost there! You’re at store number 4 and grace is awaiting you at store number 5. What is for you will fit the description and be the perfect size for you and ONLY you! If someone else has what you asked for, don’t get discouraged, it’s not yours. Nobody can have what is for you. God made sure of that loooooonnnnnggg ago…trust me.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6
Love you all and I pray your Monday is miraculous!
Ms. A.M.White