Believe…The Backstory

God is in every single detail.  Every. Single. Detail. And His Timing is perfect.

The above Believe Sign has been placed in our yard now for 5 Christmases. It is more than just a Christmas decoration we pull down out of the attic.  After Warren died I had a lot of questions, but God had one for me too…
“Do you believe?”…..

He cares for us.  He sees us and He hears us. Scripture says that He is near to the brokenhearted. I have experienced and know this to be true.  This story, this “sign” is a visual picture of how much He loves us.  He does not drop us in the middle of a trial and whisper “good luck” leaving us to figure a way out on our own.  Even when it seems there is nothing but darkness and uncertainty pulling us under.  When the silence seems to say we are all alone.  He is present, He is holding us & He is working.  Breakthrough is coming. We need only to believe.  But what does that look like?

John Piper says this about believing…
“It’s more than believing in the fact that Jesus is the Son of God but delighting in that fact, embracing that fact, and making Christ the treasure and the Lord of your life by surrendering to him.”

One of the things I love most about this particular “Believe sign” is learning the “back story” or the “behind the scenes” if you will…How several friends, looking for ways to love on our family during a very difficult season, followed through with a simple idea, not knowing the impact it was going to have on my personal journey of grief and belief.

My dear precious friend Carolyn wrote this letter to me describing the events that led up to this Believe sign ending up in our yard on 12-17-2014, only 24 days after Warren died~

Dearest Julie,

The “I Believe” story is a story that I dwell on almost daily as it confirms to me that God is good, and God is with us, and God will never leave us.  God also gives us what we need, when we need it.  He KNOWS.  After collecting money from many people in the community and spending it on different needs; we had some money left over.  You had mentioned to a friend that there wasa yard sign you liked, and it was one simple word-BELIEVE.  I looked online for the sign-found it and bought the last one available and it was even on sale.  The shipping date was a few weeks from the order date which was not ideal and made me a little anxious as I had a sense of urgency to make everything right for you. It was the holiday season and shipping anything would take a long time.

Two days after I ordered the sign, it showed up on my porch.  I knew then I had to get it in your yard that night. Something-and I really believe it was God – was insistent that I set it up that night. I called Tom at work and asked him to help me.  He said he had to work late and also had work at home to do.  It was cold and rainy, and he said he preferred to do it the next day.  I didn’t cry or beg like I wanted to but I knew in my heart he was going to put it together that night. 

He came home earlier than expected and started on the sign without me even saying anything.  He came inside to tell me at one point, that it was missing bolts and screws and they were not the standard.  He wasn’t sure he had anything that would work.  He went back out-and then 10 minutes later came in and said “I’m finished.”

I went outside to look at it, it was perfect. We called Amy, your neighbor, to be on the lookout for you as you were taking Grace to cheer.  She gave us the go ahead-We set it up pretty quickly and left.  I got a text from you shortly thereafter that you had cried out to God for a sign to believe, and then came home to the sign in your yard…”BELIEVE”

To sum up this story, and to reflect on how it was ‘meant to be’ I want to list the obstacles and the blessings that all worked together to create one of the best stories of God’s love and perfect timing that I have ever been a part of.

• Money left over
• Last sign available
• On sale
• Shipped in 2 days not 2 weeks
• Tom had to work late and had work to do at home
• Cold and rainy weather
• Missing bolts and screws
• You had been asking for a sign to help you “believe”

He loves you.  He is with you ALWAYS.     Love you, Carolyn

Knowing now how God was working that Wednesday, hearing my desperate cry for relief is overwhelming. The details  of that day, the kindness and generosity of others, and these 7 glittery letters changed everything………………