Angela

Darby

Recently, I planned a trip with a few friends to celebrate my birthday. We packed up—well, I actually over-packed—and set off to a beach rental home. This trip was a big deal to me because my vacations were typically stay-cations involving church conferences, catching up on chores, and a little relaxation.

The location was beautiful. The home was immaculate. It was so different—the quiet beach, the natural setting, even the sky looked different. I enjoyed my entire time there. But my greatest takeaway happened after I returned from this girls’ trip. I woke up the next day, knelt to pray, and God started to speak and download such clear revelations.

I was reminded of another kind of girl trip, described in the first chapter of Luke. When the angel Gabriel told Mary she was going to give birth to the Savior of the world, she was a young girl, likely a teenager. As her pregnancy became known, imagine the rumors, gossip, and side-long glances she endured. So God sent her to someone who could relate—an older barren woman, way past childbearing years who was now pregnant with her own miracle child! This was Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, and Mary’s “relative,” according to Luke:

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” (Luke 1:39-45 NLT)

What a moment of affirmation and love for Mary. Over the next three months they connected in ways no one else could understand—a God-orchestrated girl trip! I imagine Mary returning home with renewed confidence, joy, and strength about her miracle situation.

When I went away with my lovely friends, we planned no agenda other than to enjoy one another’s company. God’s agenda had more. We ate, laughed, talked and dreamed together. We affirmed and celebrated one another with joy and love. It birthed new endeavors, more focus, and greater revelation. All of that was on God’s agenda.

We all need to surround ourselves with those who can leap with joy for our destiny and purpose. We need to connect, relax and have fun with others who are meant to bring affirmation in our lives.

Who is in your circle? Have you been intentional about connecting with and really enjoying them? Connecting with others in this season is so critical to us staying encouraged and hearing from God!

Let’s pray… Lord, increase my circle and help me to connect with and love others the way You did. Inspire more joy, peace, and clarity in my life through godly relationships. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I listened as my neighbor shared that she saw my home in the foreclosure section of the newspaper. I’d never been through a foreclosure, so I didn’t know it was public information. I thanked her for the call and told her I’d be alright. I was anything but alright. 

A single mother of three children, I’d been back and forth with my lender trying to stay afloat. Now there seemed to be little hope for our situation. Strangers started to appear and walk around my home checking out their next prospective property. But it was still our little safe haven. It was a blessed inheritance for me and my three. I kept on managing life and trying to protect the children from knowing how close we were to being without a home.

I brought the kids together and told them that we were going to pray the same prayer we had been praying—that God would provide a home for us. We would not speak anything in opposition to this confession. Inside, I was still scared and broken. But my children began to have dreams about the next home we would have. I marveled at this and continued to pray and hope for a miracle. 

The miracle-working power of Jesus is displayed in the story of the loaves and fishes, where He provided in a seemingly impossible situation:

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. (Mark 8:1-9 NIV)

Jesus was with that crowd and He was with my family. Like the disciples, I saw the enormity and the impossibility of the situation, while Jesus was standing right there. 

God eventually had me take inventory of my options. I reached out to a friend who managed an apartment complex. She told me about a home that had recently become vacant. She was reluctant to tell me about this opening because she knew I did not want to leave my family home. She was right, but God had a better plan of provision. 

Eventually, we were able to move into a spacious home with enough room for us all. God “sat me down” so He could “break the bread” and supply the blessing we really needed. He multiplied our space and satisfied our hearts.

What is the messy, impossible situation you are facing right now? Give it to God, with thanks, and allow Him to show you His compassion. Trust Him to exceed your expectations. 

Lord, we recognize that You care for us and want to provide our every need. We humble ourselves and wait to receive Your miracle of abundance in our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.