Look at the date of this post. Are you looking? Yeah, it’s May 11th . Exactly 87 days from Saturday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day. The day that my package was supposed to arrive from him. This is Valentine’s Day On Purpose: A Follow-up piece. You asked for it and so here it is. It’s the true story of events surrounding my Valentine’s Day gifts that I don’t think anyone expected: (CLICK HERE TO READ PART ONE) ********************************************************************** Not long after I posted my piece for Valentine’s Day 2015 on my blog was I inundated with calls, compliments, e-mails and praises for the post as well as the seemingly innocuous question: “Soooo, what did you get?” Apparently, quite a few of you were intrigued. I was quite taken aback by the frequency of the question as it was a query that I did not expect. It was evident that my readers were not satisfied. I had left them “wanting more” (as one girlfriend put it). I was slightly shocked in that it was never my original intention to share with my audience what gift I would receive when it arrived. “That was not the purpose of the blog!” I would exclaim when I spoke to people about it, half in defense of the standing article and half toying with the unexpected question – “Well, should there be a part two??” I suppose that it was a good problem to have. While people enjoyed it, I felt that if they were asking about the actual gift, they had missed the point. The purpose of the article had been to illustrate the power of asking, the power of prayer, the rewards of believing, and to encourage. . . or at least, so I had thought. . . . But my readers wanted more and ultimately they would get it because as the story played out – the turn of events were so unique that it was apparent that this was a story that was just itching to be told! Because, as fate would have it, be it my intention to share the gift or not – apparently it was never my choice to make – because, quite simply put, it never came. Now no one could have been more disappointed and quite frankly, more embarrassed than I. And when the curious texts of what I had received for Valentine’s Day appeared on my phone or were casually brought up as a follow-up to the article in conversation, I would usually fend off the question with a polite, yet dismissive answer that was, mortifyingly true: It hadn’t come yet. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t know what had happened. What had gone wrong? It was supposed to be a simple story, a good story, not one where you told events that would never transpire. Unwanted thoughts began to hover; had I put the cart before the horse? Had I jumped the gun? Showed my hand too early? Apparently, it was the classic case of don’t tell what happens before it actually happens. . . But, in my defense, “I was living out the principal of ask and you shall receive though. . . ” and I had received! I mean, he had called and told me that he was sending a gift – so I it was okay to share right?? Or so went the argument in my head. . . . And I, in a flight of excitement and fueled by the quick results and answer to my prayer, took to my blog and social media to spread my story of asking for what you wanted for Valentine’s Day – not to leave yours to chance and gosh-darn-it tell your day what to be to you!! I had done the same and a month later my gift had still yet to show. I knew that I wasn’t going to receive the gift on Feb. 14th due to a text – along with a promise that it was on its way. So, I, still in high hopes and belief, looked for it. February 15th came, the 16th, the 21st and then March 1st and OMG, April – really?? The dates came and went along with inquiries from girlfriends and others as to what I had received, where the package was and when was I going to update the post on my blog??? etc. etc. but their inquests eventually faded away with most of them probably believing that I just wanted to keep the gift a secret. But the only thing that was a secret was the wounds I nursed after my very public display of happiness and encouragement when I had nothing to show for it. Ugh. So I know what you’re probably thinking – where was the guy in all this?? This mysterious guy (who’s name shall still not yet be revealed) – did he explain? Did he track the package? Did he ever REALLY send it? Did he just promise a package and disappear?? And if so, who does that??? Well to answer your questions, he was just as confused as any of us. I was daily peppered with texts asking had I received the package. Did I keep checking? Did I think that it had been stolen?? And I returned his questions with a few of my own: Did he track it? Who sent it off? Did he? How many days shipping? Overnight? A week?? Was there a delivery confirmation e-mail? In the days and weeks that followed he and I speculated and hypothesized between the two of us what could have happened to it . . . And then in an unexpected twist a story was covered by a local news station about a huge postal debacle right in my neighborhood!! What were the chances?!?! Surely, this must be the answer to the missing package! Maybe . . . .? So our quest now lead to the post office. My friend called the post office and was placed on hold for over 30 minutes. He hung up. He tried another day and was sent to voicemail Yet another day, called again and this time he actually did speak to a human but only to be read to from a script that they were obviously using to defer frustrated patrons that they were bombarded with calls from. All this effort, but to no avail. . . But there’s another factor I didn’t bring up. You see, when I sent my Valentine’s Day gift to him, I sent it off along with prayer, believing that it would get there safely in addition to every other pre-caution I took (tracking number, etc.) as any measure would be irrelevant in my eyes alone if it was also not covered in prayer. And knowing that I had brought this before God’s throne removed all worry and concern from my mind about my package’s safe arrival to him. It thus occurred to me that I should do the same for the gift that he was sending to me; because ultimately it didn’t matter how the package had left my friend’s state, who shipped it and whether it had a tracking number or not, once, in my opinion, God was involved – nothing else mattered. Because God is not limited to our world and our problems – he can fix anything, no matter the situation and according to my beliefs, in my world if something is an issue, I bring it to him. So, after a brief prayer about it – as far as I was concerned all was well and I even told my friend so in a brief text exchange: “Well, I prayed about that too – so I’m expecting [the package]!” When others would ask me (those who DID know that I hadn’t received the gift) I always answered truthfully, that I wasn’t thinking about it. I didn’t know what had happened to it, but this would not consume my thoughts. No longer speculating, I had given it over to God. There was nothing else to do. So it truly was the furthest thing from my mind when a picture arrived on my phone via a text message accompanied by the message “Look what arrived today!” It was a box. A big box. Bandaged by what looked like several rolls of packaging tape – apparently it had been on quite the journey – but to me it might as well had been a million dollars – for I instantly knew what it was.
I grabbed my phone and quickly typed back: “OMG!! What??? Wow!! So glad that you got it back and that it didn’t get lost in the mail!” Followed by a second text: “I told you that I prayed about it!” He answered with a phone call and we laughed and joked about the chances that the package would end up right in the same place where it had started from as well as quipped briefly about prayer and that it works! So on Sunday, April 26th, exactly 72 days from Valentine’s Day on a visit home, a close friend with my Valentine’s Day gifts in tow, walked up to me, and placed the presents right into my hands. A beautiful black and gold dress gold pooled out of the bag that he handed me as well as a bottle of one of the best smelling perfumes that I have ever had. I think he did good. J I write this to you say that God cares about what you care about. No concern is too big or too small for his attention. If it’s important to you – it’s important to him and there are plenty of scriptures and promises in the bible to back this claim! I must say that don’t know if there even would have been a follow-up to this post if it had not been for the requests and inquiries and encouragement from you all to do so. So,Thank You!!! But, in addition to that, I write also to only further emphasize what I was originally trying to stress in my first posting regarding my request: focusing on what you want to happen, asking for what you want, daring to believe, and furthermore to be okay with the process, because, sometimes (many times for that matter) life often doesn’t work out the way that you think it will. But I have found that if you believe it often has a way of pleasantly surprising you. Even if it’s something as simple as a Valentine ’s Day gift that your heart so desperately desires. If it’s important to you – it’s important to God; and even if it comes three months later - It came. For God has promised that if you believe – you would see. (St. John 11:40 - KJV) I believed and I most definitely saw.
3 Comments
Nancy E. Patterson
5/12/2015 12:36:44 am
Both stories are well written and SO on point. God's got it.....ALWAYS! Thank You for sharing Christina. Sometimes people need a reminder and YOU surely reminded your readers of the goodness and faithfulness of God!
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Jessica
5/14/2015 02:11:58 pm
I guess I was asking all the wrong questions all this time!!! I should have said, "I prayed about your package also, so it should be here very soon!" Such encouragement of your Faith!!!
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