The Trilogy
God's gifts and surprises are unexpected blessings,
which come in God's perfect timing.
It Began in a Barn
There Was Rejoicing
Under the Stars
December 26
How do I explain the Christmas Trilogy...an encounter that enriched my life and still has me in awe of what God can do?
Sneaking away with the Lord, November 17th, I heard three phrases. "It began in a Barn, There was Rejoicing and Under the Stars." Having no clue what that meant, I offered up a few short intercessions for others and went on with my day. The following day, I changed up my getaway spot with the Lord and sat in our dining room. Watching out the window the sun shone brilliantly as I hoped to see the giant Blue Heron who lives near our beach. He or she is one of those "God is with me" symbols in my life.
With paper and pencil in hand, I positioned myself to listen and again I heard the three phrases, but they were prefaced with this title: The Christmas Trilogy and as each phrase came again there was a location, which joined it. "What does this mean?" I questioned the Lord.
The third segment, didn't phase me at all. The elements were easy to fulfill...asking my husband to teach on the Star of Bethlehem on our patio for a group of friends. Segment one and two...not so simple.
It Began in a Barn involved asking a woman, whom I had only met a couple months ago to invite a group of us to her lovely barn and for her to teach on Mary's encounter with the angel. Being excited about what God might be up to, I called this woman whose reply was...
"That's interesting. The verse you just quoted is what I taught on in Sunday school last week. Let me talk to my husband." His response was a brief, "No!" November 22nd I receive a phone call from my new friend, who states, "We have to do this! Every devotional I've read this week has to do with obedience."
The Trilogy was to take place the first week of December...at this point we had only two weeks to get the guest list together and pull this off. The fact that God was giving the party is the only thing that made it doable. Three days before the event my barn buddy called to see if I had a manger or a banner for her barn. No go on the manger, but I went to my fabric stash and hunkered down that day and made her the banner in the first picture! Her barn hand hung lights she had ordered for the barn, which were AMAZING and he also whipped up a manger! She and I were both in shock with all that was unfolding.
Backing it up to November 22nd...parts one and two were in place, but I was really dragging my feet with part two. You see, I had never met the owner of the home for part two or been to his home. The vision I had seen there was the guests singing around a grand piano. Approaching this gentleman was WAY out of my comfort zone, so I began to attempt some other avenues. They were road blocks and so of me, not Him!
By this time we had begun mentioning this idea to two Bible study groups. who were to be the invited guests. Confirmation came when I called the pianist, who was to play for There was Rejoicing. I was hopeful she could direct me to where we would hold part two and hoped her home would be a possibility. Instead she says, "You should call....and named the man God had put on my heart." She assumed I knew this individual and I just played along, not sharing what God had been up to with me.
Taking a deep breathe and ushering up a prayer, I found the necessary phone number and called fully expecting to not receive an answer. Instead, grace beyond measure was offered...his home, coffee, tea, pastries...I was in shock. Hanging up the phone I walked into the living room where my husband sat and said, "Why do I ever doubt God? Why am I so slow to obey? This man just offered abundantly more than I could have ever imagined. He was SO nice."
For me the Trilogy had done it's work. It was a lesson in obedience. It became though the gift that kept on giving...more to come....
How do I explain the Christmas Trilogy...an encounter that enriched my life and still has me in awe of what God can do?
Sneaking away with the Lord, November 17th, I heard three phrases. "It began in a Barn, There was Rejoicing and Under the Stars." Having no clue what that meant, I offered up a few short intercessions for others and went on with my day. The following day, I changed up my getaway spot with the Lord and sat in our dining room. Watching out the window the sun shone brilliantly as I hoped to see the giant Blue Heron who lives near our beach. He or she is one of those "God is with me" symbols in my life.
With paper and pencil in hand, I positioned myself to listen and again I heard the three phrases, but they were prefaced with this title: The Christmas Trilogy and as each phrase came again there was a location, which joined it. "What does this mean?" I questioned the Lord.
The third segment, didn't phase me at all. The elements were easy to fulfill...asking my husband to teach on the Star of Bethlehem on our patio for a group of friends. Segment one and two...not so simple.
It Began in a Barn involved asking a woman, whom I had only met a couple months ago to invite a group of us to her lovely barn and for her to teach on Mary's encounter with the angel. Being excited about what God might be up to, I called this woman whose reply was...
"That's interesting. The verse you just quoted is what I taught on in Sunday school last week. Let me talk to my husband." His response was a brief, "No!" November 22nd I receive a phone call from my new friend, who states, "We have to do this! Every devotional I've read this week has to do with obedience."
The Trilogy was to take place the first week of December...at this point we had only two weeks to get the guest list together and pull this off. The fact that God was giving the party is the only thing that made it doable. Three days before the event my barn buddy called to see if I had a manger or a banner for her barn. No go on the manger, but I went to my fabric stash and hunkered down that day and made her the banner in the first picture! Her barn hand hung lights she had ordered for the barn, which were AMAZING and he also whipped up a manger! She and I were both in shock with all that was unfolding.
Backing it up to November 22nd...parts one and two were in place, but I was really dragging my feet with part two. You see, I had never met the owner of the home for part two or been to his home. The vision I had seen there was the guests singing around a grand piano. Approaching this gentleman was WAY out of my comfort zone, so I began to attempt some other avenues. They were road blocks and so of me, not Him!
By this time we had begun mentioning this idea to two Bible study groups. who were to be the invited guests. Confirmation came when I called the pianist, who was to play for There was Rejoicing. I was hopeful she could direct me to where we would hold part two and hoped her home would be a possibility. Instead she says, "You should call....and named the man God had put on my heart." She assumed I knew this individual and I just played along, not sharing what God had been up to with me.
Taking a deep breathe and ushering up a prayer, I found the necessary phone number and called fully expecting to not receive an answer. Instead, grace beyond measure was offered...his home, coffee, tea, pastries...I was in shock. Hanging up the phone I walked into the living room where my husband sat and said, "Why do I ever doubt God? Why am I so slow to obey? This man just offered abundantly more than I could have ever imagined. He was SO nice."
For me the Trilogy had done it's work. It was a lesson in obedience. It became though the gift that kept on giving...more to come....
