Jerri Phillips

I sat down a second a go to journal about my day, and for reasons I can only assume are God, I feel compelled to tell you about it instead.

First of all, it started pretty miserably. I was up till 5:00 am in pain due to unexplainable muscle spasms. When I woke up at 7:00, my throat hurt, my voice was nearly gone, and my head was pounding. Man of my Dreams sent me back to bed. At 9:00 I got up and showered. Then I lay down on the couch, miserable.

And yet, I wasn't.

I felt a sense of anticipation, that this was going to be a glorious day, the kind where God shows up over and over and leaves others and me in wide-eyed awe. It's always fun to see what He has in mind for those days. It's like Christmas when you know the presents are going to come. All you have to do is wait excitedly until they do and then gasp in joy and amazement at the perfection of them.

Gift #1 wrapped in a huge box with royal blue metallic paper and a large silver ribbon and bow--

As some of you may recall, in January I dropped a large terracotta pot on my big toe. Sunday, the toenail came off. It didn't hurt when it came off, but the area that has always been protected by a nail was very tender. I immediately sent out an email because Anna is walking in Relay for Life Friday night, and I am walking with her. I have to be able to wear shoes, and as of Sunday night, I couldn't even sleep on my stomach because the pressure of my toe against the bed kept me awake. I needed healing.

Today I put on my tennis shoes, walked around the house, hung out laundry, used my big toe to pry my shoe off the other foot (habit), and haven't hurt at all. In fact, I have had my shoes on all day, and there has been no discomfort.

Gift #2 a carefully wrap heart-size gift all in pink--

I've often said when I grow up, I want to be like Anna. It's because there are so many things about her that I am not and wish I were. For instance, Anna is never in a hurry. Ever. She is very meticulous and purpose oriented. It isn't always the purpose I wish she'd pick, but she is very committed to excellence in the things that strike her as important.

This is a great blessing...and a characteristic the enemy loves to attack.

Often Anna is the last one finished, the last one ready, the last one...for anything. She is the one everyone else is left waiting for. People don't always like that, and that means, Anna doesn't always like it.

In the last few weeks, Anna has asked me multiple times about her meticulous nature. Is it really a blessing? Do I love her even when I have to wait for her? This is heavy for her.

In our family time, we've prayed for God to show her that she is fearfully and wonderfully made. She is a masterpiece.

This morning, while I was sleeping, she read a Highlights Magazine, and the article she read was about a young lady who was always last out the door, last ready, last finished. Why? Because she was putting away the art supplies or cleaning up or helping out in some way. She was being a person of excellence, and excellence cannot be rushed.

Anna glowed as she told me about the story. "I'm not the only one," she said with a huge smile.

Knowing you are what you are supposed to be...is there a better gift?

Gift #3 wrapped in a box made to hold jewels, lined with softness, the kind that feels good when it touches you--

I jumped on Facebook to reply to a few things and saw a friend online. I normally don't send him instant messages because he is busy, but today I opened a window and gave him a quick two line message. I won't tell you what it was, but his reply reminded me of God's incredible interest in detail in our lives. In short, my friend had just gone through a tiring time, and the words were the encouragement he needed.

What a gift to have the Father speak to your exact need and what a gift to be a vessel of the Most High?

Gift #4 wrapped in green, paradoxically small and large at the same time--

The thought the Lord has been putting on my heart since Christmas finally found comletion today. We got to be a blessing, and others got to be blessed. It really is so blessed to give!!!

Gift #5 a recycled gift that never loses its value--

This week the Lord has really convicted me of "backup plans". Things we pray about but devise backup plans in case God doesn't answer. I have come to realize that God always answers. The question is what do we do when it isn't the answer we want. Too often, we devise backup plans. I can wear a houseshoe or walk barefoot at Relay for Life. The Lord really got in my face about this and said, "I'll either heal you, or I don't want you to be the one walking. I don't need you to bail me out." Oh...

I've been meditating on this simple--and yet deeply profound--revelation this week. It seems so simple, but we have this human nature...like today.

A friend of mine called and shared a scheduling conflict in her family. The event they wanted to attend is a big deal. I've participated, and I'm here to tell you--it's a BIG deal. However, there was a conflict. My first inclination was to offer options. Maybe this...maybe that... In the middle of my bailout plan, God spoke, "Is this of me or not? If it is, what is the issue? Ask me, and I'll give it to you."

Suddenly, my mind changed. "Let's pray. Right now." She agreed. When we were done, it was obvious to both of us that the Holy Spirit had been in the prayer, that it had been directed by Him, and that the Lord was already working through the details. As we got off the phone, I said I would keep warring for her peace of mind and the perfect alignment of time, and would hse please let me know when things had arranged so I could rejoice with her. She said she would.

One of the greatest gifts in all the universe is knowing God does not need bailed out or backed up. He is IT. He is I AM. Period.

Gift #6 small but valuable, covered in hearts--

Anna lost one of her favorite little dolls. She looked everywhere but couldn't find it. She asked me to joing the search. I looked everywhere she mentioned having been with it in tow. Nothing. Finally, I asked simply, "Did you ask God where it is?" She had not. We stopped, and I simply asked aloud, "Lord, where is Sampson?" I immediately walked into her room, which was not a place of play but a place of passing through as more toys were pulled together for play. I picked up her blanket and tossed it on her bed. Then I picked up a throw pillow and tossed it on her bed. There lay Sampson.

Gift #7 wrapped in ocean blue/green, calming, and as big as you want it to be--

God never favors one child over the other. His gifts are for all His children...every day.


Is this day typical? No...and yes.

Do we always get to give the gifts we gave today? No. But I have found the more I anticipate the Lord in my day, the more He is allowed into my day and the more I see Him so obviously in my day.

I cannot tell you the number of times we have searched high and low for things only to stop and ask, "Lord, where is it?" Suddenly, we know.

I do not know how many times the Lord affirms someone in my family through something we read, an email form someone, a card, or a chance meeting.

And the opportunity to encourage someone is always there...right in your own home...standing at the counter at the bank...sitting alone on a chair in church...crossing your mind for the first time in a long time... We simply have to offer, "God, how can I uplift them today?" He loves to tell you because that is His heart. He loves to see you act like Him! And don't expect a booming voice from Heaven. Just go with what crosses your mind. ALL GOOD THINGS ARE FROM HIM!!! You didn't think up that nice thing all by yourself. It's His idea. Run with it.

Does healing happen everyday? Maybe not like my toe, BUT every need I have is met in Him every single day. His heart is for me...every single day. He loves to show me He loves me...every single day.

Yep, this is pretty much our life. Oh, there are some really hard days, but even on those days, God does amazing things. It is up to me to expect them, to receive them, to rejoice in them.

Praying your enjoy a typical day, too...