The WIndow Seat

My family has had the experience of moving a couple times in the last few years. I don’t mean just moving to a new house around town. I mean new states. The most recent move was to Georgia. We had one very short weekend to find a house to move into so we were praying hard and had asked everyone to pray with us. At the end of the weekend we had narrowed our list, which was already very small, down to three houses. Our first pick was one we all liked, it had plenty of space was on a cul-de-sac, had a yard, was a close walk to the pool and the best part was the price. The second choice was very nice also, there would be no walking to the pool though and the price was not as comfy. The third one in all honesty was not really a choice it was on the list simply because we had so few to choose from.

While we were on this trip my sweet friend Maggie called me to let me know that she was praying for me. Her prayer was that we would find a house with a nice window seat that I could read in. She was not really sure why she was praying for a window seat and I wasn’t sure either I had never ever thought of wanting a window seat. But I was blessed and encouraged just knowing she was praying.

Well, we didn’t get our first pick, someone beat us to it but we did get the second runner up. We were a little nervous about it because it cost more. We had prayed about it and everything else that was surrounding this move. Our constant prayer with this move was that God would eliminate our choices so that we would be where He wanted us. I guess our choices were being eliminated, just like we asked.

When we arrived at our new house in Georgia the cleaning that was supposed to be done was not done. The house reeked of dog, burn your nose reek, and there was no cracking the windows in that heat. We got the truck unloaded and realized that the water and the gas were shut off in the house. It was seven o’clock at night; we had four kids and a lot of unpacking to do. The kids were having a ball; oblivious to my concerns, they were running through an almost empty house and exploring the unknown, where is the concern with that? I was just walking around praying, reminding myself of all the answers to prayer and of all the things that had lined up to get us where we were. As I was doing that Satan was screaming at me… “You have no hot water, you can’t cook, this place is dirtier than you expected and smells really bad. Are you sure you are following God? Is this really His plan or yours? Those so-called answers to prayer… maybe you just made them up? What are you doing here?”

On the verge of tears I walked into the bedroom off the kitchen to get away from all the chaos, where there were no boxes, it didn’t smell as bad and I could just try and find some peace. And there it was, over looking the most beautiful, mature trees and huge purple and pink butterfly bushes…the window seat. I had never noticed it when we looked at the house I had no idea it was there. But there, at that moment, there was no longer the verge of tears, they were running down my face and I was laughing. Joy, that is what I felt, unspeakable joy. As Satan was screaming at me, God quietly and lovingly answered with a window seat.

After thanking God I picked up my phone and called Maggie to share with her why she was praying for a window seat. God knew I would need it. He answered my doubt with reassurance and love. That window seat was like being pulled into the lap of my heavenly Father for a nice long hug.

Friendship is such a blessing given to us by God. Friend’s love and care for each other. Pray for each other. Teach and learn from each other. They share life’s joys and sorrows. Jesus says in John 7: 37-38, “…if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” I tell you what; I have some amazing friends whose stream of living water does more than flow it comes out like a busted dam. Oh, what a blessing to be drenched by that.

Where’s the mom stuff, right? Well here it is. There was a time when I didn’t make time for my friends and I still struggle with it. Life is busy and crazy with kids. You feel bad for leaving them or your husband to hang out with friends. But you know I need to be blasted with that living water. I need words of encouragement and a hug. I get that from God in our quiet time but He uses the body of Christ too, and sometimes that is the hug I need the one God gives through another one of His daughters.

I want to encourage you to make sure you get some time with your friends, the ones with the streams of living water flowing within them. Get a hug; give a hug. Be encouraged and loved by the people that God has put in your life to be a blessing to you and be a blessing to them.

If you lack this kind of friendship I encourage you to join a small group through your church. I know it can be hard to get away once a week especially if you are a working mother. But these friends, these are the people who are going to be on their knees praying for you when you most need it. The people who bring you meals when they know life is crazy, pay for your kids Christmas when your husband has lost his job or sit with you all day at the funeral home when you loose a loved one.

Take time this week to spend with a good friend or write them a letter of encouragement. Don’t take them for granted. They truly are blessings from God. I cherish my friendships and hope in my humanness that I never take them for granted. I know I am blessed. I love each one of my friends dearly and I miss them very much. I can’t wait to pay them a visit and give them all big hugs. But for now I will just keep reminding them that they mean more to me than they will ever know.

Click on the link and take a few minutes to listen to More than you’ll ever know by Watermark