Right after the Open House for the Infant Care Center, we had to plan the Open house for the new school and summer camp out on the 13 acres. Although the property had been used as a Nursery School for a few hours a day, it needed work to accommodate what we had in mind.

On my way to the school/camp property I stopped at our local 7-11 for coffee. There I chatted with the owner, a policeman in town, and his teen aged son Billy.

I asked Billy if he wanted to work with me clearing some junk and branches from the property to get it ready for an Open House event. He told me he would, and he would bring his Billy Goat… We laughed, cause they both knew how much trouble my goat Saint had gotten into in the past. But Billy’s billy goat was a machine that ate everything and turned it into mulch. I waited for him to get the equipment and we left.

The new school/camp property was only a few miles away and we began working immediately after we got there.

We worked well together and the Billy Goat Machine was truly a blessing.

As we were on a roll, God spoke to me and said “Take Billy back, I want you to go to a church in Toms River, and by the way, buy a rose and take it with you.” (Our 7-ll carried long stem roses individually wrapped.)

I always try to obey God. But, this time I found myself telling God “But I am dirty, can I go home and take a shower first?”

“No” was His reply.

So, I brought Billy back to his father’s 7-11 and I drove to the church in the nearby town of Toms River. I had been to this church a few times to listen to concerts or special speakers but I wasn’t a regular there.

I took a seat near the back, and I noticed people up front were praying for this young woman. The woman was in her late 20’s or early 30’s. After she received there prayers she walked up the isle past me. The Lord spoke to me and said, “Give her the rose you brought with you.”

She started up the steps to the balcony of the church. Halfway up the steps I said, “Miss, I have something for you.” She turned around facing me with a surprised look on her face.

“Here, this is for you. God told me to give it to you.”

She started to cry and said “It’s my birthday today, and I was going to kill myself this evening. But, I came here instead.”

I told her that God loved her and He wanted her to know that.

She thanked me and I went back to my seat.

In a few moments, someone from behind me tapped me on my shoulder and handed me a gold coin. On the coin were these words. “God Loves You, really loves you.” I started to cry.

In obedience I went and gave a gift to someone who really needed to know that God was with her and here I was getting a gift to remind me that He really loved me, too!

Then the woman behind me tapped me again and said, “There is another message for you on the other side.”

I sat in amazement that she knew what side I had read…Not really, I know that God told her what message I REALLY NEEDED to hear.

The other side of the gold coin said “No enemy raised against you shall prosper!”

That was His REAL message to me. I was in a law suite to redeem my name and reputation and I needed to hear those words “No enemy raised against you shall prosper!”

At the end of the service, the woman who received the rose and I stood and told the rest of the congregation what had happed to us that evening and the blessings we had received.

Never rob yourself of the blessings God has for you by making excuses not to do something He asks of you. The rewards certainly outweigh any inconveniences along the way.

God Loves You; Really, Really Loves You!

© Carole Devecka God Given Daisies CaroleDevecka@comcast.net