God has signed His name on my dishes. Really. At first glance you will not be able to see it, but after I tell you my story, I believe you will agree with me that God’s signature is truly there.
You see, God is interested in the details of the lives of His children and the desires of their hearts (Psalm 37:4). As we obey Him, it is His delight to shower us with good gifts.
When I graduated from high school, our family finances were in a bind (translation: no extra money). My parents explained that there would be no graduation gift until a later time. Life moved forward and the graduation gift was forgotten.
A few years later I got married, and for our eighth Christmas I asked my husband for a set of the new Corelle dishes. There were only two patterns available, the green and the gold. I asked for the gold to match my kitchen wallpaper. He bought the green.
As most everyone knows, Corelle is very durable and lasts a long time. I still have those green dishes! Years passed and for our 25th anniversary, I asked for a set of new dishes. I did not get them. The next year on our 26th anniversary I again asked for a set of new dishes. I did not get them. By the 27th, I had given up and moved on.
Meanwhile, our youngest daughter was graduating from high school and my dad was preparing to give her a monetary gift. For some reason, he remembered that he had never kept his promise to me. So after 28 years, he wrote me a check for my graduation gift. I knew immediately what I wanted to buy: new dishes!
Before I could go shopping, our church had a special Sunday of giving to our building fund. As I sat in my pew, I distinctly heard God ask me to give my graduation gift in the offering. I hesitated, thinking how long I had waited for this money.
I was currently a leader in Bible Study Fellowship and we were studying the life of Moses. The main principle of the study was obedience brings blessing. God had been so good to me. How could I not give? So I gave.
A few months passed and the end of BSF came. To my surprise, the sweet ladies in my group took up a collection to express their love and presented it to me on our last day together. There was a stipulation that I use the money to buy something for myself. What do you think I bought?
My new dishes have a service for eight, salt and pepper shakers, a teapot, and even matching glasses! (I again chose Corelle for its durability.) The pattern is Blue Hearts which seemed very appropriate coming from my heavenly Father.
There are no words on my dishes, but His signature is bright and clear. James 1:17 (NIV) says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
God is so good. Take a moment and look around at the many gifts God has given you. I believe if you look closely, you will discover His signature along with the postscript “I love you.”
Lora Milligan
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