Last night, our little family was in our car headed home from church. Jason and I were drained. We are currently in a leadership catalyst class taught by our amazing pastor who teaches the
equivalent to a masters theology class. It's wonderful, thrilling, motivational and daunting. Every week we leave amazed and drained....but we're growing.
So, feeling like this, we decided to stop at QT on the way home for a coke (not actual Coke because we live in Texas and coke means anything that isn't water) and a snack.
Raylen was in the back seat and we hadn't planned on getting her anything. It was late and she had been given a snack at church so we just discussed what we would have. Jason got out of the car and left it running for us and as the store door was closing behind him,
Raylen said "Strawberry for me Daddy." I asked her to repeat what she had just said and she said the same phrase again. I kind of laughed a little at her audacity thinking that she would get
anything sweet at this late hour. She knows better and I wondered why she had thought of strawberry? If she ever gets any kind of drink other than water or milk, it is always Sprite and that's it. I dismissed it and told her that Daddy was just getting he and I something and that she didn't need sugar before going to bed. She said nothing and sat quietly until Jason returned. When he did come to my window to drop off the drinks, he was carrying to cokes and a bottle of
strawberry milk! I couldn't even touch it! He was confused so I told him the story and asked if there was any possible way that he could have heard her or known that she had asked for that. He explained that he had gotten our two drinks and was walking to the counter not planning on getting her anything when he passed the milk case and it came to him to get her some strawberry milk as a treat. He hadn't heard her at all. We both sat in the car without moving for a minute, trying to make heads or tales of it. I guess if we were different people we would have drifted into thoughts that our daughter has some kind of psychic ability. She does not. If she did, she would know to clean her room before I punish her for not cleaning her room.
It was truly an amazing coincidence. It wasn't until later on after
Raylen was in bed that I started thinking about it again and it spoke to me. So many times, I am like
Raylen with God my father. I have desires and I will keep them from Him for a while thinking that it's a long shot that He will "show up" in that circumstance. Then, when I've held on for so long, I finally tell Him what's been on my heart and then beg a little hoping He hears exactly my request. What I realized last night is that God has my best interest at heart. I don't have to shout at Him hoping that He hears my request and I don't have to wait to tell Him, afraid it's too small or out of reach. It is His very nature to provide for and bless me with His goodness. Sometimes His goodness doesn't turn out to be strawberry milk, but other times it does! Either way, every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father and I can relax and enjoy all of His gifts because they are all good.
I have a friend with a great talent and I am very blessed to be on the receiving end of that talent. We spent the day together on Thursday when she took the most gorgeous pictures of my angel baby. There are a lot of beautiful pictures in the world, but when you can look at a photo and literally see the spirit of your daughter leaping off the paper, you know that you have a treasure. This is only one of many.... 
