"When in Rome..." part 7

When I was asked to speak here tonight, it was suggested that I maybe share a story about how I’ve had a wish come true.  It was interesting because that got my mind in review mode, scrolling for the best story to tell.

The truth is that I’ve wished for a lot of things, and only gotten some of them.  And some of the things I’ve wished for haven’t turned out the way I’d hoped.

When I was in Rome in 2007 I went to the Trevi Fountain and made a wish.

I was so discouraged at that time because the two things I had been praying for, for so long, I had not happened yet.  One was that I wanted to be married again, and the other thing was that I desperately wanted to be published.

I wanted to be published so badly, because I thought I would have to be a published author in order to do what I am doing tonight.  I want so much to be a spokeperson for Jesus.

And I wanted to be married because every princess longs for a Prince.  Amen?

But I was so discouraged, so tired of asking the Lord for those two things.  I had been asking, begging pleading with God for so long.  I had even tried negotiating with God, “Well, if I can’t have both, then just give me one of those two things...”  By the time I got to the Trevi Fountain, I guess I kind of gave up.  I had been writing since 2001, and a single mother since 1999.

So, I decided to use my Trevi Fountain wish for something else.  I talked it over with the Lord too, because I don’t really believe in Fountains.  I said, “Lord, you know what I really want, but I’m not going to wish for that today.  Anything but that.”  So, as I lifted my Euro coin up and threw it over my shoulder, I “wished” for something else.  Something that wouldn’t slay me if it didn’t come true.

Funny thing is, I have no idea now what I actually wished for.  Whatever it was it must have been something utterly insignificant, and forgettable.  Maybe I wished for a good day.

But God heard my heart, and hadn’t forgotten me.

Four months after returning home from Rome, I submitted my unpublished manuscript to The Best New Canadian Christian Author of the year contest and was named one of the finalists.

Ten months after I visited that fountain, the man who is now my husband walked through the front door of my school and asked me out for the very first time.

My point tonight is simply this -- Jesus is the supplier of everything you deeply desire.


Psalm 37:4 says,

“Delight yourself in the LORD 

       and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

That manuscript never did get published.  The Lord instructed me to “give it away” so I started a blog and posted the whole thing.  Now I maintain that blog and have over 1000 visitors every month, with readers accessing it from all over the world.

And I keep writing.  I don’t know what the Lord has for me, but I do know this.  I am here tonight talking to you fine ladies about the Love of my life.  And I have a fine-looking man waiting for me at home.  Together we have 4 young adult children, and let me tell you, life in a blended family is never boring.

Ultimately, the Lord is the Author of my unique “happily ever after.”  And He can be the Author of yours too.  Learn to delight yourself in Him.  

If you don’t know Jesus as your saviour, please come and talk with me afterwards.  It would be my pleasure and an enormous priviledge for me to pray with you tonight.

If you don’t really know how much Jesus loves you, please come and let me pray with you that you too will receive a revelation of God’s unfailing love for you.

*****

Readers, do you know Him?  Let me know.  I long to hear from you just as God longs to hear your prayers.  Did you know the Bible tells us to present our requests to Him?  Go ahead.  He's listening.