Who Says You Can't Have Your Cake & Eat It Too?!

What an amazing day! Birthdays are always special, but this year was extra special! Yesterday I awoke to a cloudless sky and the promise of sunshine. Following a few wet, chilly days, the warmth of the sunshine was a gift in itself! During my morning devotion, the verse that nearly jumped off the page of my Bible, became the cry of my heart, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee" (Psalm 73:25, KJV). My phone began ringing early with sweet birthday wishes from even sweeter friends and family members. Although my husband was out of town, I was looking forward to a quiet dinner with my daughter, Riley at an Italian restaurant.

After checking the news, my blog comments, and e-mail, I completed a few revisions on a Christmas article I was submitting to a local publication and pressed the 'send' button on my computer. Now I would just have to wait for a response. Did I mention that I'm not very patient? I think I check my e-mail at least a zillion times a day for potential news on articles I've submitted. Will my article be accepted or will I need to go back to the proverbial drawing board - or, writing board in this case?! Nothing to do but wait.

I headed out the door to my favorite Talbot's outlet. My 'Thrill of the Hunt' coupon would give me an additional ten percent off the already-drastically-reduced inventory. I love a good bargain! After a successful shopping experience, I headed over to pick up Riley from school. Once home, I logged into my e-mail account just in case there was any 'news.' Ugh! Nothing! I picked up the phone. I knew the publisher was wrapping up the December issue by the end of the week, so I just had to make sure the e-mail with my attached article had made it to its intended destination.

Just as I had feared, the publisher was unable to open my attached document until a few minutes prior to my call. Unfortunately, she relayed that my article was much too long to fit in the space that they had remaining in their publication. She felt the article would lose its message if it were edited further. I was disappointed, already beginning to think through other magazines that might accept my article for December publication...Wait a minute. Did I hear what I thought I heard? She wanted to post my article, as written, on their publication's web-site for inclusion in the Community News section! A happy dance was in order!

As I sat with both my husband, Steve, who had made it home earlier then anticipated (another great gift!), and Riley, I couldn't stop smiling. The Lord had certainly blessed me beyond measure! I was reminded of James' words, penned so long ago, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Words that are just as true today. We serve a good God!

As we split a piece of rich, chocolate cake and sipped our hot coffee, I realized that on this particular day, my Heavenly Father had allowed me to 'have my cake, and eat it too!' Isn't God good? Praise His name, today!