God Speaks!

Do you believe in signs from God? I do! I believe I receive signs/messages/whatever you want to refer to it as all the time.....through the perfect song playing on the radio, a dream I have, the sermon preached just at the right time, the devotion that really speaks to me, something I read, and other ways. Sometimes it's something comforting that I needed, other times it's confirmation for a decision I am facing, and yet other times it is just God's sense of humor showing up. I believe in signs. As a matter of fact, I am always searching for them; but sometimes they appear when I wasn't even looking.....like last night. NPayne brought home 3 fortune cookies last night....what more appropriate thing for a sign to appear in right? Someone at his office had bought them Chinese for lunch. So he brought home 3 leftover fortune cookies. After we had dinner, one of the girls said..."Oh I love these! Can I have one?" As Drew opened hers it said....."Do not dwell on the differences with a loved one - try to compromise!" She had a very shocked look on her face as she read it and then read it to us. You see she and her sister, Bryna, who she shares a room with have had a little bit of a challenging time getting along these last few weeks. They have had many hours of being confined to their room opportunities to bond and realize how much they love each other. Still yet there have been some arguments that have gotten a little uglier than I'm comfortable with letting them resolve completely on their own. Our number 1 rule, in the House of Payne, is BE KIND! As Drew read that fortune, I had to giggle a little when I said ...."Hmmm...must be a message from God!" and she nodded her head in amazement.Bryna's fortune said something along the lines of....Whatever you want to achieve, you can achieve it. Honestly I can't remember the exact wording, and today I couldn't find her slip of a fortune.
Then came the last fortune cookie....the one Addi opened and agreed to share with Elliot, since there were only 3 cookies but 4 little girls who wanted one. Guess what happened when Addi opened her cookie? Any ideas? Any guesses? Well let me tell you....after reading Drew's fortune....I nearly fell over when Addi opened her cookie and not one but two fortunes were hiding inside her cookie....YES TWO! One for Addi and one for Elli. Then Addi read her fortune, and we both stared at each other with big grins on our faces. Her fortune said...."Treat yourself to a good book for a needed rest and escape." Earlier this week, I challenged her to read "The Hole In Our Gospel" in one week's time; so she has been reading that book religiously....pardon the pun. We both giggled a little at the thought of God sending a message in a fortune cookie, but I'll tell you that we both agreed that it was in fact a message....a confirmation....and maybe a little bit of His sense of humor....in those cookies! What I know is that it made us all smile, and sometimes maybe that's all the signs He sends are intended to do....brighten your day, your mood, make you smile. Believe me.....we've needed some smiles around here lately. Thank You God!