Have you ever had that moment happen when all of a sudden its like God answers your prayers and you think....this is it, this is the answer I have been waiting for. Thats what happened to me a few months back while riding in my car on my way to meet an out of town client. I had recently returned from my trip to NY and I was still heavy with grief and trying desperately to understand everything that had happened. Trying to cope and understand. I think back on what a powerful moment it was for me and how I knew right then it was the words I had been praying for.
I was driving along searching for a radio station that would actually come in because I was in the middle of nowhere with not much reception. I just happened upon a radio station and for no particular reason I just started listening. I honestly can't even tell you what made me stop searching. I was also alone this particular morning. This never happens! I am never alone in my car! Which thinking back now on all of this and the songs title, those words seem quite ironic.
Well, I did start listening and it actually happened to be a sermon I had stopped on. It was Lysa Terkerst. She was speaking at the K love fan awards and let me just say that this is what I needed to hear exactly when I needed to hear it. She is such an incredible speaker. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear her speak I highly recommend it. Well, this particular morning she was telling the story of how her and her husband had taken their children diving and how in a moment of panic when she thought that her children were in danger, instead of watching for the dive masters instructions she grabbed her kids and they quickly swam to the surface. When the dive master reached to the top he reminded them that they had all forgotten the first and foremost rule in diving...they took their eyes off the master. Instead of watching his command, she panicked and made a hasty decision which was the wrong one at the time. Her point was that in life how crucial it is that we always keep our eyes on the master. He will lead us if we allow him to. What a reminder.
She spoke more that morning about the olive tree and how it is located in an area that experiences extreme temperatures but needs those to survive. How the harsh heat blows across the land but its followed by a cooling breeze and how the olive tree needs this balance to thrive.
But the one thing that stuck with me that morning more then anything else is when she spoke about the olive's themselves. How the most valuable part of the olive is the olive oil and how to get to the oil the olive must be crushed. Not to destroy the olive but to produce the very best from it. We humans are the same. This is what I needed to hear and it wasn't until this moment did I realize that this is what I had been feeling. Completely crushed. But that it wouldn't destroy me but instead pull the best out of me and my friends, I can honestly say without a doubt that is what it has done!
I had my answer.
It was that thing that you hear and you want to tell everyone all about it. I did. I am. I returned home that day and I couldn't wait to tell Brian! It was like everything I had been carrying around weighing me down had been lifted right off of me and I wanted to share it with him. Thats when this happened. I was searching on my laptop hoping that maybe I could find her sermon from that morning and instead I came across the live streaming of the K love awards. They were still on. I didn't find the sermon but what I did hear was this song. I had never heard it before but as we watched the awards on my laptop in our kitchen making dinner that night, Kari Jobe came out and sang I Am Not Alone. Oh my heart. How those tears fell and I thanked God because it was feelings overload. It was like he was speaking directly to me saying, "Now you know and you get it so I'm going to send you this song as a gift and a reminder". It was overwhelming and amazing all at the same time.
Around this same time , Tara from Between You and Me Signs and I had been exchanging emails about a new sign. I knew I really wanted them to create 4 signs for this wall. I had originally had a different song in mind and its funny how things work out because we were both so busy that it never happened. But then after things had slowed down a little we started emailing again about the signs and I knew this was the song I wanted hanging on our wall. Reminding us we are never alone no matter what life may throw at us.
They arrived and again I was completely overwhelmed by how perfect they were. Tara and her husband Andy are such gracious and kind people. They are truly a blessing.
They fit perfectly in our space. All Between You and Me Signs are handmade and not only are they extremely well constructed, they are beautiful. So many different ones to choose from and you can customize your own sign or signs just like I was able to. I own quite a few signs from them and I love all of them so much. Filling our home with meaningful pieces is so important to me.
Because Tara and Andy are so stinking wonderful and know how much I love their work and how much I love sharing it with all of you, they want to not only give you all 15% off any sign in the shop using code HOUSESEVEN15 but they also want to give away a sign of your choice!!
Head over to my Instagram and look for this image below for a chance to enter to win!!
{Contest applies to US residents only}
