A God who provides more than our basic need.

Last week I watched Katie as she pulled on a pair of her favorite pants -- they were her third favorite originally and have moved to first chair - the first and second favorites were on their way to being too-tight-capris and therefore are being consigned at The Jack and Jill Sale next month.

As she pulled them on, the hem of the pants continued to rise.  She heaved them over her teeny little hip-bones and buttoned them.  She carefully zipped them up over the ballet leotard that she was wearing and smiled at me sweetly...  satisfied with the hem hitting right at her ankles she ran off - I stared at her ankles with weariness.  I appreciate her ability to make an outfit out of most anything in her closet and I wouldn't say a thing about her high-waters -- but most anything in her closet has dwindled to very little and its due to one of two reasons.  Either she doesn't wear it enough and I can give it away OR there just isn't the money to go buy a bunch of clothes right now and the good sales are few and far between... the eager shopper finds the deals.  I am not an eager shopper -- in fact, I don't much enjoy shopping because my taste outweighs my budget; therefore, we just make do with whatever we can find for pennies on the dollar of what I'd like to spend!  And again, I don't enjoy shopping so I don't just happen upon the deals like the eager shopper may...

All that being said, whilst Katie danced around in her ballet outfit and high-water pants without a care in the world, I was thinking about the coming year and the need for her to have a handful more 'appropriate' clothes than a single ballet outfit and a couple pairs of leggings -- sounds like a bit of a stretch but that's all she likes to wear!  It must be comfortable and without much maintenance... funny coming from her.

Today I was sitting at Starbucks on Seattle Hill Rd editing images and having time to myself and my phone rang.  It was {name} and I answered the call eager to talk to her!  She and I had met about 6 months ago in line at Fred Meyer and we just, I don't know, 'hit it off'.  We chatted and laughed and went out separate ways that day -- it wasn't until our third unexpected meeting (Azul in Mill Creek Town Centre) that we threw up our hands and said, 'we should be friends!'  So we exchanged numbers and have since been trying to get our kids together -- we've now settled on sitting down just the two of us over a glass of wine and getting started with our friendship since the kids will now be in school... we'll get them together one of these days... the kids will find out they want to be together all the time and before we know it we'll have 'known them for years' - they are a wonderful family.

'Hi {name}!  How are you?!'  They had just arrived home from Silverwood in Coeur d Alene, Idaho, and she found herself cleaning out the girls' closets.  Her oldest is going into 1st grade and has a bunch of clothes that she no longer fits into...

'What size does Katie wear?'

'Between 5 and 6x, depending on the brand...'  She had unloaded the closet and found that since all of her close friends have boys there was no one to hand them down to so she called me!  I about started crying and explained to her that she was such an answer to prayer and that through her God was providing for us -- we talked a little more and I decided to make my way over to her house after I was done working to pick up the clothes.

What I expected to be one, maybe two, grocery bags of clothes for Katie was actually two large, black garbage bags of beautiful clothes... and not only that, clothes Katie's STYLE -- comfortable and fit; layered and warm.  Things she can wear in the heat of summer but with the addition of leggings and a matching sweater, she can wear it in the dead of winter!  Skirts with tags still on and matching blouses!  Beautiful clothes from Pumpkin Patch, The Childrens Place and the like... I couldn't have dreamed of such provision.  My friend helped me out to the car and we dropped them into the trunk... I closed it and walked around the side of the car where I hugged her and thanked her again -- what a blessing she and her family was in that moment and for the next couple of years!  Sizes 6 and 7 filled those garbage bags!  Not to mention an adorable insulated rain jacket -- one of the things on my list for Katie this Fall... perfect.  Just perfect.

On my way home I was crying and thanking God for such provision -- would I have been just as grateful had He provided us with a $100 gift card to Fred Meyer where I could buy tank tops, sweaters and leggings to extend the wear on a lot of Katie's clothes?  Yes!  So WHY was I so overwhelmed with the abundance and quality of clothing that was now in my trunk?  What was it that made me believe He wanted to show me something different than just simple provision?!  There's got to be something in this moment that He wants me to hear!

His love is extravagant.

Take a moment to listen to this song by Casting Crowns -- its saying exactly what He wants me to hear today.  If you know me, I'm not one to appreciate today's Top Christian songs as they dull my sense of what's cool and help enable a sense of cheap grace and give off a stupid-happy Christian smell of one who doesn't necessarily care for the God they claim to worship but are just excited they have something to fight for.  YET, in spite of my usual disregard for all things Christian music, this was the song that I was trying to remember as I drove home today - I hadn't heard it in probably 10 years.

His love is extravagant from the moment his creation began to the moment we are with him in eternity.

I want to be loved by no other than Him.