Therefore put on the full armor of
God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.—Ephesians 6:13
One after another, people stepped up on the sidewalk and paused for a moment right in front of me and my friend, Joyce, as we enjoyed our meal from the restaurant’s outdoor dining area. At first I thought it was strange. What are they doing? But when I saw the imprint in the concrete, I understood. “Stand here to make your next wish” it read, and an outline beckoned the feet, mine included.
I wondered what the others had wished for. They didn’t dare tell, because as the old saying goes, if you tell a wish, it won’t come true.
It was fun, standing and wishing in that same place where others had stood, silently offering their own wishes. But the old saying is just superstition. Of course, sharing your wish with another does not disqualify it from fruition. Sharing your wish may spur another on to encourage your pursuit. And that’s exactly what happened with Joyce.
Joyce and I first became acquainted about 15 years ago when we were both teaching at the same high school. Our connection deepened when we learned that her son, Michael, was friends with my daughter, Emma, at the time both middle-schoolers, then even more so when together we participated in a Christ-centered healthy living group, where we shared our struggles, supported and prayed for each other. During this time, Joyce’s faith was beginning to rebud. She confided in me the pain of her past, her traumatic childhood and the ravages of alcoholism, her devastating heartbreaks, and the trials that accompanied her dysfunctional family. She also opened up about her current circumstances, stress at the workplace, rejection from friends and colleagues and even her own church minister. At times, she grappled with the goodness of God in these situations. How could He allow this?
Despite questions and doubts, Joyce continued to attend the group meetings, and together we built each other up. Joyce delved into the Bible and other books by Christian authors. She set aside a regular quiet time with God, attended faith-based conferences, and daily listened to inspirational preachers. She took up guitar and offered worship on her instrument. Over the years, I watched her faith blossom.
Then she suffered the unexpected loss of her sister and the painful plight of an empty nest, made even more difficult during her time of grief. She experienced depression and debilitating physical ailments. Overwhelmed by these thorns of life, Joyce considered ending it all. But thank God for God and her support network of counselors, doctors, family and friends who intervened with appropriate treatment and encouragement. Her daughter, Kara, implored her to move nearby. Joyce sought God for direction and after receiving confirmation made the move to an area with equal distance from both Kara and Michael.
With more than 30 years of experience teaching special education, Joyce had no trouble landing a position in her new hometown. She also had no trouble selling her home and finding a new one. It seemed God had blessed her decision. She fit right in at her new school and her students adored her. She made friends with colleagues, who supported her in the faith and enjoyed her company outside of school.
However, it didn’t take long for Joyce to realize that her new teaching position did not come problem-free. She regularly worked late into the night and felt unappreciated and worn out. She found herself dreading each new day, waking up in tears. In addition, her family that she needed most still seemed too far away, the visits too infrequent.
Last spring, on one especially trying day at school, Joyce was ready to throw in the towel. If God had been in her decision to move, why all these problems? Had she not heard correctly?
“I don’t want to do this anymore,” she bemoaned to Kara.
“Well, what do you want to do?”
“You want to know what I really want to do?”
“Yes!”
“I want to run my own flower shop and have an apartment over head.”
“Then do it!”
I don’t know if Joyce expected Kara to be this direct with her, but it made her sit up and pay attention. The cogwheels started moving. And the two of them started searching for flower shop opportunities. They came in contact with a broker named Drew.
“Have you heard of Media, PA?” he asked, “I have a shop there to show you. The owners have been looking for the right person.”
Immediately Joyce’s eyes welled up. “Kara lives in Media.”
Drew scheduled a visit. As Joyce stepped into the shop, her eyes surveyed the interior, taking in the Victorian-era woodwork and décor and the table in the center of the room that made her feel as if she had just walked into her own living room. She pressed her hand against the smooth surface of the refrigerator, peering through the glass at the splendid array of color, and thought her heart would burst open like the flowers before her. The more she became acquainted with the shop and its owners, the more she felt this was the place for her. She put in an offer. Meanwhile, she registered for a week-long intensive training series at FlowerSchool New York. While at school, Joyce won the contract of sale for Kenny’s Flower Shoppe. And guess what—the shop has an apartment over head.
It almost seemed too good to be true. But that’s the kind of God we serve, the God of the impossible, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV).
Making the decision to leave the profession in which she had invested most of her years to undertake a business at this stage in her life was huge. Joyce needed confirmation that she was on the right path. As she sought God, His answer came in a variety of ways, even in a message in the middle of the night, transcribed in a handwriting unlike her own. Also, when she needed the funds to purchase the business and wise counsel on how to handle this major transaction, her previously estranged CPA father, who had come back into her life after the death of her sister, was available to advise and assist. Everything fell beautifully into place.
Joyce retired from teaching at the end of last school year and became a full-time business owner. She now lives in the same town as her daughter and son-in-law and enjoys time with her granddaughter on a regular basis. “I used to wake up in tears. Now I wake up and smile. Being a new business owner has opened up many opportunities and challenges for growth. I know this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Joyce endured some tough times in the past. She could have thrown in the towel on God—and on life, but she didn’t. She stood on the truth of God’s Word and daily girded herself with His armor and prayed. When the attacks came from every angle and she had done everything she knew to do, but things still didn’t seem to get any better, she continued to stand. And God came through.
It reminds me of the imprint in the sidewalk. Joyce firmly planted her feet and made her wish known to God. She stood there a long time ago, maybe back when our kids were friends, and told God she’d like to have a flower shop one day. He had been working on granting that wish ever since, even training her, as she practiced her hobby over the years making flower arrangements for friends, including those for Emma’s wedding. Perhaps God had allowed Joyce to become uncomfortable so that she would make the first move from my area to get closer to Kara, and then again uncomfortable in her new teaching position to move her to pursue the flower shop.
Today Kara helps with marketing the business, and Joyce’s father assists with the accounting. What once was dysfunctional God has transformed into something that functions very well. And that imprint on the sidewalk? It’s right outside Joyce’s flower shop, right next door to the restaurant.
If things seem to be going all wrong in your life, don’t give up. Get up and put on the armor of God every day. Talk to Him about your heart’s desires. Stand firm. And you’ll see answers to your prayers and wishes bursting forth like flowers.
Dear God, thank You for empowering Your children with Your armor. Help us to stand firm against every attack, trusting You to bring forth the victory. Even when things don’t seem to be getting any better, we know You have a plan. You will answer our cries and surprise us with more than we could ask or imagine. Amen.