02/26/2023
We were on a hillside in my backyard. There were 10-15 of us gathered around a campfire, singing "It Only Takes A Spark" and studying Psalm 139. I can still see the fire, hear the guitar and remember Ken leading our study of this beautiful Psalm! That night, with starry eyes and not a care in the world, I claimed this passage as my life passage. Years passed and I often thought of that night, remembering the friends who had gathered and that precious Psalm we had discussed, but not really giving it much thought. Until ... Until November 5, 2011, when the words of that Psalm came jumping off the page and smack dab into the midst of my formerly peaceful life. Around noon on that day, I had to make a split-second decision, did I really believe verse 16 that states "... in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them" or were they just pretty words on a page? In an instant, I chose to fully believe them as I hugged my girls and said, "Daddy is in heaven". In that instant, I HAD to believe that if every day written for me when as yet there were none of them was true, then that was true for Rickey as well and November 5, 2011, had already been written as far as his life on earth was concerned. That day, as none before, or none yet to come had not already been orchestrated by the hand of my loving Heavenly Father, the Abba Daddy who loved me even more than my earthly Daddy who wept with and for me that day. Since that day, I have searched for a way to share the LOVE that God enveloped me in with others. After much prayer, and reading this Psalm over and over, it came to me: HE KNEW ME! I knew it, had read it 100's of times, but the depth of knowing it has become more and more real to me with each day that passes. He knew me ... before my parents even met! He knew me ... before I was even conceived! He knew me ... as I was growing in my mother's womb! He knew me ... He knew the moment I would be born! He knew me ... as a young child learning of him! He knew me ... as I was making life choices {some good, some not so good} He knew me ... on November 5, 2011 He knows me ... today, right here, right now. He holds my future! He has numbered every day I have on this earth, whether it be one more or thousands more. HE KNEW ME! And, He knows you! If you'd like to proudly proclaim that to the world, stay tuned! T-Shirts, hoodies, hats and jewelry are on the way!
