Friday, January 7, 2022

A "Look What God Just Did!" December

 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11

I wish all of you a belated Merry Christmas and trust 2022 will be your most blessed, healthiest, and happiest year ever!

Oh, how I praise God that our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was born on that first Christmas morning! My heart is so full of gratitude for God's many blessings to my family and me. Truly, I could never praise Him enough for the many prayers He has answered on our behalf - and not just prayers. So often, of late, He has given us the desires of our hearts for things that we didn't even pray for. He hears the cries of our hearts, even when those heart cries never make it into the form of words or prayers. He knows us intimately and sees the yearnings inside for things we don't feel like we should bother Him with.

In October 2015, I sat in a rocking chair on our front porch, crocheting, as I watched a beautiful sunset over the field across the road. Many burdens were weighing on me, and as I prayed, I said, "Lord, I want You to do something so big that we all three have to look at one another and say, 'Look what God just did!'" I had and still do have such a longing for Him to be glorified and exalted as He so deserves to be. Over six years and many life-altering changes later, that memory is still vivid in my mind, and looking back, I can recall a multitude of moments that my family and I have indeed, in awed amazement, said those very words to one another. "Look what God just did!"

In October 2021, I sat at our kitchen table praying. I was thinking about Christmas and Zach's upcoming birthday and mentally calculating finances and resources. All of a sudden, I felt the Lord nudge me to write down a list of not only needs but also things I was wishing for. I got a pen and paper and didn't hold back on anything. I jotted down every single thing we needed, added some things I was longing for, and when I finished, I came up with an approximate sum of money all of those items added up to and wrote that figure at the top of the page. As I started to put the pen and paper aside, I felt the Lord nudge me again - this time, to scratch out the figure I had written down and up the amount by $500! I thought, "That is too much to ask for!" But in my heart, I felt 100% certain that God led me to do it, He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20), and that He had taken note of that list.

Fast forward to a few weeks later when Kevin and I were sitting side by side in our living room talking about some things we still hadn't been able to afford to buy for Zach. As we talked, in a matter-of-fact tone I casually said, "Well, I am praying for $_______(the amount of money I had written down)." Time went by, and the subject came up again, and I repeated that I was praying for that certain amount of money. This time, Kevin looked at me and said, "What made you ask for that particular amount of money?" I told him about the list I had come up with back in October, and he responded, "Well, you are not going to believe this. I was going to surprise you, but since you told me you are praying for that amount, I'm going to tell you. (His workplace) has an abundance of government funds (in a certain category), and they are thinking of giving each employee a bonus in the amount of $_______(the exact amount I was praying for!) And, they are talking about giving it to us before Christmas!" 

Let me just tell you that my jaw dropped so far, it's a wonder it didn't hit the floor. I jerked up in my chair to turn and look at him, sheer amazement all over my face as I could hardly take in what he was telling me! I immediately, and I do mean immediately, dropped to my knees right then and there and began to just cry and thank the Lord for answering my prayer. Kevin cautioned me that it was not definitely approved yet, and how certain people still had to meet and vote on it, but I was absolutely undeterred. I kept believing, and lo, and behold, several days later everything was approved and the funds were soon deposited into our account! Talk about a "Look what God just did!" moment!

But, it didn't stop there - not by a longshot. Number four on that list, immediately after Zach's Christmas and birthday and two separate car repair needs, was something that I wouldn't classify as an actual need, but one of those deep"heart cries." Written on the fourth line on my list was the word "Guitar." For years, I have used an old black Guild that Kevin and another person bought at a pawn shop before Kevin and I even met. It has been dropped and beat up pretty bad over the years, and it has never really fit me just right. It is too big for my small hands and heavy and bulky, and it has never been able to accommodate a capo properly. That wasn't as much an issue until our new band, "Mountain Hope" came to be. I want to do my best, now more than ever, and oh, I just really longed for a new guitar! A few lines below "guitar" on my list was "Guitar Case," as I have not had one for quite a while. I figured if God gave us the amount of money He had impressed me to ask for, there should be enough left for me to buy a used guitar and case at a pawn shop, and I would have been content with that. But God! He had other and much bigger and far better plans - plans that would produce a monumental "Look what God just did!" moment.

A few days before Christmas, my dear friend and singing partner, Chuck, emailed and said he had something he wanted to bring to me for Christmas. We made plans for him to bring it the following day, and what happened next has left me completely overwhelmed. He walked in our door with a brand-new, high-end guitar case, and after he laid it on our kitchen counter, he opened it to reveal a gift he made for me with his own hands - a custom-made, original, brand-new, beautiful guitar with my initials in the neck and the perfect size for me! I could hardly believe my eyes. I am so overcome with gratitude. "Look what God just did indeed!" Instead of us buying an old, used, scrappy guitar and second-hand case from a pawn shop with the funds from Kevin's bonus, God put it on Chuck's heart to make me a brand-new, top-notch, perfect-for-me guitar - without him knowing anything about that early morning prayer in October.

It humbles me to think of the many hours Chuck poured into making this guitar for me, the money he spent buying such a beautiful, high-quality case, and he even bought me an amplifier to bring to our gigs! My voice is soft, and if we end up in a place without an adequate sound system, I really struggle. Now, I won't have that problem anymore. 






This guitar is absolutely beautiful and will be something I cherish for the rest of my life. I can hardly believe it is mine, let alone comprehend it was custom-made especially for me, and I will never forget the magnitude of Chuck's kindness.

Here are a couple of videos of Chuck and me singing together, along with our band, in a recent living room practice session (pre-new guitar - I can't wait to share new content playing my brand-new one!) 
I hope you enjoy our videos and since the camera is angled in a position where you can't see Chuck very well, I am including a photo below.




I am beyond blessed to be able to sing with Chuck and do music with these guys. They are all amazing and so incredibly gifted. Playing with them is a lifelong dream come true for me. I am so looking forward to seeing what new opportunities God opens for Mountain Hope and asking Him for many "Look what God just did!" moments for our band. (You can read more about us and find a video of one of my favorite songs here.)

And, if you would like to see more Mountain Hope videos and keep up with us, please visit and subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Zach manages it and does all our tech work for us and uploads new videos as he has time. He is such a blessing to all of us! Kevin sings with me (off-camera and off-stage) and helps us out with a lot of input from his lifelong love and extensive knowledge of the country, bluegrass, & mountain music we love and are trying to preserve. He and Zach are so faithful to come along with us to gigs, and they are two of our biggest fans. Their support and encouragement along this journey are invaluable to me. 

2021 held so many "Look what God just did!" moments for us, and I could not be more grateful.

Thanks for reading, Happy New Year, and may God bless you all! 

24 comments:

  1. OH DEAR CHERYL! My heart just smiled as I read this post! How it blessed my heart to know that the Lord works all things out in ways that can only amaze and astound us! What an incredibly precious gift your friend Chuck made for you! God is so gracious and the giver of such good gifts! I have subscribed to your channel on Youtube, and look forward to hearing your angelic voice singing, and the beautiful bluegrass playing, just a blessing to hear! I pray for more wonderful "LOOK WHAT GOD JUST DID" moments in this New Year! God does all things well, and His timing is always perfect! Praising and rejoicing the Lord for His many blessings! Hugs and love sent to you from Idaho :)

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    1. Oh, Marilyn! It truly is such an incredibly precious gift! God has been so much better to me than I will ever, ever deserve. I can't stop praising Him and don't ever want to. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for subscribing to our channel! We so appreciate your support, and your kind words deeply touched my heart. Many hugs and much love sent back to you and so much gratitude, my dear friend!

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  2. It is such a precious blessing to hear about all the wonderful things the Lord has done! I also love the song, "I'll Fly Away." God bless!

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    1. Thank you so much, Mrs. White! I'm glad you like that song. God bless you, too, in many ways!

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  3. Oh my word, Cheryl, how wonderful it was to read this list of yours and to hear all the GOOD NEWS of what God had done in your life!!! Talk about miracles! Wasn’t that the sweetest gift from Chuck?? I’ll bet you cried and cried tears of joy and happiness. So many wonderful things have happened to you this past year and you certainly deserve everything. Love and blessings to you, Kevin and Zach!

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    1. Thank you ever so much, Kitty! YES! The sweetest gift from Chuck - I am still speechless and overwhelmed and each time I pick it up and play it, I feel so humbled by his kindness to me. YES! I have cried and cried! I tear up just thinking about it. Thank you so much for your kind words - I do not feel at all worthy of any of God's blessings, but I sure am grateful for them from the bottom of my heart. Kevin, Zach, and I all send much love and many blessings back to you, sweet friend.

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  4. You made my day with your testimony. I hope you will share with us more "Look What God Did" moments, too, in the coming year. I love your faith, your ability to hear directly from the Lord, your angelic voice and the gift of music God gave you. Your guitar and case is beautiful. Your friends are keepers for sure. I like "I'll Fly Away" too!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and for rejoicing with us, dear friend! I surely will share more with you, Lord willing and by God's grace. Your sweet comment meant the world to me. I am praying much for Tom and you and trust God will lay His healing hand on Tom and send many miracles and "Look what God just did!" moments to both of you this year! I am so glad you like that song. Much love and gratitude to you for all your support, kindness, and friendship.

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  5. What a beautiful guitar! WOW! This post gave me the Holy Bumps! Ain't God just flat out good and sweet! Oh I love "I'll fly away". So beautiful! I do hope that you, Kevin and Zach have a most wonderful New Year and that many, many, more moments of "Look What God Did" happens. You are such an inspiration to me. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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    1. Oh, sweet friend! That is a good way of putting it! YES! God is so good and sweet and kind to us. I am so humbled before Him and overcome by His goodness. A while back, I was going through a very hard time, and I cried out to Him, "Lord, I NEED to feel Your love." I'll tell you what - He has been so faithful to answer that request. I so appreciate your kind words and support and excitement over our blessings. You are such a dear blessing to me, and I send many hugs and blessings back your way!

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    2. Well as my sister tells me all the time..."I love you more".

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    3. Thank you so much, Cindy! You are so sweet and kind! Much love to you this morning.

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  6. I literally could not stop smiling through this entire post!! I LOVE to hear testimonies of God's incredible desire to delight His children with the desires of their hearts!

    Praising God not only for His provision for you and your family, but for how He blessed you so immeasurably with the gift of the personalized guitar and the guitar case. I can see your great and great great grandchildren playing that guitar and saying, "Look what God did!" They will have a living testimony of His great love and provision.

    Thanks so much for sharing!

    Sending you love,

    Karen

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    1. Aw, Karen! Thank you so, so much! Your words really touched my heart. My sister, Sandi, said something very similar about how this guitar will be a family heirloom passed down. That makes me so happy to think about a future generation hearing the story from Zach and them saying, "Look what God did!" I am so grateful for your support and encouragement, dear friend. I got your sweet email and will answer as soon as I can. I am so behind in my correspondence right now. I truly appreciate you and am sending much love back your way!

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  7. Cheryl, what a beautiful testimony of how God hears and answers our heart cries. He is always on time. It is so encouraging to read of God’s faithfulness in your life. He is ALWAYS faithful. I am so happy for you to receive a new, handmade for you guitar. It is such a special gift. Thank you for sharing your wonderful gift of music. May God bless you and your family as you serve Him.

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    1. Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Pam! Yes, He is always on time, indeed. I trust the Lord will richly bless you and your family in this new year, too, my friend.

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  8. What joy and delight spills into our lives as we trust God for each and every detail that can often be overwhelming. Sing it, girl!

    I'm so happy for all this good news today. Bless you.

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    1. Thank you so much, Linda! God is so very good and so worthy of our trust! May He bless you in a special way, my friend.

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  9. Beautiful testimony, Cheryl. I love hearing stories like yours. What a wonderful friend to craft a beautiful guitar especially for you and include a case. "I'll Fly Away" is a favorite song, and always brings a smile to my face because years ago (in the 70's) my late husband and I attended a Southern California church where the music director and pianist were Southerners and made a country gospel album, including that song. Well, the music director was a very tall women with long, narrow feet. She wore chunky shoes, and when she sang she tapped her foot, and the shoes on the wooden floor sounded like a bass drum! LOL My husband just loved that and spoke of it often. God bless you in this new year! Hugs.

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    1. Thank you, Nancy! Chuck certainly is a wonderful friend, and I will never forget his sacrifice and kindness. Thank you for sharing your story about your memories of "I'll Fly Away!" What a funny story! God bless you in the new year, too, and I am sending hugs back your way today!

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  10. Beautiful testimony of the Lord's graciousness & love Cheryl. Thank you for sharing that with us! ☺️

    You're most welcome to join me in a cuppa at Tea With Jennifer,
    Bless you,
    Jennifer

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    1. Thank you, Jennifer. God is so good! May He bless you, too!

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