I should probably tell you how the morning started, though, so my story will make a little more sense. I often tend to get overheated when I am outside in the heat for a long time, like at places like Disney World. I usually get a really bad headache and then eventually get sick. If I am very careful I can sometimes avoid getting the headache or attack it with medicine as soon as I feel it coming on. Often you hear about Satan having a hold on you. Well, I am convinced that Satan and his merry men use my headaches to keep my focus away from God. The last thing I feel like doing when I have one of those headaches is dealing with a lot of people in a hot crowded theme park. It really gets me down, but more importantly to me, it really gets my family down.
About a year ago, I decided to stop taking the daily medication that my doctor was giving me to reduce the frequency of migraines that I was having. Eventually, I stopped taking the awesome prescription medication that is available for migraines. I did this for a few reasons. 1) I was not comfortable with continually putting these strong chemicals into my body and although they worked great, I was not sure that the frequency was really becoming less. 2) The migraine pills are really expensive and they have only been approved for 9 doses per month. This costs $50 at best sometimes more. 3) I had been praying that God would help me overcome my headaches.
To make a long story short (I know that is pretty rare for me), I have been doing better, but the summertime in Florida really takes its toll on me and it becomes harder and harder to avoid getting sick.
So here I am, getting ready for my little girl's big day with Cinderella on her 3rd birthday and all I can think about is "what can I do to avoid getting sick today? I can't get sick. I have to control my headaches. I have to control my situation so I can not get overheated." Suddenly, I am hearing a new Third Day song in my head and God turns the volume up.
If you give love
I’ll return the love and you will see
So much more than you gave away
If you give love
Give it to me
God told me to stop trying to control things. Stop thinking you have any control whatsoever as to whether or not you get a headache today. God said to me, "You do what I have commanded you, by giving love to anyone and everyone you come into contact with today, and I will take care of you. Give love and I'll return the love and you will see so much more than you gave away.
You can't begin to understand how awesome it felt to realize that God was in control of my headache situation. I didn't have to worry about letting my family down by getting sick and being a bump on a log. I just needed to keep my focus on God and doing what he commanded me to do.
By the way, have you ever been to Disneyworld during the week before school starts in AUGUST in ORLANDO. The Humidity, Heat, Lack of Respect for Personal Space and yes, Body Odor is at an all-time high. Me not complaining about the circumstances at Disney is like Chandler Bing not being able to make a joke about the things his friends say for one whole day.
I was not concerned. God had given me the greatest feeling. A feeling of lightness and joy. It was unbelievable. My first challenge awaited me in the hotel room as I stepped out of the shower. It was 7:15am and I needed to find a place that sold ladies underwear in 30 minutes and on my first trip out I bought little ladies underwear instead. Apparently there is a difference.
I found myself making special efforts to give encouraging words to people that I did not know. The clerk at both drug stores, people working at Disney, other people in the park. It was a great experience and let me tell you, God returned the love to me like you won't believe. The sky was a little overcast and there were periodic light rains. The crowd really wasn't that bad. The waits in line were not bad either. And I thoroughly loved spending the day with my family (in-laws too). I think I thought about having a headache probably 3 times that day, which itself is a miracle. I also felt good enough to ride a rollercoaster, Space Mountain, with my wife and father-in-law. This was particularly important to me, because I really wanted to hear my wife laugh and have a great time. For some reason, she thinks it is funny when I ride a roller coaster, and now that I think of it, her dad was laughing pretty hard too, and so were the 3 people behind me on the roller coaster. I didn't care. I felt great and I was giving love.
My daughter had a great day and apparently she felt like cutting loose, too. When we got back to the hotel, she got to open up some of her birthday presents. One of which was a Disney Princess Electronic Keyboard. Here is what happened:
My wife got me a really cool book by John MacArthur called "Scriptures to Live By." These two verses are excellent:
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1
"New commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
Give love and I'll return the love and you will see so much more than you gave away.
