Red Lobster and Small Prayers

If you've been following The Pathway or the Higginbotham family for the last month or so you know it has been all but an encouraging time. We have been under what feels like constant spiritual attack as a family, a leadership team and as a church and we have really been fighting discouragement and frustration. Well, things are not all roses and we are still battling but God encouraged our hearts in a major way on Saturday and reminded us how much he cares, how much he knows us and how he always provides in every way.

The week had been rough and Kelli came to me on Thursday night and told me she really needed to go out on a date with just me. No babies, no friends, just me and her. She asked me to take her to Red Lobster. Most of you know that my wife and I date pretty regularly. Thursday morning is date morning at the Higginbotham house and Saturdays are family days. However, with twins and a Tiffany our dates are not always just the two of us! On top of that, Kelli has never asked me specifically to go to Red Lobster. Those of you who know Kelli well know that she is incredibly indecisive and her favorite line is when I ask her where she wants to go or what she wants to do is, "I choose that you should choose!"

Well, I set up for Tiff to watch the babies Saturday night and I asked Kelli to go out to Red Lobster. Thankfully we had just gotten paid on Friday but Red Lobster is not McDonald's. It's a little pricey but when my wife makes such a specific request I know it needs to happen. Well, Saturday morning came around and we were spending time as a family as usual. I went outside and checked the mail and we had received a card from our local church association. Here's where God is just so intimate, so personal, so relational, so good. I opened the card and out fell a gift card... to Red Lobster! Kelli and I just laughed... as we often do... when God provides in a way that we never would have asked. Not flashy, not extravagant... just God. Praise Jesus for Red Lobster!

Please continue to pray for all of us going forward. This past Sunday at our second worship service I prayed a small prayer beforehand as I often do. It's a small prayer but a dangerous one. I prayed that God would bring the "right people" to our service. We had a great turnout the week before but I really wanted the right people to come this past week as we were going to be preaching on our specific vision as a church (you can hear it at www.thepathwaytacoma.com). Well, not many people showed up and I found myself doubting God's answer to the prayer. Small prayers can be dangerous, can be risky, but God's answers and his ways are always right. Please pray that I would have the faith to believe the right people were there and that those people would buy into the vision God has given us in such a powerful way that we would begin to see dramatic life change and the church in Tacoma would flourish!