"Sudden, Widespread Increase"

"You need to get ready. Where you are is not permanent. I have explosive blessings coming your way. I will increase you beyond your salary. I will bless you beyond your normal income. I will suddenly change things in your life." --Joel Osteen, I Declare

"sudden, widespread increase" --Joel Osteen, I Declare

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I am sitting here in awe as I read this. Yesterday afternoon, while I was getting my hair cut and colored for the first time in months, my sister-in-law posted about Dillard's having a 50% off sale of clearance.

This immediately got my attention because, a few weeks ago, I was given a $150 gift card from someone at church to help me with my wardrobe. I nearly cried: only God knew that I had been praying about just that thing.

Since I have been married--and, especially since I had a baby--I haven't been able to shop or dress like I used to. I had, before the baby, probably 150 pairs of shoes--NICE SHOES. But when I had Psalm, my foot grew an extra half size, preventing me from wearing any of the shoes I had been blessed with prior. Most of the shoes I gave to my sister, Amanda. Some I sold in the yard sale we had a few years ago. But I have been unable to afford to replace the number and quality of shoes I had before. And I have been longing to get a new wardrobe. I want to look nice again. Even if I am larger than I used to be. I long to take pride in the way I look.

God knew that, and he placed it on that lady's heart to give me $100 and and $150 gift card to Dillard's. I don't have the money to spend on me. I usually buy for Psalm whenever I go somewhere.

That first weekend, I spent the $100 at Penney's, using exactly $97 for three shirts, two skirts, and one pair of slacks.

But when I went to Dillard's a couple of weeks ago, I looked everywhere and did not find anything I had to have. I tried a couple of things on, but something about them wasn't "just right." I haven't had a lot of luck shopping at Dillard's before--not clothes shopping. So I left, wondering why God had led that woman to get me a Dillard's card, instead of Penney's, for instance, where they have business clothes my size.

Until I got that post from my sister-in-law.

When I had seen the clearance racks a couple of weeks ago, they were marked down significantly (up to 50 or 60 percent) but that wasn't enough for me. Clearance shoes for $50? I didn't even spend time looking. This girl couldn't afford that!

But yesterday, after reading Rachel's post, I decided to take the risk, wondering if God had set this up, and driving to Dillard's.

When I got there, there were still TONS of shoes my size--shoes that I can wear now, in my 40s, and to/for special occasions. They had marked everything 50% off the already discounted price. So...I started searching. And before I knew it, I had a huge pile of shoes to go through. I sat on the floor and tried the shoes on, one by one. A handful didn't work for one reason or another: but SEVERAL did.

I bought, I think, 11 or 12 pairs of shoes.

Then, my sister-in-law texted me to tell me to check specific tables, hidden from most people's views. So I went back in.

I bought four more pairs of shoes. The average cost of the shoes I bought? $13.

I BOUGHT 16 PAIRS OF SHOES. Yes, SIXTEEN.

In one stop yesterday, I was able to replenish 1/10th, approximately, of what I'd had before. And I knew what this was all about.

GOD DID THIS.

God is responsible for this "sudden, widespread increase." In one afternoon, I saw the PROMISE of what was lost to me being found again.

On the way home last night, I shouted for joy in my car, playing my tambourine in the car, praising to Pandora worship songs on the radio.

I BLESSED THE LORD, O MY SOUL, WITH ALL I HAD WITHIN ME. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME!!!

Amen and Amen.