My Favorite Number and My Birthday
February 27, 2024
I planned for a special meal. First, it was Easter Sunday and, second, Laura and Don were to be here. After all, Don is an excellent chef, and his web site proves it. We love his delicious and nutritious meals when we visit them in Tucson. You can find out for yourself what I’m talking about by going to www.fueledbyflavor.com. So, I was anxious to impress.
I made my grocery list and headed to Walmart. Each item required careful consideration. I made a few variations from my usual brands because I was willing to pay a little more to make sure my meal was beyond the usual. When I came to the meat aisle, I was drawn to a beautiful roast. I planned as my main dish to have a crockpot roast that I had cooked before from my recipe from “Midwest Living” magazine. It was outstanding. The roast I saw was more than I had ever paid for a roast, but it did look amazing. A man saw me standing there considering my purchase and commented about how perfect it was. We both had a short conversation about the cost of meat, and whether this was the right choice. I decided to buy it.
When I got to the checkout lane, Charles, my favorite checker, who is from my home state of Georgia, checked out my groceries. He looked up at me and stated the total--$77.77. Then he exclaimed: “Lady, you need to head right over to the casino!” I said, “Charles, you know the number 7 is the number of divine perfection in the Bible.” The lady behind me added her comment to the conversation--“Yes, it is!” Charles said that at least it wasn’t the number 6!
The roast was delicious! I got kudos from my family which made me very happy.
I have been intrigued with the number 7 from my study of the Scriptures from the 6 days God took to create the world and then rested on the 7 th , to the many mentions of 7’s in Revelation. There are hundreds of scriptures in between those two books that speak of the number 7, many of which denote a significant meaning. When my husband finished his work on his doctorate after years of classwork and jobs, guess what? It just happened to be 7/7/77. God’s timing of things is an encouraging point to ponder.
Therefore, I have decided to look ahead with great anticipation to the year ahead because on my birthday a few weeks ago, I turned 77. I have a twin brother so there are two of us in the family now at age 77.
It’s a human trait to look back and have regrets. I find that’s a temptation as I move on up in age. We humans incriminate ourselves. The Apostle Paul wrote:
“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—
how will He not also,
along with Him,
graciously give us all things?”
I believe He will give us the things we need to move forward in our journey—and graciously. He created each of us for His purpose and we are to look to Him for direction, not compare our lives with what He planned for the other person. Remember the story of “Christian” in “Pilgrim’s Progress?” This is a book that has been around since 1678, so popular that it has never been out of print. John Bunyan depicts the pilgrimage of a man who has challenges all along the way, but he received the help he needed, just when he needed it, to make it to his destination--“The Celestial City.”
I intend to make “progress” in my “pilgrimage” through this 77 th year. His love provides what we need. The fact that He did not even spare His own Son proves it.