Noah built an ark even though he didn't know what rain was.  Jonah asked to be thrown overboard into the water, which would lead to detainment and mental evaluation, these days.  Obama ran for President...anyway.  You did what God told you to do and prospered.   Obey, even when it looks wrong.

During a particularly interesting situation this year, God reminded me of some ways He has shown me that He was with me.  

One of those incidences, a  few years ago, involved a gift card.

My husband volunteered at a particular place on a regular basis. Others who he volunteered with became friends.  Some volunteered alone, others volunteered with their spouses.  Now, both my husband and I have the volunteer spirit.  I've been an avid volunteer, making sure to add or change where I volunteered yearly,  from around 1980 until the early 2000s.  He has been a volunteer since we married in the mid 90s.  We've always had separate volunteer interest, due to the nature of the volunteerism, our schedules and the fact that we, like everyone else in this world, are individuals with individual interests and callings.  

Well, at the particular place I'm referring to in this post, there were people who thought we should volunteer together. I wasn't interested. My husband didn't care that I wasn't interested because of one particular aspect of the situation. It was a long-term event that revolved mainly around men, anyway.  Core workers were both genders, all ages.  Volunteers were diverse in many ways.   

So, there were volunteers, who I barely knew, that decided to have an issue with me not helping.  I can't remember how they informed me, because I rarely saw them, but I got the "this is how you need to support your husband" suggestions. I was livid. I have NEVER approached a spouse to tell them how to support their spouse. Even if a spouse has spoken to me about something, I wouldn't dare approach their spouse about the conversation. If one can't talk to their own spouse about issues, I'm certainly not doing it for them.  Anyway, the few times I participated, I got the side eye, the attitude and the avoidance.  I couldn't go off on them...well, I did, a little, but not like I really wanted to.

Anyway, once per year, the organization gave a gift card to each volunteer.  I was not on the list, didn't want to be on the list because I was not a participant.  My few appearances there were only to be with my husband.  But, every time he got a card, he gave it to me. I didn't ask for it. I didn't expect to get it. It was his.  He and I don't get in each other's personal money business.  

One year, the last year they gave gift cards, was particularly aggravating for me because i really felt the ire of other volunteers - nosey, busby bodies. That year, my husband was handed several gift cards to give to others in his group.  He handed out the cards and brought me his card. I took it to the store and spent the small amount that's always on the card.  The cashier handed the card back and said that I had $225 left on the card.  I asked her to check it three more times.  I was shocked.  I texted my husband that a decimal point must have been keyed incorrectly when the cards were ordered for the volunteer organization and I got one that had much more money on it than it should have.  He told me he check with the organization and they said to keep it, don't worry about it.  I was delighted. God quickly let me know that He gave me that card and He knew the reason I wasn't a volunteer for that event and He was pleased.  

When people don't understand your "no", stand on what God told you to do.  He will surely let you know that He's on your side because He's the one that gave the command to you to say "No". Situations aren't just about you.  Situations are about everyone involved, for whatever reason they need to be in the situation. My "no" was fro me, others and God. 

side piece. other woman. her! or him! mistress. side chick. best friend. affair.   (Risking the incorrect use of grammatical sentence structure, I didn't dare capitalize any of those words)

Generally, you would think a cheater would hide the other woman and not let her know where he engages in social, spiritual or family events for fear that she might appear and put him under pressure of the lies he's told her about kicking his family to the side and bringing her fully into his life. What the nut does is he treats you - his Wife - that way. He sneaks to do whatever he does - social fellowship, church, entertainment, ministry, and  volunteerism. Yet, the side piece knows his whereabouts and is often included, which is what you would think he would do with his wife. You, Wifey, find out when you see the pictures of the gatherings and events or acquaintances question you as to why you weren't "there".  "There, where? I didn't know about it."  But, she did and was there, too.

Proverbs 5- 15 "Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well."  Just read the whole chapter.
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Pictures! You would think that a husband would take pictures, candid shots or posed, of or with his wife and kids. But your smart husband takes pictures of side chick, smiling, having fun, enjoying life...not in a group of other people, but individual pictures of her.  So deceived.   

Song of Solomon 7:10 - "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me."
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When you two are (amazingly) together at an event, whether he knows others there or not, he acts like he doesn't know you. He has so convinced people that he does not like you and has spoken against you so many times, that he has to remember to act like he doesn't like you in front of the people to whom he's disparaged you. Stupid (having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense). Why?  He got out of the car with you, wears the wedding ring you gave him, goes home with you, pays the bills you two make together, but IS convinced that if he doesn't talk to you or avoids being around you in the presence of others at events (and even church), then they will be convinced that he isn't married to you.  Yet, he and the side chick always have something to laugh and sniggle and coo about. 

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He and the side piece actually think they are more "saved" and Christian than you - the WIFE.  The MARRIED man and his girlfrIend actually think God prefers them over his MARRIED self and his WIFE. 

Deuteronomy 11:16 - "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;"     A few years ago, I did a TPM teaching how we do but should not worship our feelings and emotions.  We should not make a god of our feelings and emotions.  Live holy.  Stick with the one your with.  Don't be a cheater. Don't suffer the mistreatment of a cheater and that goes for the Wife and the side piece.

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By the way, how often do humans do the same with God and our relationship with Him?  So we not invite Him to certain places?  Do we act like we don't know Him around certain people? After treating Him as if we don't know Him, we rush to Him in times of need or privacy.  Are we humans cheaters, double-minded, unstable about Jesus in our lives.  Hmmmm. Peter said he didn't know the man.
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Luke 22:54-62 Peter said about Jesus    57'...I know him not."   58 "...I am not."   60 ".. Man, I know not..."