On My Back Porch, coffee with my Father: God's Favor

Yesterday, as we all know was Monday. Enough said, it was Monday.

This week my Monday started Sunday night! It's bad enough Monday is Monday, but when it starts a day early that's just more than any one girl should have to deal with!

My car tags are up for renewal in Sept., I received the notice from the State a couple weeks ago. I didn't open it, I knew when it was due, why open it and have to worry about the money for tags a month in advance?

I knew there would be plenty of financial challenges between now and the end of the month and I didn't want to add the cost of tags to my list. So in my Scarlett O'Hara fashion I "filed" it unopened!

I did notice someone posting about the cost of tags going up in Fl. but I decided they certainly wouldn't do it till the beginning of next year.......silly me!

Sunday, the beginning of my Monday, I happened to see on the news the price for the tags was going up not just up, but UP almost double, Sept. 1, Tuesday.

As I sat it total shock, visualizing a calendar in my brain, with today as Sunday, Monday came next and was the 31 I suddenly realized what all the fuss was about!!

I had NO money to get my tags and only one day to orchestrate the purchase of 2 years worth, to "put it to the State" for hiking the cost of my tags!!

Florida was graciously allowing all born Sept-Nov to buy tags at the low low cost of what we had been paying, enabling us to avoid the hellacious fee hike they were about to impose on us for two years.

I needed to come up with $71 in less than 24 hours!! Remember, no money in the bank!

Immediately, I went into panic mode.

Where was I going to come up with that kind of money that fast??

I sent a text message to my youngest son who said he might be able to help out with one year. Whew..at least one year taken care of.

Out of sheer lunacy, I sent my ex an email reminding him how long it had been since I'd seen an alimony check and perhaps he could send me a little something to help out. Now, that was a move of a desperate woman.

All this on Sunday night, Monday hadn't even arrived yet!!!

I had to let my friend know about this financial burden the State was imposing on us because her birthday is in Nov., now two of us were trying to scramble to raise funds for these tags!! I had to share with her, misery loves company! Plus, I wanted her to pick up on the savings if she could.

My friend offered to pay for mine and hers on her card and gave me all her information. How sweet was that??

As we were plotting our attack on the tax office, her from her work and me from my home we discovered:

A. tax office didn't take phone orders

B. Neither of us could go stand in line, she worked and Amy was using my car

C. Couldn't go on line because the renew web site was shut down!! Of course everyone inFlorida who's birthday was Sept-Nov. was trying to get on to get their tags.

Are you getting the picture here? This was a time crunch, an all out assault against the tax system and we were bound and determined to win.

War had been declared!

I took all the info. I needed from my friend and proceeded carefully moving forward into attack position.

The web site was down. I called, was put on what seemed like a never ending hold, finally I got though. Victory was in my reach!

Armed with credit card and ready to do battle I was informed they didn't do phone orders.

I don't remember what I said but groveling and tears were involved.

OK she would help me, but not on someone else's credit card. Panic set in, then I remembered Amy put her rent money in my checking account that morning. Full speed ahead, I whipped out my card and gave her my numbers. Yes.... victory!!!! I won, two years of tags for a mere $71 WHOO HOO!!!!

With one victory down, no one could stop me from finding a way to get my friend's tags. After all, her giving me everything but her first born was a verbal temporary power of attorney, at least in my mind.

I checked the news, it didn't look good for anyone not standing in concert ticket sized lines. I saw they were issuing vouchers if the web site went down.... BINGO... had to get voucher at all cost....

I called back, waited on hold, disguised my voice just in case it was the same person from the enemy camp answering the phone. Introduced my self with my new temporary identity, kind of James Bondish, don't you think??

Was told the vouchers were issued if their access to the State web site went down. Ouch, temporary set back.... think fast.....all I remember is more groveling, more begging for mercy.

The next thing I remember was giving "my" tag number, then "my" address, all "my" pertinent information....Victory was at hand!!!

Mission accomplished!!!

After catching my breath, doing an "in your face" victory lap and allowing the adrenalin to stop pulsing through my body I reflected on the whole scenario.

I was geared up, I was pumped, ready to do whatever I needed to do to make this happen, but.....

God allowed me to have the victory. His favor had people doing what they normally don't do, in a crazy situation that should have turned out very differently.

Luke2:14 NIV tells us, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom His FAVOR rests.

Peace? There was no peace. I was fighting a battle, on my own....No peace

Looking back, isn't hind sight wonderful, I had no need to go into "crazy mode", God had it all planned for me. All I had to do was take one step at a time, proceed in His anointing and the whole issue wouldn't have been like a circus!

We operate under a different set of laws. His Kingdom operates differently and when we are grafted into His Kingdom we are placed under His mantle of Favor and Grace.

So, next time I go into battle, I must stop, check my Battle Gear and then proceed to victory.

I know He was getting a chuckle out of my antics. He must have been thinking "Silly Girl, don't you know I have it taken care of? You have favor with the King, your Father, what do you have to worry about?"

You have unmerited favor with the King of Kings also. What ever battle you face today, His favor rests upon you.

Blessings