427

Several years ago I began a profound, prolonged experience with the love of God, and I thought today would be an appropriate day to write about it. The senior pastor at my church was speaking from Ephesians 3, and encouraged us to pray that we would feel God's affections for us each day. Not just to know that He loves us, but that He in fact truly likes us! I decided to pursue this course of action, and prayed this prayer quite regularly.

Not so long after this, I began seeing the number 427 everywhere. It was on my receipt at the grocery store, the time on the digital clock, the length of my phone calls, the number on the side of cars at antique car shows... well, you get the idea! It was everywhere, and I wanted to know why.

Today of course is 4/27, and it just happens to be my birthday (31, baby!!). I started seeing all these "427's" several months before my birthday several years ago and it made me very excited about the approaching celebration. I figured God had something really great in store for me that year, and I was eager to find out what it was. Well, the day came and went, and while I celebrated with a few friends the night before, my actual birthday that year was the most low key birthday I had ever had. I worked all day, and went apartment hunting in the evening. I wasn't sure what to think about that, so I went to prayer and asked the Lord.

My answer didn't come immediately, but it did come. You see, I figured I'd stop seeing the "427's" after my birthday, but they actually kept appearing. Within a couple of weeks the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "Laurel, you know that feeling you get on your birthday, even when it's the most low-key day? That feeling like you're special and loved and important?" I thought about it for a moment and of course knew exactly what He was talking about. "Yes, Lord," I said in my spirit. "Well, that is why I'm showing you 427 everywhere. It's the answer to your prayers to feel my affections. Everytime you see it, I want you to be reminded of that special & loved feeling you have on your birthday, and know that's how I feel about you everyday."

Even now, years later, when I pray more consistently to feel the Lord's affections for me, I still see "427's", and when I stop, so do they. It's crazy, but it's true. He loves me... but even more, He likes me!

I love the heart shaped cake at the top of this entry, particularly because it has a slice out of it. I'll take a bite out of that kind of love anyday!