There is a lot that can be said in a wink. Winks are very personal, given from one and received by another in a personal exchange. A wink from one to another can indicate a joke, secret, affection, or greeting. More often than not, winks are intimate messages (or signals) of HOPE, comfort, or inspiration that end with an emphasis. If winks were put into words, in my mind, they would almost always end with an exclamation point.
As a teacher, when I would review concepts for a test with my students, I would include winks during these review sessions to let my students know a certain type of question was going to be assessed. The students who were paying attention would receive my “secret” message and would perform well on the assessment. You see, winks are only effective when received and correctly interpreted by the receiver. Winks can be very powerful messages of non-verbal communication when given and received correctly. That is why winks are best when the giver and receiver have a trusting relationship with each other.
If you are a winker like me, you tend to use them often in your communication repertoire. One of my most unforgettable wink moments was when I read a Bible verse at my friend’s wedding. The verse contained the word “HOPE” in it and I couldn’t help but look up and give my friend one of my most exaggerated winks upon reading my name. In that moment, my friend and I shared a connection that we still joke about to this day. There is a lot that can be said in a wink.
God uses winks too… also known as God Winks. Yes, God Winks are a thing, just ask Squire Rushnell who has written several books on God Winks. He defines this type of wink as “a personal message of reassurance from God to you”. His God Wink books are overflowing with genuinely inspirational stories of people who experienced God Winks firsthand. According to Squire, God validates His presence in our lives through small, extraordinary events and circumstances. Notice God Winks are small, yet EXTRA ORDINARY; messages that may be missed if we aren’t in tune with God. Most of the time, they come as messages of HOPE in times of loss or trials. God shows up at moments when we need Him the most… shocker!
While God Winks can come to us when we are alone… through the presence of a flower or a butterfly, they also come from people in our lives. Yes, God uses both you and me to deliver His messages of HOPE. God is a planner and knows how to strategically plant God Winks in our lives while orchestrating events behind the scene. His messages come as signposts of HOPE along our pathway; guiding us with just enough light to see the next signpost. Ummm… I just heard the song “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts in my head: “Life is a highway and I’m getting God Winks all night long”. (I know you are trying not to laugh out loud.)
One of my most memorable God Winks came among a flurry of drama related to my husband’s transition to a new job, a health insurance bill, and Mark 11:24, which is now one of my favorite verses. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ASK for in prayer, BELIEVE that you have RECEIVED it, and it will be yours. I have a hard time remembering the exact wording of verses, so Hope’s version of Mark 11:24 goes something like this: When you ASK it, and BELIEVE it, you will RECEIVE it… when you pray. Long story, short… we were facing a $6,000 insurance bill due to this job transition. God gave me that verse to hold onto as we faced this financial burden. Believe me; it took everything I had within me to convince Steve that God had given me Mark 11:24 for a reason. Fast forward a few days and I received a call from Steve on my way to a client’s home. He had just talked with the insurance company and spoke with a supervisor (at 8:30 am!) while bearing his soul. He ended the call by telling me this supervisor cancelled the payment without hesitation. I vividly remember hanging up and crying on that winding road off of the Bear Mountain Bridge. I will NEVER forget that call.
What makes this God Wink even more EXTRA ORDINARY involves my brother Chad. I shared that verse and story with him while he was having issues getting paid for a large commercial landscaping job… a check that had been due for several months. He called me within a day or two to tell me the check came in the mail. God knew that check was in the middle of being delivered. I am convinced that verse transformed my brother’s faith forever. I KNOW it strengthened mine. Looking back on it now, I was both the receiver and then giver of a God Wink… one that revolved around Mark 11:24.
God Winks are His way of giving us a supernatural hug from above. God is winking at us all the time… in the form of events and messages from others. In order to receive them, we need to be open to seeing, hearing, and feeling His winks. Remember, a wink is a form of communication that involves a personal exchange. There must be a giver AND a receiver… a winker and a winkee... lol. In order to receive God’s Winks, we must be willing, able, and open to receiving them. Also, we must be willing to be a receiver and a giver.
In our comfort, we can provide comfort to others. We can be a God Wink Giver through hugs, texts, prayers; offering messages of HOPE to those who God brings into our lives. My HOPE for you today is to openly receive the God Winks from above while being a God Wink to someone in need. Our world will be a much better place with winks inspired from above and… shared with those around us.
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