On November 29, 2003 my life forever changed. That is the day I became Mrs. Brett Best. It was one of the best days ever! I have since looked at pictures of myself and thought, if that 22-year-old girl knew what her life would be like, she would have run for the hills. Thankfully that 22-year-old girl had no clue all the adventures she and her new husband would take. 

I’m Glad She Didn’t Know

The 42-year-old woman I have become is so thankful she didn’t run away. You see, although that 22-year-old wasn’t ready or prepared for the life she would live, the Lord was faithful to prepare her for those things. That way when it was time to do things, like move to Ireland, she was ready mentally, physically, and spiritually to get on a plane with 3 small kids and fly to a foreign land. I’ve since become super grateful that the Lord doesn’t always tell us in advance what the future holds. 

Our Trip 

A few weeks ago Brett and I celebrated our 20 years of marriage with a trip to Colorado Springs, CO. We learned of a place called Glen Eyrie. It’s a castle right behind the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. The founder of Colorado Springs had it built for his wife in the early 1900s. The Navigators have since taken over the property and up until 2020 only used it for retreats and ministry gatherings. 

Brett and were blessed to stay in the best room on the whole property. We were given the only suite. It was incredible! We had a large bedroom with a king size bed in it and a giant living room with a table that could fit 5 people along with a couch and side chairs. The view was incredible! We could see the rock formations from the Garden of the Gods from both our bedroom and living room. 

They had hiking trails that we took advantage of everyday! One trail led us right up against the rocks from the Garden of the Gods. Another trail led us to the founder of the Navigators grave site. This place had an incredible view of the mountains and the castle. To say it was breathtaking would be a gross understatement. 

My One Request

When we arrived the lady checking us in told us about the wildlife there. Boy was she right about that! We saw wild turkeys roaming around all day. Early in the morning you could hear them talking to each other if you opened the windows. I loved to sit in the dark and listen to them as the sun rose. 

There were also wild bighorn sheep there. It seemed you could see the females and their babies wandering around eating the grass anytime of the day. They were so big and cool to watch. 

The first day I really wanted to see a male bighorn sheep. They are the sheep with the big horns that curl around. We didn’t see any as we were walking around. I decided to ask the Lord to let me see just one while we were there. 

My Prayer Was Answered

As we were driving out of the property that evening for dinner, we came across male bighorn sheep. I told Brett to pull over so we could watch them. They were majestic! There is just something about them that made me stop in my tracks and want to watch them for as long as possible. Of course I got out my phone and started taking pictures. As I was snapping away on my phone, I started to wonder how many there were in that herd. I counted 11. 

This may not seem significant to you, but it was to me. You see, all year the people around me have had multiple encounters with the number 11. So much so it has become a sign of “take note” to the people in my group. When I counted 11 male sheep, I was amazed! I felt the Lord tell me he sent those there just for me! I was extremely thankful. 

The next day we saw three more male bighorn sheep. This number is also significant to me as it is a favorite number. Seeing those sheep in those specific group numbers made me think about how awesome our God is. It made me feel like his special girl. I know this answer to prayer is trivial. It’s not going to change the world. It does, however, remind me that when I talk to God, he hears me. It reminds me he cares about what I care about. It is his delight to answer even the trivial prayers. He just loves to give good gifts to his children.

20 More Years

I am looking forward to at least 20 more years as Brett’s wife. While this 42-year-old has no clue what adventures she and Brett will take, she does know that whatever they are, those adventures will be fun! I know God will prepare me for those adventures. I know I can trust he has my best interest at heart. I will choose to say yes to whatever he asks of Brett and I.