I walked out of a store with my bags in hand and ready to hurry to my next errand – after all it was the one morning each month that I run errands by myself while my husband takes our boys for the three of them to get their hair cuts.
There was a man riding past me on a bicycle, with bags in tow. It was obvious that he was a homeless man, but if he was not on his simple transportation with bags, then he would not have had the same look to him as he appeared clean, meek and put together. My gut was to give him a candy bar that I had just bought, but I talked myself out of it thinking that a candy bar was an odd thing to hand him at 10:30 in the morning and just didn’t seem sufficient….after all how nutritious was that???
I needed to circle through the bank drive through that was located next door, so with no cash in my wallet, I circled through the bank with the intent to give him $10 for his lunch. My plan seemed simple…..circle around the parking lot and hand the man $10, and tell him that God told me to give it to him. After leaving the bank, I circled through and even though the parking lot was surrounded by a busy intersection, the man was not there. How could he have left so fast? Where did he go???
Thoughts began to flood my head……I know that God impressed upon my heart……it wasn’t about the $10, it wasn’t about the candy bar…it was about someone acknowledging that the man existed and giving him a smile…it was about me possibly being the only person that said hello to him all day….all week…..
How often do I go with the plan in my head that seems right and makes sense….???
How often do I miss the plan that God has and gives me in my heart….???
God’s plan does not have to make sense to me, but I have to know that God knows the other person and his needs. As I drive past that parking lot, I will continue to look for that man, with a candy bar and $10 tucked away in my wallet for him, but most importantly open to what God tells me in my heart. This is a lesson way beyond how to reach out to a homeless man…..what do we do when our heart and gut feeling does not make sense to us???
“God what are you trying to say to me?”
When we fail to listen to God, we miss His very best.
Collosians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
And in Proverbs 4:10-13 we read, "Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold onto instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”
When we choose to listen to God and accept his instruction... the outcome is life-changing.
...a place for ladies to connect and be encouraged.
Guest Devotional - Claudia Lisotta
For a very long time I have been waiting for a very important day in my life... the day that I get my Permanent Green Card so I can became a citizen in this Country. We thought my case was approved until four months ago when we found out that some one inside the immigration made a mistake and never told us. We never received a phone call or a notification letter telling us that the case was not finalized. Our lawyer was persistent and kept calling the Immigration Office. One day he was able to find out what the status of the case was. Basically, I am in what they call "deportation status" and my court date is January 19Th. Who would’ve thought that this situation would end up like this.
So now I’m facing a huge challenge in my life and I struggle every day to find answers to my own questions. Why me? Why does someone else get to decide the course of my life? Why did I have to put my husband through this? Well I don’t know why. All I know is that God is the one who decides my life and that is what I truly believe.
I pray every day for strength, comfort, and for God to be with me and hold my hands telling me that it is going to be okay. I do believe that He has a plan for me and for my husband. We will get through this .
And it's times like this that I seek faith and comfort. There is a Bible verse that helps me so much. I hope that it can bring you peace the next time you are faced with a potentially life-altering situation...
1Peter 1:6-9
Be truly glad. There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though faith is far more precious then mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
So now I’m facing a huge challenge in my life and I struggle every day to find answers to my own questions. Why me? Why does someone else get to decide the course of my life? Why did I have to put my husband through this? Well I don’t know why. All I know is that God is the one who decides my life and that is what I truly believe.
I pray every day for strength, comfort, and for God to be with me and hold my hands telling me that it is going to be okay. I do believe that He has a plan for me and for my husband. We will get through this .
And it's times like this that I seek faith and comfort. There is a Bible verse that helps me so much. I hope that it can bring you peace the next time you are faced with a potentially life-altering situation...
1Peter 1:6-9
Be truly glad. There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though faith is far more precious then mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
Guest Devotional - Alexis Albright
Happy new year!
Finishing out the year was a time of reflection for me and a time to begin setting new goals for the year ahead.
One thing I was pondering as the Christmas season was approaching was how my boys each had two items they wanted under the tree on Christmas morning. But more than them just wanting these two items, was that they had been asking for them since June. Almost everyday, they would bring the toys up in conversation and I heard about them so often and with such enthusiasm, that I frequently found myself in restrain mode. I wanted to make their wishes come true right then. I wanted to see their smiles wider than I'd ever seen as their eyes shined with all the possibilities this gift would bring. But if I had done that, the anticipation from the 6 month build-up of dreaming and imagining life with these new toys would have been gone and ultimately Christmas morning would not have been as full. It was rich for my boys and for Blaine and myself too.
This is how our Father operates as well. He loves us so deeply that he wants us to have the desires of our hearts. I imagine it's probably difficult for Him to make us wait for things or not give us what we want. For me, I could reason that the gifts to my boys would be that much better with time. Our Father's decision isn't always as simple as deciding when to give us the "toy" we've been wanting, but his timing is perfect. His answer is just right. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about whether or not I'm going to get what I want. I can take it to him and let Him decide.
So, for this new year, one of my resolutions is to rest in God's timing and in His answers to my requests. Psalm 37:4 says "delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" and Ephesians 3:20 states, "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."
Finishing out the year was a time of reflection for me and a time to begin setting new goals for the year ahead.
One thing I was pondering as the Christmas season was approaching was how my boys each had two items they wanted under the tree on Christmas morning. But more than them just wanting these two items, was that they had been asking for them since June. Almost everyday, they would bring the toys up in conversation and I heard about them so often and with such enthusiasm, that I frequently found myself in restrain mode. I wanted to make their wishes come true right then. I wanted to see their smiles wider than I'd ever seen as their eyes shined with all the possibilities this gift would bring. But if I had done that, the anticipation from the 6 month build-up of dreaming and imagining life with these new toys would have been gone and ultimately Christmas morning would not have been as full. It was rich for my boys and for Blaine and myself too.
This is how our Father operates as well. He loves us so deeply that he wants us to have the desires of our hearts. I imagine it's probably difficult for Him to make us wait for things or not give us what we want. For me, I could reason that the gifts to my boys would be that much better with time. Our Father's decision isn't always as simple as deciding when to give us the "toy" we've been wanting, but his timing is perfect. His answer is just right. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about whether or not I'm going to get what I want. I can take it to him and let Him decide.
So, for this new year, one of my resolutions is to rest in God's timing and in His answers to my requests. Psalm 37:4 says "delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" and Ephesians 3:20 states, "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."
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