Pass on the Blessings
God's timing and conducting of events is always so amazing to me. For over a month I held on to a gift card wanting to go use it. I wanted to buy myself clothes. Day after day, week after week I'd get frustrated that I couldn't go shopping alone. Let's face it bringing 3 kids along to try on clothes is not exactly fun or relaxing. Well, finally, last week I was able to use that gift card. I ended up alone, at night, heading home from dropping a friend off at the airport. All of this was pretty unplanned, but NOT to God. As I wandered around the store a women came very near me looking at clothes. I could smell cigarette smoke on her being allergic, that normally makes me move farther away. Yet in that moment God spoke to my heart. He said, "I LOVE her."
I thought about God's words and let them sink in. Of course we all know God loves everyone, but to feel it in that moment. To think that he does not look at her and see what the world sees, he does not smell her and move away. She is beautiful and fragrant to the LORD, her creator, and he LOVES her. As I pondered that I nodded to myself thinking of all the ways God has recently shown me his love. The many blessing he's poured out on me. Just as he loves me, or my children he loves the stranger in the store. Just as he wants to bless me, he wants to bless her.
As I tried on clothes I felt the LORD nudge at my heart again. I felt as though he was saying to me, give your gift card to her. I stood in the dressing room thinking, "Wait a minute God, I've been trying to get here for over a month. I could use this and even if the only thing I need is jeans, I could always buy shirts for my husband or clothes for my kids. Are you sure you are telling me to do this and it's not just some random thought in my own head?" The thought came to my mind to put out a fleece, like Gideon did. So I said, "Ok LORD, if you really want me to give her this card I will, but I want to know you are really telling me this, so if I am close enough to her to touch her, like I run into her, then I'll know you are actually telling me this, I won't purposely go looking for her God, but if you put her in my midst I'll know this is your desire." I walked out of the dressing room fulling expecting to run smack into her. I did not run into her. I went up to the counter with my one pair of jeans, the only thing I really needed and purchased them. I saw her across the store and wondered if I should go up to her. Then I thought about what I prayed and I finished my purchase. As I finished I turned around and she was right behind me waiting in line. I could reach out and touch her if I wanted to. So I handed her the gift card. It still had just about $50.00 left on it. I told her I really felt like I was supposed to give it to her. She kept saying, "Really?" staring at me as if she was in shock. The cashier also seemed shocked. She then said, "Wow, I just had most of my belongings stolen, literally almost all I own. Thank you." I nodded and walked out of the store and went about my business thanking God that he chose to use me to bless another daughter that he loves.
The next day as I went to check the mail there was an anonymous card telling me thank you for being used by God. In it was the 50.00 I talked about last week. God knew the timing. It was no surprise to him that I wouldn't be able to go shopping till that night. It was no surprise to him that I would give about 50 dollars and turn around and be blessed with it back the very next day. It made me think of Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice Issac. God knew he would provide a sacrifice and that Issac would return home with his father unharmed, but he was testing his obedience.
When we are ready to obey God he uses us to bless others and many times we are blessed in the process. Sometimes physically and sometimes our reward waits in heaven but either way the LORD delights in our obedience. I want to delight Yahweh God, don't you?
May you be open to the LORD this day, listen to HIS voice and be ready to be used to bless others.
I thought about God's words and let them sink in. Of course we all know God loves everyone, but to feel it in that moment. To think that he does not look at her and see what the world sees, he does not smell her and move away. She is beautiful and fragrant to the LORD, her creator, and he LOVES her. As I pondered that I nodded to myself thinking of all the ways God has recently shown me his love. The many blessing he's poured out on me. Just as he loves me, or my children he loves the stranger in the store. Just as he wants to bless me, he wants to bless her.
As I tried on clothes I felt the LORD nudge at my heart again. I felt as though he was saying to me, give your gift card to her. I stood in the dressing room thinking, "Wait a minute God, I've been trying to get here for over a month. I could use this and even if the only thing I need is jeans, I could always buy shirts for my husband or clothes for my kids. Are you sure you are telling me to do this and it's not just some random thought in my own head?" The thought came to my mind to put out a fleece, like Gideon did. So I said, "Ok LORD, if you really want me to give her this card I will, but I want to know you are really telling me this, so if I am close enough to her to touch her, like I run into her, then I'll know you are actually telling me this, I won't purposely go looking for her God, but if you put her in my midst I'll know this is your desire." I walked out of the dressing room fulling expecting to run smack into her. I did not run into her. I went up to the counter with my one pair of jeans, the only thing I really needed and purchased them. I saw her across the store and wondered if I should go up to her. Then I thought about what I prayed and I finished my purchase. As I finished I turned around and she was right behind me waiting in line. I could reach out and touch her if I wanted to. So I handed her the gift card. It still had just about $50.00 left on it. I told her I really felt like I was supposed to give it to her. She kept saying, "Really?" staring at me as if she was in shock. The cashier also seemed shocked. She then said, "Wow, I just had most of my belongings stolen, literally almost all I own. Thank you." I nodded and walked out of the store and went about my business thanking God that he chose to use me to bless another daughter that he loves.
The next day as I went to check the mail there was an anonymous card telling me thank you for being used by God. In it was the 50.00 I talked about last week. God knew the timing. It was no surprise to him that I wouldn't be able to go shopping till that night. It was no surprise to him that I would give about 50 dollars and turn around and be blessed with it back the very next day. It made me think of Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice Issac. God knew he would provide a sacrifice and that Issac would return home with his father unharmed, but he was testing his obedience.
When we are ready to obey God he uses us to bless others and many times we are blessed in the process. Sometimes physically and sometimes our reward waits in heaven but either way the LORD delights in our obedience. I want to delight Yahweh God, don't you?
May you be open to the LORD this day, listen to HIS voice and be ready to be used to bless others.
Comments
Post a Comment