LESSONS FROM THE MAN IN THE RAIN

Sunday as we were driving to church in the morning, it was raining lightly and the forecast called for heavier showers. For the first time in a long time, we were actually early for church. I noticed a man up ahead of us on the left walking through the rain with no umbrella. I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me and telling me to give that man one of our umbrellas. We only had one in the car, but I knew we'd be fine without one. I pointed out the man to my husband and asked him if he thought we should try to give him one of our umbrellas. Sadly, this world that we live in makes me second guess a lot of things. In the back of my mind I'm thinking stupid things like, "I hope he doesn't pull out a gun on us." I could tell my husband was a little hesitant, maybe even a little annoyed because he knew he would be the one doing the talking. I'm not really sure what he was thinking, but he agreed that we could try. 

I made a u-turn at the next intersection and we made our way back to the man. We pulled off to the side of the road as he was walking towards us. My husband rolled down the window and asked if he would like an umbrella. The man appeared to be somewhere around 50 years old. He had long grey hair and was wearing a long sleeve shirt and blue jeans. He smiled and kindly said, "No, that's okay." We asked if he was sure and he said yeah. So my husband said okay and possibly something else as we drove away. 

As we drove off I fought back tears. There were so many thoughts and emotions going on with me. Why didn't he take the umbrella. I hope my husband wasn't embarrassed. Maybe we just made his day, because someone was so kind to even try to help him out. My mind kept pondering over and over why he didn't accept it, if God truly did put it on my heart to give it to him. My husband suggested that maybe God was just testing my obedience with a smaller thing so that He knows we will be obedient with bigger things.

For days I just couldn't get this situation out of my mind. I prayed about it and asked God for answers. I felt like He was trying to teach me a lesson, but I wasn't sure what the lesson was. I'm still trying to figure it out, but I do believe it's not just one simple lesson. There was so much to be taught here. 

Whenever God prompts you to do something for others, remember these facts:

1. You reap what you sow. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." ~ Galatians 6:7 (KJV) Perhaps God was seeing if I would try to sow a good seed when I thought this man was in need, so that the next time I am in need, He can speedily send someone to help me. 

Here are a couple more Bible verses that back up the principle of reaping and sowing: 

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ~ Luke 6:38 (NIV)

God "will repay each person according to what they have done." ~ Romans 2:6 (NIV)

2. By being obedient to God, you are not denying Him. Regardless of whether or not the other person receives what you are trying to give, whether its a gift, a kind word, or even just a wave or a smile, you can rejoice knowing that YOU did what God wanted you to do. "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." ~ Titus 1:16 (NIV)

3. If you have children, they are paying attention. I feel like we taught our children a valuable lesson that day. As I turned the car around, our six year old knew something was going on. He asked us what we were doing. I explained to him that we were just going to try to show God's love by seeing if the man wanted an umbrella because he was walking alone in the rain. 

4. Expect NOTHING in return! Luke 6:34-36 (ESV) says, "If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

5. You may be entertaining angels. "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." ~ Hebrews 13:2 Wow, what a thought! The man in the rain could've been an angel! That gives me chills to think about. I cannot make this stuff up. It's right there in God's word. 

6. Pride leads to destruction. Last but certainly not least, remember to remain humble and to not boast about what you have done. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

Several days after the incident regarding the man walking in the rain, I was talking to my husband again about what God might be trying to teach me. The very second that I stopped talking, I turned up the radio and heard these words in a song for the very first time: 

"It's like I'm standing in the rain 

and you offer me a raincoat. 

But I would rather stand there being wet 

than take the handout. 

What's wrong with me? 

You said, you've always got your hands out."

So then I started thinking about the man even more. I wonder if he's a broken man in need of a Savior. Could he have possibly smiled at us, but asked himself what's wrong with him as we drove away? I just hope that no matter what God was trying to teach us or that man, that Christ was glorified through that little act of obedience. 

If you would like to hear the full song that I heard on the radio, just click on the video.

Be blessed my friends!

WRITING

God has convicted me yet again about my writing. Most of the time I feel like I'm just writing for myself. It's something that I really enjoy doing, when I can find the time. My time lately has been taken up by homeschooling, taking care of the house, making sure bills are paid, and chasing after the baby. He's in to everything these days! 

But God keeps whispering to me that my writing really isn't just for me. Someone out there needs to hear what I say. They need the encouragement. They need to know that they are not alone. So here again I find myself at the computer, asking God what it is that He wants me to write. 

I've been studying Proverbs this entire month and ironically our preacher been preaching on Proverbs too. I love it when God does stuff like that! I've learned a lot and will probably do the Proverbs study again next month, but be more diligent in sharing my thoughts with you. That is, unless God takes me in a new direction with my writing. I've also been reading through the old testament and I'm currently in the book of 1 Kings.

I'm a tenderhearted person who has gone through a lot of changes in my life. I wear my heart on my sleeve, so you'll probably see more about my personal struggles. I hope that when I share my heart, you won't judge me. I'm human just like you and I will share my heart in hopes of helping others.

So, until next time (hopefully in the very near future)......

Be blessed my friends!

WISDOM WAITS

Have you been praying about a decision you need to make? Maybe even fasting, believing to hear from God for your answer? But, you're just not getting the green light from Him. Maybe it's something that you really believe would benefit your family, like a job opportunity or moving to a new area. Maybe it's even something that will benefit others like starting a ministry or going on a mission trip.

Well, I've been dealing with this issue for about a month. I've been going back and forth, trying to decide if I should rejoin a business that I was in before; a business that I was very successful in and I really enjoyed...until it just became too overwhelming. For some reason lately I've gotten it in my head that I could do it again, and even better than the last time. I even started asking people if they would support me again. And I got a lot of positive responses. I thought it was going to be so easy because so many would support me. Then I found out that I could even rejoin for free! 

Today God finally gave me my answer that I've been praying for.  It's not a yes or a no, but for now, it is WAIT! He caught my attention today when I was reading a paragraph from Elizabeth George's book, A Woman After God's Own Heart.
This is what she said: 

"It's impossible to read the book of Proverbs and not get the message that wisdom waits. As a general principle for practicing your priorities, know that it is safer to wait and do nothing than to rush in and do the wrong thing. One of the many proverbs that expresses this biblical truth says, 'He sins who hastens with his feet' (Proverbs 19:2)."

Now that God has finally given me clarity, I'm thinking, "What was I thinking?". It's not like I have less responsibilities now than I had before. Now I'm homeschooling two children while also taking care of a toddler and we live in a bigger home, which requires more upkeep. 

Once I learned that He really wants me to wait, I feel in my heart that it's actually a no. This doesn't mean that if He tells you to wait, it's an automatic no. I just think He's been trying to get my attention all along and telling me to wait was His way of telling me to stop going after what I thought would work and just trust Him. I just needed to really stop for a minute and stop chasing my desires. It was my desire to make more income for my family and this business is the quickest way I knew how. I knew that I did it before and it worked, so I could do it again. Even though God kept whispering, "Just write.", I continued to pray about this other opportunity. I have known for a long time that I'm supposed to write books that will bring healing and deliverance to others. And I know that God wants to use me through this blog. While I love to write, I mostly write for you, my reader. I want to pass on my experiences in hopes that it will help you in some way.

So, once again I will ask you, have you been praying about a decision that you need to make? Maybe God wants you to just wait! Or maybe, like me, He's already been whispering to you about something else that needs to be done. 

Be blessed my friends!

An Eye Opener About Money

A lot has been going on in my world. The day before yesterday I ended up in the ER because my heart was constantly fluttering and I got light headed. After spending 2 hours in the waiting room and another 4 hours or so in a room, I finally got to come home. All of my tests came back normal. I had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours and I don't have those results yet. The next day I got a really big bill from the IRS. Apparently I made a mistake on our 2012 taxes. I cried my eyes out. I'm thankful that we have the money in our savings to cover it and thankful that my husband treated me with kindness as I explained what happened. Until now we've been living kind of care free; going out to eat, giving money away, and spending money like we have it...because we did. I feel like the last couple of days were a huge wake up call. I feel like God slapped me in the face. As I was going through my 2012 papers, trying to figure out what had happened, I found an index card that I had written on. It said, "If therefore you are not faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? Luke 16:11"  After reading this, I cried some more. We have always been givers and faithful tithers, but I feel like God told me right then and there that we have got to start taking money more seriously. We have to be diligent with it. We can still be givers and tithers (and we will), but we need to be faithful with the rest. Instead of blowing it all of the time on eating out and buying whatever our hearts desire, we need to budget and save money for the future. Although I'm really sad over the events that have happened over the last few days and the fact that our bank account has been drained, I am grateful that God has opened my eyes. What about you? Are you faithful with worldly wealth? If not, I pray that God will help you as you strive to be a better steward of the things He has blessed you with. I'm on this journey with you!

Be blessed my friends!

RUTH AND NAOMI

I've been studying the book of Ruth and want to share with you what I've discovered. Did you know that there are similarities between Ruth and The Virtuous Woman from Proverbs 31?
                                   
                                                                          Reference in Ruth             Reference in Proverbs

• Her family commitment is noted by others.        2:11, 12                        31:11, 12
• She provided sustenance for her household.      2:14, 18                       31:15
• She gave attention to her appearance.               3:3, 5                           31:22
• Her selfless lifestyle drew praise from others.     2:11; 3:10; 4:15            31:28
• She committed herself to Yahweh as God.         1:16                             31:30

Here are some other key points that really stood out to me today:

Commitment is the foundation for every relationship, whether earthly or heavenly.

Ruth willingly accepted an unsettled future and bound herself by solemn oath not only to Naomi but also to the God of Israel. I think of all that Ruth left behind; her family, her home, friendships, her entire life as she knew it. It makes me think of my own life, how God called us to another state and we obeyed His voice. We didn't understand His plans at the time, but through our obedience, we have been so blessed by God. He gave us many new friends and we found out which of the people in our old state were in our lives for the long haul. It also brought me and my family closer together. Instead of stopping by for just a few minutes on their way home, now my parents come to visit and we fully cherish every single second we have together. We talk more and take lots of pictures. When we lived only a mile from them, it's like we just took our lives together for granted. 

Don't take your precious time together for granted!

Who are your true friends? They are the ones who are committed! They don't turn their backs on you and forget about you when you move away. They check in on your when they know you are feeling down or are sick. They make time for you! Sure, everyone is busy, but if someone tells you that they won't have time for you for a few months, you should probably re-evaluate that friendship. I've had to do this recently and it's a very painful experience, but what's even more painful is trying to hold on to a one-sided relationship. I'm not saying that you don't continue to reach out to that person and love on them, but make sure you are spending the bulk of your time on the ones who make the time for you.

Naomi

A couple of things stood out to me about Naomi, Ruth's Mother-in-Law.

1. Naomi models the way God works through a woman who moves forward, even in the midst of tragedy and trial, actively seizing every opportunity God provides rather than waiting passively for events to happen.
2. By focusing on the negative, Naomi became so bitter (Ruth 1:20) that she could not see the good and positive plans God was working on. 

Of course these two things happened at two different parts of Naomi's journey. The first one just made me think about what I would do if I lost my husband. I know I would be devastated and I just can't imagine trying to continue on with life as normal. She made the best of her situation and returned to God. She was such a role model for Ruth.

In the second example, Naomi just didn't feel worthy to be called Naomi, which means Pleasant. She felt like her suffering was God's punishment for her own sins. Do you ever feel like that? I know I sure have! So many times when I begged God for something and didn't see it manifest, or when I've had to deal with any other kind of suffering or tragedy, I would think God was mad at me and I deserved whatever happened. But that's not who God is! He's a God of mercy and grace. He loved us before we even knew Him. He doesn't sit around waiting to punish us. No, He's our daddy! He wants to give us His best. But first, we have to believe that! Yes, you may reap what you sow, but if you realize that you have done wrong, ask Him for forgiveness. He will cast your sins as far as the east is to the west.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. I hope to share more with you about whatever I am reading each morning so that you may be blessed by it too!

Be blessed my friends!

Obedience or Wandering, You Choose

I am reading through the Old Testament and today I began Deuteronomy. In the first chapter, Moses is reminding the Israelites that their initial journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea should have only taken 11 days. However, their refusal to believe the good report of Joshua and Caleb transformed an 11 day journey into a 40 year wandering.

Anyone who knows about Moses, probably knows this part of the story. But, for some reason when I read this today, it really spoke to me. I just sat back and thought, "Wow!". How many times have I received a Word from the Lord and didn't respond with quick obedience? I wonder how my life would be different right now if I had listened to the Lord several years ago, but I didn't because I was too afraid, or I doubted that it was really God's voice I was hearing, or because I got distracted. So many times we make excuses for not following through with what God puts on our hearts to do. When we do this, we are no different than the Israelites, so our delay to obedience could be costing us extra years before we reach our full blessing that the Lord has for us. I know one thing, I sure don't want to miss out on it altogether. I believe that since Jesus came and died for us, we have an opportunity that the Israelites didn't have. We have the chance to repent for our disobedience and then the slate will be wiped clean. You can start fresh, right now!

Is there something you are putting off, that you just know God has been calling you to do? For me, one of the biggest things is writing a book. I've started several times, but never got into a good routine, therefore I've gotten distracted (there's that word again) by other things that this world has to offer, and I haven't finished the first book that the Lord has put on my heart to write.

What is it for you? Maybe you need to step out on faith and quit your job, go back to school, or maybe you were called to write books too. Do you have an ache in your heart to go on a mission trip? Maybe you need to walk away from a bad relationship, or forgive someone who has hurt you. It doesn't have to be big things like this. God wants our obedience in ALL things. It all counts! If He tells you to go check on your child. You better get up and run to your child because He is telling you this for a reason. If He tells you to read His Word everyday, then you need to do it. The more you read His Word, the more you'll hear Him speaking to you too, so if you don't know what it is He's calling you to do, start with reading the Bible more and I'm sure He'll help you figure it out.

Lets end our wandering and enter into the full blessings of the Lord!

 Be blessed my friends!