Is your life challenging? God wants us to know peace that passes understanding.
Enjoy everyday reminders with me, when God calls us to “Come, have a peace!”
Are you seeing God moments in your life? Sometimes I think I miss them ... or talk myself out of being a part of them! Last week God reminded us of the sweet peace from letting Him prompt us, work through us, and lift our hearts through being part of His sovereign movements.
I was at Target. :) I have decided God works at Target (remember when I shared about my bathroom incident at Target?), so it must mean I should go there often :) We stopped in to pick out a gift. For weeks I've carried around a coupon for $5 off of a home purchase of $75 or more, knowing I really didn't have $70 to spend or anything
we needed, but unwilling to part with such a great coupon.
While paying for our gift I saw my great coupon in my wallet and looked around, wondering if there was anyone I could give it to before it expires. Just then, an older lady passed us; she was accompanied by a clerk pushing a cart, on their way to customer service with a boxed piece of furniture. I knew then that my string of thought, the coupon, the timing ... it was God's doing. Without any explanation, I gave the coupon to my 15 yr old and told her to run over and give it to the woman.
15 yr old go to a stranger with a bright red coupon and thrust it to them? Ok ... there was potential for a "Mom!?!? Why? That's weird" response ... :) But she, too, seemed to be prompted that this was a moment to obey without question, and she immediately went to the lady and gave her the coupon. I watched from a distance as they began to talk and smile.
When JoHanna came back, she told us the woman was overjoyed, telling her this was just God's way of rewarding her obedience, one of His ways of providing for her, in addition to the bills she gripped in her hand. You see, the furniture wasn't for her. It was for a man whose home had just burned down, and this stranger lady was being Jesus to that man. JoHanna, Jacob, and I got to share in the giving, because the Holy Spirit had done the preparing (HE gave me the coupon and didn't let me pitch it) and the prompting (bringing it to my mind, showing me the lady). When we were hit with the reality of God's detailed work in this series of events, we experienced such a peace in being reminded of God's involvement in our lives and of His will to use us.
When we got in the car, my daughter overflowed with amazement and joy at how obedience had given us the pleasure of blessing and how glad she was we had been included in the gift. My 13 yr old son wondered why I didn't let HIM give the coupon. :)
But I am not omniscient, and I could not see all of the circumstances and anticipate the joy or, still, know the impact in the man's life or the lady's life or my daughter's life or my life. But God knows, and His Spirit is prompting us daily to embrace the opportunities He gives. I sometimes wonder how many I miss because I talk myself out of responding or because I'm just focused on my own agenda. Are you seeing "God moments" in your life? Maybe you should go to Target. ;)
13 COMMENTS ~ Click here to leave a COMMENT:
I love those kind of moments! I haven't anything outright like that, but whenever (which is often) the girls and I go through a Caribou drive through, I like to pay for the people behind me. Kinda neat to think about how it might have made their day:)
Thanks for the wonderful reminder! God works in the small stuff... and so often I, like you, wonder if I'm too busy and too self-focused and miss what God is prompting me to do.
Great post! Thank you for the reminder that God is every present, even when we're in the midst of the "ordinary".
Oh, and I *bigpuffyheart* Target!!
I often feel like I am asking so much of God and not really knowing what He thinks of all my asking. I reacently saw a giveaway for a Women's Study Bible and entered hoping that I would win. I think it would be a great tool to use in my journey to getting closer to Him.
I entered as much as I could and tweeted every day. I looked at the book store and found it was close to $100.00 for this book and almost the same amount for others like it.
On the last day of the giveaway I almost didn't do my daily tweet, thinking that the last one never wins. I did it anyway and then had a talk with Hubby about it. I then prayed that the person who did win be blessed by it. I then told myself that God would know who need it and not me.
Don't you know the next day I got the email that I won. It was the last tweet that was the winning number. The first thing I thought of was my prayer to God about it the day before and knew He was sending me a sign and telling me He does listen to me. I don't guess I bother Him as much as I though I was.
I can't wait to get it in the mail soon. This has been the most reacent message I have gotten from Him. I can only wonder how many others I have missed!
That is so cool! I have goose bumps! I love to hear how God is working, what a cool thing for your kids to see how God is alive and well and in control!
I love those kind of "God Moments"! Nothing gives me a great high than to know I am helping some one else in need, even if we think it may be small our gesture may mean the world to someone.
The other day in Walmart I wanted to help this couple so badly but I was not close enough to them in the check out line, without making a scene. They were a young couple who obviously did not have much money. They actually had to put a few items back, (that broke my heart). By the time I could get close enough to them or down the isle they were gone. I wanted so much just to give then a few extra dollars or something. They have been on my mind every night since.
I have been praying for them and if I ever get another chance like that I am going to break my neck to get to someone in need, no matter the distance. I keep kicking myself for not being able to do anything.
There is no better feeling in the world to help a complete stranger and making them smile, that is all the reward I need.
Hey Julie, I just left you a comment about my Walmart story. Your post inspired me to write a blog post about it if you would like to read it.
http://honoringtheking.blogspot.com/2010/04/kicking-myself-i-missed-true-god.html
Thank you for this reminder ... I, too, wonder how many times I have missed the blessing God had for me because I was simply not paying attention.
How very cool!!! I love God moments like that!!! We are studying "Experiencing God" and this is exactly what it talks about...God is always at work around us and we just have to be obedient and in relationship with him to see and know where He is working and then join Him in His work. And that's exactly what you and your family did :) Yay God for being in Target and Yay you for being obedient and blessing that woman :)
Thanks for rejoicing with me, gals! Watching it unfold and seeing the sweet things that came from it just made me want to laugh out loud in delight at God's clear hand in our circumstances ... even down to a coupon, a fire, furniture, and the timing ... did I remember to tell you it happened on the way to school after a doctor's appt? It was definitely a divine appointment. :)
I love this!! I love how God uses everything for his good even a coupon!!
I've got one of those stories and I am going to post about it, probably today.
www.astitchnaprayer.blogspot.com
your Target story brought happy tears to my eyes.
I'm sure your act of kindness and obedience gave the lady great joy, Julie. A lady gave me a super coupon for Coke when I was in the grocery store not too long ago. She had seen the Coke products in my buggy and gave it to me. I think I saved like $3.00! Crazy! But more than the savings, I was just touched by her kindness.
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