Category Archives: Hearing from God

“May God go with you.” (…continued)

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As Thelma and I slowly continued on up the paved dune searching for Jack, she began telling stories. “I’ve rescued a lot of dogs from shelters. Most of ‘em look pretty good after a thorough scrubbing.”

Although we didn’t see Jack, we did see the car he’d followed, parked in front of one of the high-up cottages. If we couldn’t find him, I would double back and check there.

Continuing around several curves, we began moving down and eventually came to the spot where Jack had become confused. There he was, standing in the rain as if to say, “I was here. Where were you?”

Panting from his long loop up the road and down again, he gratefully hopped into the back seat, immediately leaning forward to get sniff-acquainted with Thelma. His tail wagged enthusiastically, and reaching back to pat his head, she said, “I told you. Dogs love me.”

Heading out of the subdivision, I listened to her describe how she liked helping people clean up their yards, saying it took her many sessions to complete one. “You gotta work on ‘em slow and steady. There’s too many leaves for one time.” She listed the names of those she’d already raked, and I recognized many of them.

Driving out into the country I said, “You’ll have to tell me which way to go.”

“Just keep on goin’,” she said, pointing out the front windshield.

Sure enough, about 6 miles inland from Lake Michigan she finally said, “There,” pointing to a small wooden house. “That’s where I live.”

As she got out of the car I rolled down the window, letting the rain pour in. She thanked me and nodded toward the house. “It’s adequate. More important, it was built with love. God has always taken good care of me.”

She patted the wet car as she walked alongside it, probably for support, and then turned around and said, “God go with you.”

I waited in the driveway to be sure she would get in, but she was playing a waiting game, too, making sure I backed out safely. As we both looked at each other, her hand on the doorknob and mine on the steering wheel, it was as if God said, “I love Thelma. Make sure you do, too.”

Eventually I waved through my open window and backed away, praying the prayer I so often pray: “Lord, what do you want me to think about all this?”

And he gave me this thought: “Think about how Thelma trusts me to take care of her. Today I coaxed Jack to follow the wrong car so I could give her a ride home. Without him running off, you wouldn’t have seen her. I set it up for her, and lucky you. You got to deliver it.”

Then he said something else. “See how I care for Thelma? I’ll always do the same for you.”

The Lord said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

 

Multiplied Blessings

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Recently my Illinois neighbor Becky and I emailed back and forth about the mysterious phenomenon of God’s Spirit prompting us to do things for other people. Most of us want to obey him but then often respond ambiguously. “Good suggestion, Lord. I’ll get on that soon.”

We worry that obeying the Spirit’s urgings might expose us to embarrassment or rejection, so we give him excuses for why we can’t do it just yet or in that certain way. None of us likes to feel awkward or risk humiliation, so we procrastinate, though we’re not without good intentions.

Becky’s email included the back-story (which I hadn’t heard before) of what happened on one occasion when I said “yes” to the Spirit. I share it not to boast (since I’ve disregarded holy promptings more times than not) but to encourage all of us to act quickly on future Spirit-whispers.

It was 1993. Becky and I were becoming good pals, pushing our babies on the back yard swing set and sharing PB&J sandwiches on a blanket. We chatted about our lives and families and one day landed on spiritual matters. I sensed Becky’s heart was warming toward the Lord.

Eventually she asked a few questions about Scripture. It was during that conversation the Spirit tapped me: “Give her a Bible.”

“But I might offend her or seem preachy,” I said. “She might feel pressure to read it.”

But I did it, buying a textbook-style study Bible.

Now, from her recent email:

“Remember when you gave me a Bible? It’s the Bible I still use and love. It’s in sorry shape, but I’m very attached to it. I have every other translation on my bookshelves, but the Bible you gave me is special. I can’t imagine being without it!

“After receiving the Bible, I put it in my nightstand drawer where it stayed unopened for 6 years! Then in 1999 I was invited to a Bible study. Little did I know I was about to be introduced to Jesus. I’d completely forgotten about the Bible in my nightstand and took my mother-in-law’s 1929 King James Version. Months later God reminded me I already had a Bible that looked more like the other women’s Bibles, and I got it out of the nightstand drawer. Two years after that I surrendered my life to Jesus, my Lord and Savior.

“Over the last 7 years or so, I’ve given away 13 Bibles because of you, and have plans to give away 3 more. Those Bibles may be sitting in someone’s nightstand unopened for years just like mine was. But when God decides to make his move, those people will remember.

“John 6:65 says, ‘No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.’ Thank you for my most treasured Bible!”

And that’s how God does it: 1 Bible given = 20 more Bibles given = 20 women receiving Bibles, who might each give 20 more = 400 Bibles = the way God moves through the Spirit’s promptings.

So when he whispers, “Do it,” we should all hop to it!

“God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

Acting Squirrely

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Our Farmer’s Almanac says the Midwest is in for a lollapalooza of a winter. If that’s true, there’s cause for concern about Little Red’s welfare and all his squirrel buddies. Last year our neighborhood was blanketed with acorns, so much so that walking the length of the driveway was like lurching about on a carpet of marbles.

This fall, however, there’s nary an acorn to be seen. God may have told the trees, “After outdoing yourselves last year, take a year off.” But good news for the oaks has been bad news for the critters. I didn’t realize the extent of the problem until I bought a few pumpkins for the front porch.

I’d barely gone inside when the first little thief came and dragged the tiny baseball-sized pumpkin away. I counted again and again before realizing what had happened. Now, a week later, they’re all but gone, the chewed-up evidence scattered throughout the yard.

All of this off-the-ground eating puts me in mind of the biblical manna. Although its timely arrival every night was miraculous, God told the Israelites his main reason for sending it wasn’t to satisfy their hunger, as much as to teach them about the nourishing, faithful Source behind it: him.

I sometimes think of the incredible boredom of eating manna every day for 40 years. The slaves of the Egyptian pharaoh who left in a hurry never realized how scrumptious that last Passover meal had been with its roast lamb and all the trimmings. Once they were in the desert, it was same old, same old, despite God’s eventual addition of quail to the menu.

We get frustrated eating leftovers more than once or twice in a row. How about being raised on manna as your staple? Forty years worth of newly-born wilderness-Israelites had no idea what it was like to eat anything else.

I always thought of manna as God’s provision of love, but the Bible says he sent it “to humble them and test them” for their own good. (Deuteronomy 8:16) In other words, he knew how difficult it would be to exist on the miraculous but boring manna day after day but considered it useful training. And then came that glorious day when they walked into Canaan and had their first taste of something new: baked bread and roasted grain, mmmm-good!

At the end of God’s humbling and the tests he allows into our lives even today, we can always count on him to provide the mmmm-good when it’s over!

BTW, maybe the local squirrels have viewed their annual acorn diet like so much manna, nourishing but boring. If so, this year’s pumpkin feast must seem like the Promised Land!

“No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of [Canaan], and it was never seen again.” (Joshua 5:12)

(FYI, Scripture hints we might all get to see and taste a little manna in heaven. Remember, he saved a jar of starter in the Ark of the Covenant. Revelation 2:17)