The following is my article for God’s Corner in the Hudson River Sampler this month.

Being a Blessing

It was a cold wintry day, just following that pile of snow that dumped the Northeast this past February. Margret had gone to see her friend in the nursing home and was just pulling out of the parking lot to head for home when a glove lying beside a parked SUV caught her eye. For a moment she felt the urge to stop, pick it up and leave it on the hood of the vehicle, but she reasoned that it was too cold to get out of her car again, besides she needed to get home to clean her house and cook for the company she was expecting later that evening.

As she continued to steer her car towards the exit she once again felt that urge. This time it was more like a quiet voice coming from within saying, “Margret, I want you to turn around, go back and pick up that glove.  Wouldn’t you be blessed if someone picked up your dropped glove in the parking lot and put it on your car?”

With hesitancy she turned the car around and stopped next to the SUV. She picked up the glove, placing it on the hood and breathed a prayer, “See, Lord, I’m being obedient.  I did as you asked. Now can I go home now?”

Once again Margret got in her car, closed the door, buckled her seatbelt and moved the auto into drive. Before she could move forward more than a couple feet, another glove caught her eye on the other side of the vehicle. This time without argument to the voice urging her to do the kind thing, she stopped the car, stepped out and placed the second glove next to its match on the hood of the SUV.

This time as she left the parking lot to head home she heard God speak words of wisdom into her heart, “Margret, I know you love me.  Thank you for taking time to do something kind for someone you don’t even know and may never meet.  I love the owner of those gloves just as much as I love you. I wanted to bless them through you. Sometimes you try so hard to spend a lot of time serving Me when all I want is for you to listen as I direct your steps to be a blessing in every encounter of your life. When you have ears open to listen and a heart quick to obey, you will hear Me speaking direct instructions in your everyday life much more frequently than you ever imagined. When you follow My instructions your hands become My hands and you become My blessing to others.”

Spiritual Application

A similar instance to this happened to me, giving me the insight to turn it into an article. I know that I have the tendency to focus on the big plans I think that God has in store for me rather than abide in Him on a moment by moment basis listening for every instruction He has for me throughout the day.

The actions of Margret may seem simple but what the Lord has impressed deeply on my heart is that He desires obedience.  When He knows we are obedient in the small instructions He gives us He will begin to trust us with obedience in larger things.

Often I look at the life of Moses when pondering obedience. God asked Him to do so many simple things, like put his staff in the Red Sea so that the water would separate, or stick the rock for water to come out. Humanly I am sure Moses wanted to ask, “Why Lord? That seems too simple.” But he had faith to believe that God would do the work if he obeyed.

Naomi
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Being a Blessing by Listening to His Instructions
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