You wake up, get ready for work, hurry everyone out the door (with their shoes on, hopefully), and head off to start your day - just like normal.
Some days, you are caught off guard.
You wake up, get ready for work, hurry everyone out the door (shoes are all on) and when you get to work you find something you hadn’t expected. An envelope of blessing. An envelope with your name on it, with something that meets a deep need inside.
I can’t imagine my life without God. Honestly, I know it was HIS Spirit that laid it on someone’s heart to drop that precious envelope in the mail slot at my work. No way for me to repay - or even thank. Just an envelope, filled with a blessing for my family. God is amazing - and His people who allow themselves to be used as His hands and feet with no way to be known, well that just is summed up like this. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35.
A disciple is one that follows after and models the behavior of their teacher. That is my definition. But, you get what I mean.
Jesus always saw the need - the broken place, the thing that other people didn’t see from looking at the outside. He saw their deepest point of need, and He met people right there. Today, Jesus is not walking on the Earth. But, when He went to Heaven, He sent “The Counselor” the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us. Now, every Believer has that Spirit inside. Every believer has access to “insider” information. When we walk in step with the Spirit, He whispers things to us ~ and if we listen we can be a blessing to other people. That is what happened in my day - first thing today. Someone was listening, and God spoke to them a deep need in our family. How cool is that?
It is sometimes really difficult to remember that He sees it all. God knows every cry of our heart. And, He always wants our good. In fact, Psalm 119:68 says “He is good and everything He does is good.” There is nothing bad in His character. Nothing. He is good. The thing is, He sees the things we cannot. He knows four days from now, four years from now, forty years from now. He knows. We can only see today and that which is behind us. When we focus on our situation, it distorts everything, much like a fun-house mirror. But, when we focus on who HE is - even in the middle of our situation, it brings a truer image. That is when we can trust, because He is altogether trustworthy. Perfect love casts out all fear. If we could understand that He loves us perfectly, we would not be afraid - ever. We would remember that He never sleeps, He never slumbers. He never stops seeing our deepest need.
This was the second time this week that someone in my life - another believer (actually 2) - reached out and blessed my family in an extremely tangible way. They had no idea how desperate the need was. They couldn’t have. But, my God knew - He saw - and He acted on our behalf.
I desperately want to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit, so in tune that I could be used in a tangible way every day to meet someone right at their point of need. It is within the realm of possibilities - because Nothing is impossible with God.
Today, ask God to give you insight into someone’s life - ask Him to reveal ways that you can be a blessing to others. You were created for a purpose. We all have a purpose - but if we focus on ourselves we will lose our destiny. We will miss out on the opportunity to fulfill that purpose. Live with a purpose. Make decisions to ask the One who sees everything what He has that is good for you - even if you feel like it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Tell a stranger that they are beautiful. Pay for the person’s coffee that is coming behind you in the line if you are able to. You won’t regret it. And, don’t forget to give the reason for the Hope that you have. :)
If, by some slim chance my friends who have blessed my family just this week read this... I want you to know that I am praying a blessing over you - a hundred fold. God has seen- and He has your reward, a reward far greater than I could repay. I praise Him for your obedience. I praise Him for you. He is altogether good to me.
