Are You Listening To Me?

Some days I feel like I'm walking in stride with Jesus pretty well... other days, it's more like I can't get into rhythm with Him. He's saying, "left, left, left, right, left". And I'm tripping & fumbling & concentrating really hard, but just not getting it. These past few weeks have been like that.
God has been trying to speak to me about little things, but I've been way too busy trying to get "things done" to listen.

We were camping. Everyone was sitting around the campfire enjoying a hot cup of tea. Our little Anya asked for a cup. We got it for her, but the Holy Spirit told me it was too hot, not to give it to her. So, I gave it to her & told her to just hold it because it was too hot to drink. She spilled it almost immediately & burned her little leg. I am ashamed even as I type those words. Why didn't I listen?

I went to get a pair of pants for my dear hubby out of the laundry room. I grabbed the green pair, but saw the brown pair. The Holy Spirit whispered, "Grab the brown pair too." "Nah", I said, "we'll be folding clothes later. I'll just bring them up then." I went back upstairs with the green pair. When D (my nickname for Daniel) saw the green jeans he commented that he would really like the brown pair because he's been cutting wood & painting in them, so they would work perfectly for another "dirty" day. GRRRRR!!!! I sent Kathryn downstairs to get his brown pair. I'm sure she was wondering how I knew exactly where they were. :)

I decided that it would be a good idea to take the kids to K Mart to pick up some shoes. It's a 1/2 hour away, but D have forgotten some things on his last job that I needed to pick up anyways, so why not make the trip. Sounds good, right? Well, I certainly didn't pray about it & I wasn't comfortable with it even as I made those plans, buuuuuuuutttt.... I had already told everyone. I didn't want anyone to be disappointed, so off we went... I had to make an unexpected trip to where Ryan & Rose were cutting wood to relay a message for Daniel. 1/2 hour... Had to have lunch... $20 Had to feed baby, so we went to the park... Met a friend there... Her lunch took a long time to prepare... 1 hour... Off to K Mart... Found shoes... Amen! Went back towards home... TOTALLY forgot to pick up the stuff at D's work site... Groceries... I sent Kathryn in because I had to feed the baby again... 1 hour... We got home at 5:30 pm. Seriously, it was crazy. The evening went down hill from there, trying to feed a starving, tired infant, keep Gabe, Luke & Anya calm (they've been in a car all day) while we get dinner ready, etc... Why do I forge ahead with my plans when I know that they are not what God wants?

The lesson in all this is that God truly cares about every intricate detail of my life. He wants to save my little princess from being burned. He wants to save me an extra trip to the basement for that infamous pair of jeans. He wants me to plan my day according to His plan for my day. He wants me to make that cup of coffee or that phone call. He wants to pour out His blessings, even in the little, minute details in my life.

Today, I listened. I turned around when I passed the farmers market, thinking if I waited they would probably be gone when I came back through. They were closing for the season in 10 minutes. I struck up a conversation with one of the farmers. I hadn't seen this man in 20 years. I lived less than 5 miles from him when I was a teenager. He said he was just thinking about my mom & wondered how she was. I live an hour and a half from my hometown!

I listened. I put on my old Columbia coat. I haven't worn in in a year and a half. I checked the pockets... a dollar bill, a set of keys & some rubber bands... I went to the hardware store for D, after my chat with the farmer. He needed paint chips for an upcoming job. I needed every shade of white that Benjamin Moore had. As I paid for my other purchase, I thought about how I was going to keep these paint chips together & not have them spread all over the van. Aha... a rubber band. I was elated!

I listened. I called our customer ahead of time. His wife & he wanted to meet me & asked if I could come a little later. We had a wonderful visit! They enjoyed meeting the baby & I pray God was glorified by our conversation.

It's simple little things that make a profound difference. Today was a great day!

Am I listening? Lord, help me to never forget these simple lessons that You teach me every day!

In His Grip,
Laura