On a Saturday night in April, as I was driving home from work, I noticed that I was low on fuel. So I pulled over to the gas station on State Line to fuel up.
It is customary (or was) to go to a fast food place on my way to work, grab a burger or taco, and eat it in my car before I got out of my car to go clock in. So, I was looking at all of the trash in my passenger side floorboard in my car.
As I turned the pump on to pump the gas, I heard that little tug in my heart say, "Now is a great opportunity to grab that trash and get rid of it so you can have room to take someone to church tomorrow." I knew and recognized God’s voice.
I said, "Excuse me? How long has it been since You gave me the opportunity to take someone to church with me? It is 10 o’clock tonight already and You think I'm going to have a passenger in the morning?"
God said, "I Am God.When I tell you to do something, you shouldn't doubt me. Look what it got Jonah."
I said, "You are sure right. Yes, sir." And I cleaned out my car.
The next morning, I'm thinking I might sleep in. But, when I woke up I was wide awake. So, I hopped in the shower, threw on some sweats, and was thinking about going straight to Walmart, not knowing what time it was. I stepped outside and saw my neighbor, May May, pulling weeds out of the sidewalk cracks, with earbuds in her ears.
I looked at my phone to see what time it was. It was 10 minutes until time for church to start. I said,"Yes, Lord."
"May May! Would you like to go to church with me?"
She looked up, pulled her earbuds out of her ears and said immediately, "Yes, ma'am, I sure would!"
I said, "I am leaving right now!"
When she got into my car, I asked her if her "husband" knew she was coming with me. She said,
"I don't have a husband, or man, or anything anymore." She continued with, "I caught him smoking crack in my house and I threw him out. Maybe now I can pay my bills."
Yep. I testified to her on the way to church. You bet I did! LOL
So, we get to church, and Brother Matthew preached about Jonah and the boat. I refuse to think that that was a coincidence. The Big Question of the day was "Is there a Jonah in your life today that you need to toss overboard?" or "Are you Jonah?"
May May was so blessed by the sermon and the Praise and Worship time. She was amazed at the kids. But she felt that God was talking to her that morning.
On the way home, she said, "I was sitting there just listening to KLUV , trying to talk to God, see if I could get my own worship on, because I don't have a car...and it was like God was asking me if I wanted to go to church when you asked. I got there, and it's like, 'Girl I got something I want to say to you...'"
All I know is I might still ask why, but I ain't gonna tell my God no. Especially when He reminds me who is God.
I went to church with May May because I didn't want to be Jonah. Then, I listened to a sermon about Jonah! What a blessing!
May came to church with me as often as she could after that, until she moved away.
One day, I went outside for a few minutes before I started my car to go to work. Me and Miss May May were conversing. She said she had been telling her neighbor friends about our church and what we were going to be doing this Sunday. She said they had lots of questions, were curious about us.
She explained to them that we were the most loving church that she had ever experienced, that when you walk in the door you feel the Spirit so thick you can almost cut it with a knife.
She asked me if they might go with us tomorrow and I told her, "Of course! As long as I have room in my car, they are welcome!" She came back a few minutes later and said, "They are going!"
I was so excited! Miss May May was serving Jesus right where she was, because I listened to God that Saturday night at the gas station!
Over the next few months, I watched Miss May May change from a lady who was going down the wrong lonely path into a lady who surrounded herself with people who loved Jesus. I couldn't have asked for God to bless me more.
Through Miss May May, I got to know my neighbors Sean and Rose. Sean and Rose just moved here and really had nothing to start with. I helped them out by showing them where they could get help with groceries and other necessities. I took them sightseeing out to the lake for the first time, as they had never seen it before.
One day when I came home from work, I found a giant zucchini on my door. They had an abundance and decided to bless me with some of it. They even expressed that when they moved to Indiana they planned to adopt me and carry me with them. Of course, I turned them down.
One Saturday morning in July, I decided to go and visit the "Church Under the Bridge" for the first time. It was a place that catered to the homeless in our city. Brother Cody Howard was the pastor who had a heart for the homeless. When he wasn't there, he was at the Friendship Center counseling those who needed groceries or food for the day, or hygiene products.
It was my first visit to this little church under the bridge, and I could not figure out how to get there. So I made a wrong turn and ended up going about 2 miles out of the way. I turned around to see two men walking along the side of the road with their backpacks. I pulled over and offered them a ride. They said they didn't have very much further to go that they were going to the church under the bridge, that they didn't need a ride.
I said, “what a coincidence! That is where I'm headed. I think I made a wrong turn. If you guys would honor me by letting me drive you, you can show me where to go.”
Once again God had provided a way when I couldn't find it myself. They gladly got into my backseat.
People tend to overlook the little ways in which God guides them in their lives. I have learned not to take for granted any given moment that God allows me to live. There are so many times that the small things in life are really great miracles from God that rain blessings my way. I have learned to be grateful for all of them. This time it was a solution to a small wrong turn that I had made. I couldn't wait to see what was next!
I have also learned that when God sends me to minister to someone, it is never for just them. It is always for my growth and education in The Lord!
It is customary (or was) to go to a fast food place on my way to work, grab a burger or taco, and eat it in my car before I got out of my car to go clock in. So, I was looking at all of the trash in my passenger side floorboard in my car.
As I turned the pump on to pump the gas, I heard that little tug in my heart say, "Now is a great opportunity to grab that trash and get rid of it so you can have room to take someone to church tomorrow." I knew and recognized God’s voice.
I said, "Excuse me? How long has it been since You gave me the opportunity to take someone to church with me? It is 10 o’clock tonight already and You think I'm going to have a passenger in the morning?"
God said, "I Am God.When I tell you to do something, you shouldn't doubt me. Look what it got Jonah."
I said, "You are sure right. Yes, sir." And I cleaned out my car.
The next morning, I'm thinking I might sleep in. But, when I woke up I was wide awake. So, I hopped in the shower, threw on some sweats, and was thinking about going straight to Walmart, not knowing what time it was. I stepped outside and saw my neighbor, May May, pulling weeds out of the sidewalk cracks, with earbuds in her ears.
I looked at my phone to see what time it was. It was 10 minutes until time for church to start. I said,"Yes, Lord."
"May May! Would you like to go to church with me?"
She looked up, pulled her earbuds out of her ears and said immediately, "Yes, ma'am, I sure would!"
I said, "I am leaving right now!"
When she got into my car, I asked her if her "husband" knew she was coming with me. She said,
"I don't have a husband, or man, or anything anymore." She continued with, "I caught him smoking crack in my house and I threw him out. Maybe now I can pay my bills."
Yep. I testified to her on the way to church. You bet I did! LOL
So, we get to church, and Brother Matthew preached about Jonah and the boat. I refuse to think that that was a coincidence. The Big Question of the day was "Is there a Jonah in your life today that you need to toss overboard?" or "Are you Jonah?"
May May was so blessed by the sermon and the Praise and Worship time. She was amazed at the kids. But she felt that God was talking to her that morning.
On the way home, she said, "I was sitting there just listening to KLUV , trying to talk to God, see if I could get my own worship on, because I don't have a car...and it was like God was asking me if I wanted to go to church when you asked. I got there, and it's like, 'Girl I got something I want to say to you...'"
All I know is I might still ask why, but I ain't gonna tell my God no. Especially when He reminds me who is God.
I went to church with May May because I didn't want to be Jonah. Then, I listened to a sermon about Jonah! What a blessing!
May came to church with me as often as she could after that, until she moved away.
One day, I went outside for a few minutes before I started my car to go to work. Me and Miss May May were conversing. She said she had been telling her neighbor friends about our church and what we were going to be doing this Sunday. She said they had lots of questions, were curious about us.
She explained to them that we were the most loving church that she had ever experienced, that when you walk in the door you feel the Spirit so thick you can almost cut it with a knife.
She asked me if they might go with us tomorrow and I told her, "Of course! As long as I have room in my car, they are welcome!" She came back a few minutes later and said, "They are going!"
I was so excited! Miss May May was serving Jesus right where she was, because I listened to God that Saturday night at the gas station!
Over the next few months, I watched Miss May May change from a lady who was going down the wrong lonely path into a lady who surrounded herself with people who loved Jesus. I couldn't have asked for God to bless me more.
Through Miss May May, I got to know my neighbors Sean and Rose. Sean and Rose just moved here and really had nothing to start with. I helped them out by showing them where they could get help with groceries and other necessities. I took them sightseeing out to the lake for the first time, as they had never seen it before.
One day when I came home from work, I found a giant zucchini on my door. They had an abundance and decided to bless me with some of it. They even expressed that when they moved to Indiana they planned to adopt me and carry me with them. Of course, I turned them down.
One Saturday morning in July, I decided to go and visit the "Church Under the Bridge" for the first time. It was a place that catered to the homeless in our city. Brother Cody Howard was the pastor who had a heart for the homeless. When he wasn't there, he was at the Friendship Center counseling those who needed groceries or food for the day, or hygiene products.
It was my first visit to this little church under the bridge, and I could not figure out how to get there. So I made a wrong turn and ended up going about 2 miles out of the way. I turned around to see two men walking along the side of the road with their backpacks. I pulled over and offered them a ride. They said they didn't have very much further to go that they were going to the church under the bridge, that they didn't need a ride.
I said, “what a coincidence! That is where I'm headed. I think I made a wrong turn. If you guys would honor me by letting me drive you, you can show me where to go.”
Once again God had provided a way when I couldn't find it myself. They gladly got into my backseat.
People tend to overlook the little ways in which God guides them in their lives. I have learned not to take for granted any given moment that God allows me to live. There are so many times that the small things in life are really great miracles from God that rain blessings my way. I have learned to be grateful for all of them. This time it was a solution to a small wrong turn that I had made. I couldn't wait to see what was next!
I have also learned that when God sends me to minister to someone, it is never for just them. It is always for my growth and education in The Lord!
No comments:
Post a Comment