“I will instruct you and teach you as My loving eyes watch
over you." ~ Psalm 32:8
Market shopping was her favorite time of the week. Every Saturday morning Sheela would drink in
the colors, the aromas and the atmosphere of the farmer’s market like an
elixir. She loved interacting with local
stall holders, each one a caricature of bubbly sociability. They knew her by name and usually kept a few
of their freshest items behind the counter that they knew she would buy ... and
she always did.
This to Sheela was life.
Real life; not the sanitized pre-packed convenience world of individual
yogurts and personal cheeses. Just after
loading her backpack with fresh veggies, she heard it.
The woman’s harsh, demeaning words startled her: “Straighten up you little s**t
or I’ll blister you’re a**. Times like
this, I wish I’d never had you!” she said with heat in her voice before
disappearing into the crowd.
“The hurtful words
stung, and they weren’t even for me!” Sheela thought. Moms should be your biggest cheerleader, never
your worst critic.
The little girl’s eyes stared blankly; a void so black no
light could penetrate. Maybe six, her
innocence had shattered long ago; an open wound that no amount of salve would
ever heal. Sheela knew instantly from
the look in her terrified eyes that they'd hit their mark.
Sheela felt a clear nudge from God to approach the child, hug
her tenderly, and explain the truth: that she was worth more than diamonds, she
was beautiful, and the God of the universe loved her more than she could
imagine.
She didn’t do it. She
ignored His nudge.
As Sheela continued shopping, she couldn’t get the little
girl with her big blank eyes out of her mind. She circled back to find the girl and speak
life into her.
She didn’t find her; it was too late. She hadn’t followed God’s leading, and felt
terrible for months. Her tears could
have filled a large bucket.
That precious child needed to hear the truth. God had asked her to convey it, and she had
not followed His lead.
But God knew how to get through to her anyway. That moment joined the palette of paints God
used in Sheela’s ever-developing portrait of how she would live in His world. She’d listen more carefully, seek His counsel
more frequently, and act more forcefully.
We’ve all miss His call, sometimes by choice!
But God doesn’t give up! If anything, He finds ways to reach us even
when we’re unreachable. His nudge can
come during a walk in the park or boom at us via the thunder and lightning of a
summer thunderstorm. Luckily, He finds
us even when telephone and internet lines are down.
Lord of love, help me feel Your nudges. Use me - in ways big and small - to
accomplish Your will here on earth. Help
me respond without hesitation whenever I hear Your voice calling me into action Amen
