Obedience

Do you know this truck?  Well, it could actually be the “brown truck” or the truck with the “Purple and Green” or “Purple and Orange” letters—but for this story…it was the “orangey-yellow truck”.

Let me back up just a bit and give you some history. Not Abraham Lincoln kind…or even the grand opening of the first Wal-Mart kind…but this history is more personal. It is mine.

My sister, Aimee and I attended the incredible “She Speaks” conference. Yes, I know. You may heard more than your fair share about it. But you haven’t heard what I’ve been saving for THIS day!

We were there for a reason.  I believe that with all my heart.  I felt that God would “give me a sign”—of sorts—about what He intended for our little book we are prayerfully working on regarding Wanda’s life and faith.  (If you don’t know, Wanda was the middle sister, the one between me and Aimee, who passed away this February 12th.) 

While I didn’t expect an editor to come chasing us down the hall begging to publish our little book, we did feel that we would “sense” a direction. Of sorts.  But, after the first meeting….no clear direction.  The second meeting….growing darker, I began to grow disheartened.  Perhaps I had missed God after-all.

As much as I didn’t want to think that, the enemy kept plaguing my heart with that. 

“Why, Angie, you’ve no college education…you can’t possibly write a book!” “Maybe you need to just keep doing the little blogs that you are doing and stay to yourself, and don’t think about it anymore”….

Does he (the enemy) ever talk to you that way? All the while the Lord was telling me…  “I will be your help.  Trust Me”.

So, on through the weekend of powerful messages and speakers we go, all the while the enemy keeps his pecking…like an aggravating chicken…right around my doorstep…where the Lord is trying to get me to grow….and all the while, the Lord keeps whispering to my heart, “trust Me“.

I do what most anyone would do.  I push it from my mind.  Until Aimee and I find ourselves at the “foot of the cross”.  That Sunday morning we arrived a little late, and rather than searching for an empty chair, we chose to sit on the floor at one of the several wooden crosses placed around the room.  We really didn’t pay any attention to the cross, we just sat down.  As the final speaker poured her heart out to us, the message was clear.  It was titled “What Have They Got That I Haven’t Got?”….do you see what the Lord did?  He just spoke to my heart…through the messenger of His choice.  Using the analogy of the story behind The Wizard of Oz, Micca Campbell gave the enemy the old “what for” in my life. She gave me chapter and verse for why and how God will supply me a brain…and give me the heart…and the nerve…if I am “obedient”.

After I arrive home and began opening my mail, my heart skips a beat when on the outside of one envelopes I spot these words…

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart”  Proverbs 3:5–on a cute little sticker with 3 red hearts.  Well, I open the envelope and read the sweet words from my dear friend Iris, and tears pool in my eyes.  God is good. 

I open the second envelope.  Darlin’ little envelope with a little “hangy-down-thingy” that says HUG.  Sweet.  From Lori.  Crafty girl. When I opened the card she had written a sweet note and then, almost as an afterthought, placed a sticky-note at the top with these words…

“Keep on trustin’ “.  Okay, I now have a message from a speaker.  Plus two hand written notes…all from obedient hearted women.  Can I confess to many tears by this time? Many tears.  Of course my sweet man thinks it was all because I missed him so much.  And I did.

“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams. “I Samuel 15:22 NLT (emphasis mine)

I found myself constantly praying, “Lord, what would you have me do?  What do you require?” All I got was this…”Obedience“.  Okay, I can do that.  Surely I can do that. I do that everyday.

On the first day back at the office after the incredible conference—I was put to the test.  Wanda, our DHL driver stopped by to drop off a package. She and I had conversed every time she dropped off packages.  A very sweet black woman, who I never took the time to find out anything about, other than the normal “how are you today?” But on this day…I felt a strong prompting.  After the usual “how are you today” mumbo-jumbo—she told me that this would be her last trip —the company was moving out of Alabama and she would have to move to Jacksonville, Florida; Macon, Georgia; or Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  I was stumped. I felt a prompting. The phone was ringing, my face turned red as my heart started racing…and I said…  “have a good day!”

Have a good day?  What the cat-hair was that!  Have a good day?  She just told me her life was about to be radically altered.  Have a good day? Come on! I was so angry with myself.  I felt the disappointment from my Father.  He had given me a job, a prompting in my spirit and I failed.

I went to lunch and cried.  I prayed.  I knew I’d never see her again and I felt awful.  But—wait, did the Lord actually “tell” me something to say to her? (The enemy again).  No, He didn’t. You are fine. Don’t worry about her.

As I drove home that evening and all I could think of was her face. Miserable doesn’t come close to describing my heart.

The next morning, I am still—STILL asking for forgiveness.  (I have a problem with forgiving myself) I promise—I will obey next time—was what I told the Lord over and over as I drove. 

As my morning rolled on, I soon forgot to be listening.  The fed-ex man came and went. No voice from heaven.  The Water truck came and went.  No voice from heaven.  But as I am hanging up a call and finishing a message….a voice from heaven….straight to my heart…  “here’s another chance”. 

 Wanda…DHL driver walks in with a package! I almost yell out with glee! “I thought you were gone!”  “No”, she said, “this was the last ‘week’. My boys and I will have to move, but I haven’t decided where yet.”

“Tell her”.  God says.

Tell her what? I say.

“Tell her I’m going with her”.

“Okay, Wanda, you are going to think I am crazy…but I have to tell you about the other day when you came in….” I began this long spill about what I felt the Lord direct me to do —how I disobeyed—and how it broke my heart when I thought I’d not see her again.  Then I told her what He said.  “Wanda, the Lord said He’ll go with you.  Wherever you go.  And find a good church. (I didn’t even know if she went to church) and you will be strengthened in your faith (I didn’t know if she had a faith).” 

But the Lord knew THAT was one of her concerns…because she had attended the same church  all her life and had taken her boys—and that was a concern. And the Lord knew.  He didn’t need me that day.  He could have delivered the message Himself.  But He chose to use me.  I’m sorry I messed up the first time, but I am thankful that He gave me another try.  Obedience. That’s what He desires of each of us.

“Father, we long to be the obedient hearted daughters You desire. Help  us to have clear vision to see —the words to say what You would have us say— all in Your time and place.  Give us wisdom, courage, and strength.  We are Your daughters—and long for a closer relationship with You. Teach us Your ways and direct our paths. Every-single-day. I ask in the powerful name of Jesus~Amen.”

Still Trusting Him,

Angie 

© Copyright protected 2007-2008 The Knightly News.

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