Yesterday morning, the Lord gave me a little surprise. In fact, I'd call it an unexpected grace-wrapped gift of joy. And it came in the form of a turtle. Yep, a turtle laboriously crawling across a busy street. God's sometimes quiet, but unmistakably loving and powerful, presence breaks through at the most remarkable times...often when you least expect it. And frequently in life's seemingly ordinary, small moments (but we all know there really aren't any "small" moments--not in God's economy).
You see, early yesterday morning I read these words from Eric Liddell (the great Olympian who died in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II):
"It is helpful to start each new day with a question like the following clearly before you: 'Have I surrendered this new day to God, and will I seek and obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit throughout its hours?' Wait until, with the full consent of your will, you can say, 'I have; I will.'"
Each day provides a new opportunity to say, "Whatever You send--Yes, Lord. However You direct--Yes, Lord. Whatever You ask--Yes, Lord. Wherever You lead--Yes, Lord." Liddell's words convicted me that before leaving home in the morning, I need to consciously choose to surrender the day to the One who made it and gave it to me. And that includes making a predetermined decision to seek and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Even His seemingly quiet and small promptings.
Which leads me back to the turtle. We have some dear neighbors who love turtles and have several of them in a little pool at their house. Not long ago I saw one on the greenway and thought about picking the little guy up to add to their crew, but I failed to do it. Later that day I learned they would've loved to have had another turtle, especially since it was the birthday of a beloved one who's now in heaven. It sounds silly, but at the time I sadly realized this was one of those very tiny moments when I ignored the Holy Spirit's whisper and missed an opportunity to encourage someone else. It felt like a loss.
But yesterday, the Lord gave me another chance. Oh how thankful I am that He is the God of second, third, and fourth chances! When I saw that little guy creeping across the road, I hesitated and then stopped. If nothing else, I'd save him from being run over, and I surely didn't want to miss another opportunity to be a blessing...even if it was just an itty bitty blessing.
So I picked this little fellow up, and he's now joined our neighbor's turtle family. Since they are out of town, I texted her to let her know. And that's when I learned that it was her birthday, and this new turtle felt like a happy birthday present to her from heaven. You could almost feel God smiling.
And it felt like pure joy to me. Sure, maybe it was a very small thing and a very small prompting. But this time I'd obeyed, and the result had been to bless and encourage someone else, and there's simply no greater joy than that.
Obedience always brings blessing. Always. I shudder to think how often I've missed the opportunity to give joy to others and to be encouraged myself, because I'm too busy doing what I want to do rather than obeying what the Holy Spirit gently nudges me to do. "Today," says the book of Hebrews, "if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." (Heb.3:15) And, of course, that always begins by doing what God tells us to do in His Word. As Jim Elliott once said, "Why do you need a voice when you have a verse."
The Lord has given you the gift of this day. We all have the choice today: will we listen to and obey Him through His Word and through the promptings of the Holy Spirit? Or will we go our own selfish way and miss out on all that God has for us and for those He wants to bless through us? He's always speaking life...and always desiring that we share that life with others. But we have to choose to listen and obey.
Might we be a channel of blessing and joy by listening and obeying...and then watching God go to work. Even through a turtle. To God be the glory.
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