Photo by Karolina Grabowska (2015) via Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain.
A few days ago I was experiencing some health issues. I had kept things private so was surprised when I saw this text message on my phone:
“I know this is random, but would you guys eat Puerto Rican shredded pork and yellow rice? I made too much.”
It was 7 pm and the ground beef I envisioned making into dinner was still frozen on the countertop. I was exhausted and not feeling well. Making dinner was the last thing I wanted to do. I immediately texted my friend back and accepted the offer, sharing what a Godsend it was, considering what I was going through.
“It must have been the Holy Spirit,” she replied.
I can remember another time, driving to the doctor’s office to have a lump checked out. I hadn’t told a soul; yet I receiving this text from a friend: “I felt your name heavy on my heart this morning in prayer, just wanted you to know I am praying for you.” I text messaged her back, telling her where I was headed, and the prayers were doubled. Thankfully, things checked out okay, but the prayers certainly helped the anxiety as I sat through a full day of testing, ultrasounds and mammograms.
I am always amazed at how powerfully the Holy Spirit works, answering prayers that haven’t even crossed my lips, and I love when God sends me text messages through my friends! I too have felt the nudge to text a friend, only to find they were going through a difficult time, one that I wasn’t aware of. I’ve asked if I could bring a friend a meal, drop off some clothes I think their kids could use or send a text offering to help them in a specific way and surprised their response was “I was just praying for that!”
The Holy Spirit is always communicating with us, teaching us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Yet even though I have experienced both the receiving and giving end of responding to His promptings, sometimes I can be really good at not listening.
As I am learning to be more responsive to His call, I am finding ways to carve out a few minutes in the quiet moments to rest in Him and reflect. Each morning when I grab my morning coffee, I make it my prayer and ask God to help me make my will conform to His, and to show me what He wants me to do that day. Throughout the day, when I feel those prompts to reach out to someone, I am learning to pause what I am doing and send a message or make a call. If I can’t do it at that exact moment, I jot a note down on my calendar to do it later in the day. When I rest my head on my pillow at night, I pause just for a few moments to recall the day, to see His blessings in my life and listen for him in the stillness of my heart. These simple acts take only a minute, yet each pause helps me refocus on His will in my life.
He is always working in our lives, but if we don’t pause to listen, we may miss the call to help our brothers and sisters in Christ.
What is your favorite Holy Spirit Moment? Has God sent you a text message lately?
Copyright 2015 Michele Faehnle
Photo by Karolina Grabowska (2015) via Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain.
