Follow Up

So remember that one post where I had an amazing experience on my jog? After I had asked the Lord for many different things, I finally asked Him would He would have me do. I received three answers:

1. "Be present" with my children.

2. Serve my husband.

3. Serve a friend.

I came home super fired up! I was going to do what He asked and it was going to be a great day!

And then......... it wasn't.

The "being present" part wasn't too bad. I read to my kids, had them help me make breakfast, spent some real quality time with each one. That part was fine. The other two items didn't go quite so well.

I spent over an hour trying to fax some important paperwork for my husband. The fax wouldn't go through, despite all of my efforts. Then, "IDEA!" I would scan them into the computer and email them. The file size was too large. I compressed it. Still too large. And that's where my technology expertise ends. I had failed and had nothing to show for my efforts.

I decided to deliver a treat to a "friend in need," because that's how I serve.

This is how I can check off the third item on my list.

The friend in mind wasn't home.

Okay, Lord, I can see you're not going to make this easy for me. I have some extra plates of cookies here. Who should I take them to?

I went to another house. No one was home. Then another. And another. It seemed that my treat idea was a huge failure.

I obviously misunderstood the last instruction, otherwise I would have it done by now. Okay, I am going to try one more house and if that person isn't home then I will just call it quits for tonight.

She wasn't home.

But as I was pulling out of her driveway, she walked up. She had been running and was just returning. I opened my car door to talk to her (our window is broken, it's cool), and we ended up visiting for a solid hour. And you know what? That conversation probably benefitted me way more than it did her. I drove away feeling renewed and uplifted.

I came home and related the day's experiences to my husband. I told him of all of my failures and how I wasn't able to accomplish what the Lord had asked of me. I told him my plans to serve him by taking care of that paperwork for him and that I had failed miserably. He said "You didn't fail. You still served me. You took time out of your day to try and do something very kind for me. That really means a lot."

I was so thankful that he could be appreciative of my gesture and to see past the fact that I hadn't really accomplished anything for him. He accepted my service and helped me to see that I had done something nice for him. I melted into his arms.

The more I thought about it, I also realized that my wild goose chase of finding "someone to serve" actually led me to the right person at the right time. Had I gone to her house first, I would have missed her altogether and wouldn't have been blessed by our conversation. My eyes began to open and as I thought through the day, I saw more and more blessings that had come from trying to be obedient. I really had been blessed, even though it went way differently than I had planned.

Fast forward to a few days later. I was visiting with the first friend I had attempted to deliver treats to and who hadn't been home. She expressed that she had a lot on her mind and that she and her husband had been presented with a big decision to make. I offered to watch her children so they could go on a date and have some time to discuss it and to spend time with one another. The look in her eyes confirmed to me that this was the way the Lord had intended for me to serve her. Treats would have been good, but this was much better.

So even though I didn't serve her the day I learned that I was inspired to serve her, I still heeded that prompting and did it in the way the Lord intended.

I love the way He works. I love that He is patient with me and allows me to figure out what He really means when He speaks to me. I love that as I choose to obey and serve that He blesses me tenfold. I love that He leads and guides me through my days and answers my prayers. I love that He hears me. I love that I can fail and still be successful.