I need to write my experience down before I forgot. So this morning I recommited to do a better job at actually kneeling and saying my personal morning and evening prayers. I fell into a bad habit of not physically kneeling. I found myself always praying throughout the day in my head and heart, but got really lax in the kneeling part. Anyways, this morning I knelt by my bed and prayed. I asked Father in Heaven to put somebody in my path who needed my help or someone I could serve. I said a few other things and ended my prayer and began the day. One of the ladies I visiting teach likes to come to my home to be taught so I hurried and got everything cleaned just in case she ended staying a really long time, I wanted to be on top of my home so that I could enjoy her company and relax. I'm going to jump around a bit and I apologize. So most days my driveway and grass are littered with balls scooters and pint sized bikes. Most days I just let them be and then before Jer gets home I go and clean off the driveway so he can pull in without running over bikes and balls. Well today as I was cleaning I had a feeling to go and pick up the outside. This is unusual for me. I have a pretty strict morning routine that I like to stick to every single day. To go pick up toys in the am before the kids have even played with them is extremely unlikey. It just doesn't happen! Well it doesn't happen until today! The feeling came again, go outside and pick up the toys. So outside I went. There at the end of my driveway kind of by the lamp post stood an older women. I waved to her and said hello and she said, "I am so warm, do you have some water?" I was happy because I had one really cold bottle of water left over from Memorial Day sitting in my fridge. I told her to hold on and I went and grabbed the water. I came back and gave it to her and she drank it and thanked me. She then asked,"I am looking for a garage sale, I need a pot." I replied,"Well it's Tuesday and garage sales are generally held on weekends like Friday and Saturday." I didn't think anything of it and she thanked me for the ice cold water. I said goodbye and went back into the house. Almost immediately I had the thought come to my mind that you need to give that lady your pot! I thought of course! I am an idiot! I darted out the front door to see if I could see her and sure enough she was already at the end of our street to the stop sign. She was on foot so I knew I could catch her. I ran down the sidewalk and caught up to her and said I had something for her and asked her to come back to my home. I invited her in, but she said she would be fine sitting on my rocker. I asked what she needed and she told me she needed a pot. She said she was a refugee and that she had nothing. She had no pot to cook food, nothing. I ran into my kitchen and got my biggest pot. I figured this way she could cook a large pot of something or a tiny bit, but this pot would accommodate big or small. This whole time I am praying, "Heavenly Father what does this lady need? What food should I give her? I went through all my cupboards. I would open up the cuboard and the thought would come, "Give her those beans, give her that spaghetti sauce, give her those boxes of spaghetti, give her that bag of apples and that bag of nectarines." This went on as I opened cupboards and drawers. Then thought came, "you gave her pasta, she needs a colander and a spoon and plates and silverware." This went on for a bit until I had kitchen garbage bag full of items. I went back out to give her just a few simple items and with tears in her eyes she said, "I had nothing and now I have everything." My heart sunk. I was humbled at this moment. I have another 20 boxes of pasta right now in my cupboards, I have another 10 jars of spaghetti sauce, I have 5 more pans to choose from, I have an extra colander etc.... I have so so much and am blessed to have 2 cars, healthy children and food in my fridge and cupboards and a roof over my head! I defiantly felt humbled and it put things in to prospective for me. It is easy to take things for granted and here on my front porch sat an old women with a garbage bag full saying that she has everything! It was humbling and left me speechless. She thanked me over and over and said she was going to come back and pay me. I told her that wasn't necessary. I said goodbye and she was on her way. I came back into the house and once again the spirit whispered to me. "Give her a loaf of bread and that new jar of peanut butter." So once again I grabbed the items and ran down the sidewalk and once again caught her at the stop sign. I felt bad, her bag was heavy and she was lugging it over her shoulder. I offered to drive her where she needed to be, but she declined and said she loved to walk.
I learned so many lessons today. God hears and answers prayers. He loves ALL of his children! Once again my testimony of the still small voice has grown. It was amazing to experience first hand the spirit telling me what to do in that exact moment. "Grab a colander, grab a spoon, give her your largest pot, give her the apples and nectarines etc. etc..."
It brings tears to my eyes to think that Heavenly Father actually heard my prayer and actually without a doubt literally put somebody at the end of my DRIVEWAY, literally directly in my path! Only hours after I had prayed to be able to serve someone that day. God is good.
