Inner Promptings

By Carin LeRoy –

My mom told me the story of a friend who called one morning and asked if she would meet her for lunch. Having a busy schedule and trying to prepare her Sunday School lesson for the week, my mother barely had the time to go. However, while talking with this friend, she had an overwhelming urge that God wanted her to go. She went.

At lunch, the friend admitted that she had become emotionally attached to another man at a weekly meeting and was planning to leave her husband. My mother read Scripture and admonished her not to consider it because of the personal and eternal consequences of her actions. Two weeks later the friend told her, “My suitcases were packed in the trunk of my car, and I was leaving to join the other man after lunch unless you gave me a reason to change my mind.”

What if my Mom had not listened to that prompting from the Lord? Because she listened to the Spirit’s urging, a marriage was saved and grief and pain averted. Later the friend told my mom how thankful she was for her advice to stay with her husband. Who would have thought that a simple lunch with someone would save a marriage?

How many times do we receive inner promptings from the Lord? How often do we brush those thoughts away?

“Take a meal to Sue’s family. They need the encouragement with their child in hospital.” I’m so busy right now. Maybe soon.

“Go apologize to your son for losing your temper.” I am the parent. I’m not humbling myself to my child.

“Invite your neighbor to church.” She’s so grumpy; she’ll never go.

“See that old man, help him load those groceries in his car.” I don’t have time, Lord, I’ve got to get to my appointment.

“Spend extra time talking with that student.” I teach 100 kids; I can’t meet every child’s need.

How many times does God speak to us and we fail to listen? We can ignore those inner promptings, brushing them off as a silly thought or something we needn’t obey. Yet imagine what change we might make in the life of another if we choose to respond. Maybe we should listen to those inner promptings. Let’s remember that God might choose to use us to impact a life.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to listen to Your inner promptings. Help me to be sensitive when Your voice speaks to me and give me a willingness to obey.

BIBLE VERSE: “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Psalm 143: 10 NIV).

To Love and To Honor

By Carin LeRoy –

Years ago, a group of men at work complained about their wives during lunch break. Each man took turns and shared criticisms about his spouse. As my dad listened to them grumble and find fault, he finally stood and said, “My wife satisfies me.” Then he walked out. He was fed up listening to their gripes. I’m sure he made an impression as he interrupted their complaint session and abandoned the conversation. Although my mom and dad had a great marriage, they still had their disagreements. Instead of chipping in his criticism, he chose to respect my mother in front of others.

I’ve listened to others tell things on their spouse that were better left unsaid. Negative talk about our spouse in front of others does not show value or respect and can influence how others view him or her. Christ tells us to guard our tongue. Proverbs 10:19 says, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”

Let’s make a conscious effort to respect and honor our spouse. Don’t complain, criticize or devalue them before others. We did vow to love and honor them on our wedding day, so let’s keep that promise.

PRAYER: Lord, keep me mindful that criticizing my spouse before others is not helpful or wise. Help me to guard my words and show honor and respect in my marriage. May the words I speak give value, not harm, to my spouse.

BIBLE VERSE: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone,” (Colossians 4: 6 NIV).

Served With Love

By Carin LeRoy –

The first night after arriving home from my honeymoon, I wanted to make my new husband a nice meal, so I decided I’d make my Mom’s homemade potato soup and cornbread. I thought that would be a goof-proof meal. It would be the first meal in our little home. After work, I got busy peeling potatoes and putting all the ingredients in the pot to boil. Everything went well. That is, until I realized I burnt the soup.

Oops. I guess I had the burner on ‘High.’

We ate the soup anyway, and I don’t remember my husband complaining. He knew better than to fuss about his new bride’s food. That was the first of many meals I’ve cooked for my family. While raising four children, food became an important part of family life. I’ve had many nights when I’d rather not cook, but when there are four starving kids and a fellow who comes home hungry, it’s a part of life.

Rather than think of it as drudgery, consider it a way to serve and show love to your family. Good nutrition is essential to good health, and we do want our loved ones to thrive. The virtuous woman gives us a good example when we read that “she gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls,” (Proverbs 31: 15 NIV). I don’t have servant girls and I’m not keen on getting up while it’s dark, but I can provide food for my family. Reach for the cookbook (or the frozen casserole) and serve up some love to your family today.

PRAYER: Lord, keep me mindful that showing love to others is a reflection of Your love for us and that even the mundane things of life are a way to serve and love our family.

BIBLE VERSE: “Do everything in love….” (I Corinthians 16:14 NIV).

 

When Life Throws a Curve Ball

By Carin LeRoy –

Ten months ago, my husband and son picked out a rescue puppy. When they brought him home, he was cute, tiny and covered with interesting little markings. At nine weeks, he only weighed nine pounds.

I asked my husband, “What is he? How big is he going to get?”

“They said he’ll be a medium-sized dog and won’t get too big. He’s part Australian Shepherd,” my husband said.

“Well, I hope not,” I said, “I don’t want a huge dog running around the house.”

“Naww,” he said.

The dog soon began to gain weight and grow like a weed.  I knew we were in trouble when the exterminator came to our house said, “Oh, he looks like he’ll be about 70 pounds.”

I worried even more when my son’s friend came in the house and said, “He looks like he’s part Saint Bernard.”  By six months, he weighed 50 pounds. Now, at ten months, he’s 78 pounds and still growing—not exactly what we thought we were getting.

We now have a small pony that runs around the house! When he is excited, his tail can swipe items off the coffee table, whack a grand baby in the face, or knock the paper you’re reading from your hand. His favorite pastimes are to lick toes and loyally follow your every step. He likes to dig holes, eat my flowers and leave his muddy footprints on my hardwood floor.

But I choose to look at the bright side: He’s very friendly; he loves the yard, and he never barks. We can leave him in the yard for hours and he won’t bother the neighbors.

Life will always contain the annoying and the unexpected. So when life throws you a curve ball, look at the bright side!

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of his life God has given him under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15 NIV).

Praying with Grandma

By Carin LeRoy –

The story is told of two little boys who were praying with their Grandma one night before bed. The older boy prayed first about his day and all the things he had done. Then the younger brother started to pray in a loud voice.

“God,” he said, “I really need a bike, some new toys….”

He continued praying through his list of all the things he wanted. When he finished, his older brother said, “Why did you pray so loudly? God isn’t deaf.”

“Yea,” he said, “but Grandma is.”

This little boy had already decided how he thought his prayer should be answered, and by whom.  How many times do we do the same thing? We pray, but rather than wait on God’s answer and timing, we try to implement our own answers. Rather than trusting God, we seek out answers by other means.

One example of this in the Bible is Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 16. God promised that He would give them an heir, yet for years God did not fulfill that promise. Instead, Sarah decides to give Abraham her servant-girl to bear his child. Rather than refuse, Abraham agrees, and Hagar becomes pregnant. Strife then develops with Sarah, and years of anger, pain and resentment result. Instead of waiting on God’s timing for His promised child, they created their own answer. Thousands of years later, we still see tension between the descendents of Ishmael and Isaac.

In 1 Samuel, we read the story of Hannah, who also was barren. Fervently she prayed for God to give her a child. She waited for God’s answer and eventually gave birth to a baby. When he was weaned, she dedicated him to the Lord. He served with the high priest Eli, became a prophet and judge, anointing the first two kings of ancient Israel. He became a great man of God and leader of his nation.

Waiting on God’s answer for your prayers is worth the wait.

PRAYER: Lord, give me patience to wait for answers to my prayers. Keep me mindful that You know what is best and that Your timing is always perfect.

QUOTE: “God teaches us that an answer to prayer is conditional upon the amount of faith that goes into the petition. To test this, He delays the answer. The superficial pray-er sinks into silence when the answer is delayed. But the man of prayer hangs on and on. The Lord recognizes and honors his faith and gives him a rich, abundant answer to his faith-evidencing, persistent prayer.” E.M. Bounds

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