THE JOURNAL

“Sometimes in simplicity, come the greatest lessons."

This month I am simply going to tell you a story that happened in my life recently.

My son is 18. He is a senior in high school getting ready to embark on his future, as are all of his friends. Two of his friends are twins, Max and Jake, and they had made the decision that their future was with the Marines.

My son had shared that with me and I filed it in my heart and laid it on my prayer rock. My prayer rock, as you recall, is an actual flat rock that I use two ways: by placing something that reminds me of a particular person on the rock, it reminds me to pray for them. The second way is that by laying the item on the rock it is a visual reminder to me that I placed the need in God’s hands.

I placed the item I chose to represent this prayer on the rock: a dog tag containing two footprints. I continued to pray for them, and thought that was the end of my part of that story. God, however, had another idea because as you know we are God’s hands, and he needed my hands to do something more.

I was browsing through a Christian store sale flyer, not for anything in particular, just looking -- and one item did the "God thing" to me. It stood out as if a light was shining on it for my eyes alone to see and I knew instantly that I had to get this item. I also knew who it was for.

Yes, that really happens to me. It happens to you too, but you probably doubt what is happening and brush it off, so listen to the story closely so the next time it happens to you, you will believe and follow.

The item in the catalog was simply a journal -on a page full of journals- but it was this particular journal that "shined" to me. It had a photo of footprints in the sand on a beach. I knew that it was for Jake and Max’s mom, a woman I had met in passing… maybe 2 times. A woman I barely knew. Yet I knew it was for her.

As soon as I possibly could, I went to the Christian store and looked for the journal. It hadn’t come in yet. Why is it in the flyer if it is not in the store? Then comes your first moment of doubt. "If it was really a God nudge, then wouldn’t God have made sure it was in stock???" That’s when you need to do what I do: Block doubt -- release faith.

Trust God. Trust yourself.

Of course the sales people suggested other equally lovely journals that I could have had right then, but I was adamant that it HAD to be this particular one. I said I would stop in again, later in the week and maybe the item would have come in by then.

Later in the week, I stopped in, looked around, asked again, and still the item was nowhere to be found. Then comes your second moment of doubt. “Obviously I heard wrong, as God is clearly showing me that this item isn’t even here!" That’s when you need to do what I do: Block doubt -- release faith.

Trust God. Trust yourself.

The following week I called the store. They still couldn’t find it. They took my name and number and told me they would call me if they found it. Doubt creeping in again? "Ok, I can take a hint --I obviously was mistaken. This thing doesn’t even exist. I’ll just forget it." That’s when you have to do what I do: Block doubt- release faith.

Trust God. Trust yourself.

The following week they finally called me from the store and told me the journal was in stock and they set it aside for me. I rushed over to pick it up --the delay of getting my hands on it clearly in my mind. I didn’t understand the delay, but God did.

I went home and I wrote a note to Jake and Max’s mom to enclose with the journal explaining exactly what I had experienced that led me to this gift. Not my opinion of what I had experienced, just what I have just told you: that I knew that I was to get this for her, God had nudged my heart.

I wasn’t sure why I was to get this for her, but I was sure God had nudged my heart to do it and that He wanted her to have this. I also included a verse that someone had sent to me that again the moment I saw it I knew I had to write it in the journal for her.

“When you see God’s hands in everything, it is much easier to leave everything in God’s hands."

I sent the package to her through Jake, her son.

Remember, I had no contact with her through this whole story. We had never spoken. Shortly after I sent the package and the note, doubt is creeping in again? "What if this woman thinks I am a lunatic? What if this particular item means absolutely nothing to her? What if........what if .......what if.......?”

That’s when you have to do what I do: Block doubt -- release faith.

Trust God. Trust yourself.

Here’s the ending to the story: A note came to me through the mail, from her. It said that when she opened my gift she just sat there and cried. She had been so torn up about her sons joining the Marines that she didn’t know what to do and that .......just the other day (which explains the delay) .........she had decided that maybe......... what she needed to do.................was write.

Then came my gift.

She said "I cannot express how this hit me."

She didn’t have to express how it hit her. It hit her as only God can hit her. It had nothing to do with me. I was merely a vessel for God to validate what He had already told her to do: To write it down. Then she could see God’s hands in it......and be able to leave it ........in God’s hands.

I have a lot of stories like this one, where I am asked to do something, deliver something...........that I do not fully understand. In fact chances are if you have received a gift from me, it wasn’t from me at all. I was just a vessel that God used to speak to you.

Have you ever felt the nudge to say or do or give someone something but you let doubt overshadow faith and didn’t do it?

Do it ........................for God’s sake.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

Copyright 2007 Linda Woodward