Since experiencing God in a very profound way through God-centred meditation one of the prayers I pray most days is that I would be so filled with the Holy Spirit that when I meet people they would be able to feel and experience the Holy Spirit flowing out of me. (John 7: 38 – Jesus said whoever believes in me rivers of living water will flow from within them).
So whilst the title of this blog is light-hearted, it was with a heavy heart I had a revelation of the impact that living a life not in tune with the Holy Spirit has on others.
One day, not long after I began the practice of God Centred Meditation, I was at the supermarket shopping for some party food. I decided that I would get some sausage rolls for the party and went to the frozen section to get them.
When I got to the fridge where the sausage rolls were there was an older lady (maybe in her 70’s) taking a very long time choosing which packet she would buy.
I waited patiently behind her for a moment but after while thought I would encourage her along a little, so I smiled and said “it’s hard to choose, isn’t it?”
She smiled and started to chat and we discussed the benefits of buying the 30 pack versus the 40 pack, which were both on sale. I was partly chatting to be friendly but I was also trying to help her make a decision so I could get my sausage rolls and finish my shopping.
Finally she said “oh I don’t think I’ll get any today. I don’t eat anyway. I might come back later”. And with that she left.
I got my sausage rolls and headed to the check out. I was half way through loading my shopping onto the counter when I noticed the same lady standing behind me in the line.
So, still unloading, I smiled and asked her if she got her sausage rolls. She said no and I made some comment about it probably being the healthier choice to not get them. And again she chatted and told me she didn’t really eat.
I thought that was a bit strange, noticed she was a little thin and wondered why she didn’t eat. Maybe her husband had died and she was grieving… I didn’t really know but I was engrossed in finishing my shopping so let it go.
After I paid and was putting the change in my purse, I looked at the lady who was by now unloading her small amount of items on to the counter and felt something inside me say “buy her the sausage rolls”.
Well that was ridiculous… it must be just me thinking that because how on earth could I leave my groceries and 2 year old, race back in, get the sausage rolls and get them back to her before she finished her shopping (she didn’t have many items) and say “here I wanted to buy you some sausage rolls”. No that was definitely just a crazy thought out of my own head.
But then as I put my change in my purse, I heard the same voice say “then give her the $50 in your hand”.
Now I am a generous person and if God had spoken in an audible voice I would have willingly given the money to the lady. However in that split second, I thought that it was just my own thoughts. I’d had a nice chat to her now I’m getting carried away. I would totally embarrass her if I tried to hand her some cash and anyway, the suburb where I was shopping is quite well off so she probably has more money than me.
In that split second I gave myself all the reasons why I shouldn’t do it. But as I walked away, I knew in my heart it was the Holy Spirit who had told me to give her the money and one by one the reasons came to me why it wasn’t just my own thought.
Firstly, I don’t go around every day thinking I should give people money. In fact, I have never had that thought before – ever. Secondly, the lady was obviously in need of God. There was a reason why she wasn’t eating and by telling me she was crying out for help. In two short meetings she told me at least 3 times she didn’t eat.
Finally, even if she had more money than me, and it wasn’t an issue of the money, how blessed would a person feel if someone gave them some money and said “God just wants you to know he’s thinking about you today”. That alone may have been the blessing she needed that day.
So even before I reached my car I felt devastated that I had missed an opportunity. The very thing I pray for every day (that the Holy Spirit would touch people through me) and I had blown it. I was very disappointed that I had not been experienced enough to recognize His leading me.
So as I walked toward the car I had to stop and buy one more thing at another shop. I bargained with God and said “God if that was you speaking to me, let me bump into her again”. But I knew that was crazy. The moment was gone.
You may be expecting that, lo and behold, I walked out of the next shop and there she was. But no, I did not see her again and as I got in my car I felt very disappointed that lady had missed out on a blessing that day because I had not acted on the voice of the Holy Spirit.
So I thought “I know what I will do, I will pray for her. I will ask God to bless her and even give her a double blessing because I had blown it” but before I could even get the words out of my mouth I heard the Holy Spirit say…
“Bless her? I already sent you! You were meant to be the one to deliver my blessing to that lady today. Now I have to find someone else to do it and it’s not like I’ve got a hundred others walking around the shopping centre listening for my voice and ready to bless her… You were it”.
In that moment I had a revelation, how many lost souls are there, in desperate need of God who won’t encounter Him or His blessing today because we didn’t hear His voice or act on it?
All around the world, there are people living a lost, miserable life and God desperately wants to reach them and to touch them and change their lives, but we miss it every single day because we haven’t prepared ourselves to hear from Him.
Wow! That was a very sobering thought!!
As much as I love meditating on God for the transformation it has brought to my life, I realized, it’s not just for me. It is for others too. I need to spend time in connection with the Holy Spirit, learning to hear His voice because there is a world full of lost souls who desperately need it.
We are the conduits between heaven and earth. Spending time with the Holy Spirit softens and prepares our spirits to be sensitive to hear from him to help others.
I totally believe in acts of kindness. In fact, one of the fruits of having the Holy Spirit live within us is kindness and so we should be overflowing with kindness everyday.
But I realized, it’s not so much about random acts of kindness; it is about Holy Spirit directed acts of kindness that will change people’s lives!
God’s people preparing their hearts to hear from Him and to act on His leading every day and every where we go is what will change the world!
If you haven’t already, take some time today to wait in His presence to be refreshed by Him and also to be prepared by Him to be a conduit of hope, peace, blessing, kindness and healing to others.
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