I recently sent a gift to my friend, Ayrika, after forgetting to bring it to dinner for Christmas. It was a necklace I had made for her. I had told her I would bring it the next time we got together, but I kept getting a leading to mail it to her. I didn’t do it for a couple of days until the thought wouldn’t leave my mind. So, I mailed it out to her.
Ayrika with her new necklace
I received a message from her a few days later. She told me she felt like God was sending her a message. She had had such a rough time that she felt that she was a failure, but He was telling her something completely different.
She went on to tell me that the gift was like a gift from the Lord. In a very real way, it was from the Lord. He was the one that led me to send the gift. By listening to His leading, I was able to make a difference in the life of one of my closest friends. It made my heart soar. I’m not sure who was blessed more. It was such a wonderful feeling and it had very little to do with me.
God knew what my friend was going through and what she needed. I realized, after texting with her for a while, that my mailing her present instead of taking it the night we met, or the next time we meet, was in God’s timing, not mine. And His timing is always perfect.
God speaks to us in many ways. For me it is mostly like a leading – a thought that comes into my mind in a way that I cannot mistake “hearing” it. They also are always within His character, so I usually know that it’s Him not me.
The greatest thing is that we all have opportunities to speak into the lives of those around us by listening to His leading. I love it when I realize that He used me in some way to speak into someone else’s life. I pray often that I am able to hear His voice and discern what He wants me to do. Imagine what would happen if we all sought His voice. We could change the world!
~ Joanna Lynn
My daughter recently mailed my mother a picture of her great-grandchild. She was equally thrilled to receive a gift in the mail. Something we took for granted just a few years ago has become such a treat.
Your comment went into the spam folder for some reason. We are so fortunate to live in a time where we can communicate in so many ways so quickly. It also causes stress because everyone wants everything now, but I think the rewards are worth the stress!