You know, the Lord really does care about the small stuff… Last night we were having dinner at a friend’s house. I figured I’d run to the store to get what we were going to bring along with other things we needed right before we had to be there. I quickly darted around the store, back and forth getting what we needed, of course racing back and forth to the same sections since I didn’t plan out what I was going to get in a more methodical manner…
Kinda in a hurry to make sure I made it home in time to make a salad and get to our friends house, I selected the shortest checkout line and quickly laid everything on the conveyor belt. Taking a moment to finally clear my head while the lady in front of me finished checking out, I heard in my head to go ahead and get my card ready to pay. That was a little odd since I never get my payment out in line, I always wait to put my purse on the counter and input my member number and then grad my payment. As I’m reaching to my wallet, I see my card is not there! “Oh no!” I think, “That is my BANK CARD! Where is it!” I search around my purse to see if I had stuck it in another part of my purse, to no avail. It is not there. As the cashier reaches for the first item to scan, I tell her “Wait! I can’t find my card – I must have dropped it in my car!” and I start to grab everything back off the conveyor belt, dropping items on the floor while my mind races to “Where in the world could that card be?!?” She tells me not to worry, slow down, take my time. I still throw everything back in and park the cart right next to the end of her lane, and I dart out the door.
Now, you have to understand that I’m pretty careful these days about keeping cards in my wallet. I have a few with a few different purposes, and they are all kept in a certain order in my wallet. That way I can grab the one I need pretty much without having to look at what I’m doing, they’re all in their spots. I’m careful to put them back in my wallet immediately after using because I’ve left a card in a back pocket of my jeans too many times to do that again!
As I run to my car, my mind is racing – “Ok, it will be ok. Maybe not! What if someone has my card?!?! It is my BANK CARD! It will be ok, where did I use it last?!!?” I run through the events of the morning, where I had to run different errands and use different payment methods. Both times I had decided I didn’t want to bring my (now heavy, full of my son’s stuff) purse to lug around while we just quickly grab what we need. I know the first trip I put that card back in it’s place right when we got in the car, and I grabbed my bank card for our next stop. I remember thinking as we got out of the car at the next stop, “Hm, I should be careful putting this in the same pocket as my phone, in case I pull out my phone and the card goes flying somewhere without me knowing…” so I put my card in a different pocket (love to have many pockets :). I couldn’t remember what I had done with it once we left the store! I obviously did NOT put it back in my wallet!
As I’m searching my car, the same voice that spoke to me in line at the store said, “Look in the center console.” I then think, “Why would I do that, it wouldn’t be in there?!” while at the same time I’m opening the center console. Would you know it, there it is! Surprised, I grab it, and run back inside. The lady who was behind me in line is walking out and gives me that kind of smug smile, obviously not thinking something nice towards me. I’m thinking this is a little embarrassing and not who I am supposed to be! Now of course every line that is open is twice as long as when I was in line! The sweet cashier let me checkout next in line, right after the guy who was two people behind me. As I stand there, now in more of a hurry to get to our friend’s house, I realize both the voices I heard were from the Holy Spirit. I think how thankful I am that I heard Him when I did, and found my card! After checking out, as I drive out of the parking lot I am thanking the Lord over and over. Then the thought comes, “Lord, why didn’t You warn me earlier, like before I got out of my car? If I you had warned me THEN, then that entire debacle would have been avoided.” Luckily, my friend texts and asks if we can meet a bit later, she is running late. SO thankful for that I let her know “YES!” and I’m off to home to get everything ready to meet them for dinner. Once we get to her house, I share the story and we both laugh, and she says she is thankful to hear she’s not the only one who does those things! As we had fun catching up, I dismissed it again for the rest of the evening.
This morning as I was spending time with the Lord, my same question resurfaced, “Why Lord didn’t you warn me earlier? I know You want me to share with others on hearing Your voice, but I’m sure someone else would have this question too… I’m pretty sure me inconveniencing everyone didn’t really turn out to benefit anyone…” Sipping on my coffee and focusing on how He would answer that question, it hit me – He DID try to warn me before I got out of the car. The Holy Spirit brought back to remembrance what happened as I was getting out of my car. I leaned to grab my (still annoyingly overweight purse) and I heard that same voice in my head to bring in my cards. I immediately translated what I heard in my head to “bring in JUST my card” meaning my payment card, and began debating back and forth with myself should I do that, but then I will need my entire wallet because I’m buying wine, and will need my drivers license, and that is in a clear cover and a pain to get out, so I may as well bring my entire purse! The Holy Spirit pointed out that He was reminding me of my card – the one not in my wallet or in my purse! To make sure I grabbed it also before going into the store! Of course then I apologize to the Lord and the Spirit for not listening to what was obviously His voice warning me in time!
“Yeah, well, big deal!” you could easily say. “No harm no foul, what’s the big deal about this entire experience?” I’ve learned, if you keep your heart open you can learn from what appears to be the smallest of experiences. He seeks to be with us in everything, and use everything to teach us His ways and His voice. Here are some voice lessons I’ve learned through this experience:
- He cares about the seemingly small stuff. We can get so caught up in the wrong thinking or teachings that our Father only cares about and gets involved in the big stuff. This couldn’t be farther from the truth and is a total deception from the enemy! We have seen the Lord lead us in many seemingly small situations. We can view something as small and unimportant and allow ourselves to completely bow off and disregard the gentle leading of the spirit. Can you think of a time where you’ve said to yourself a version of: “The thought came to mind but I disregarded it.”?
- We need to continually distinguish His voice from others’. I know I’ve been working years on learning which voice is His and those that are not. This will be a little different for everyone as you learn how He speaks to you. Personally I’ve learned if a voice of what sounds like reason, or an idea or thought I personally would not have says something, and I start arguing or negotiating with it, that is usually His voice. Of course the voice of the enemy can sound like this as well, and I’m learning how to discern the difference. For me the Lord helps to confirm some things through circumstance or the voices of others. More on this on another post, another time…
- When we ask to be guided, led by and/or filled with the Holy Spirit, what do we expect? Yesterday morning I was listening to a great teaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and had asked the Lord to fill me again and anew with His Spirit. I have experienced before a great filling of the Spirit to where people I didn’t know would tell me I looked like I was glowing, and I’d like to be there again. Jesus said “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luk 11:13 KJV. So do we think He will then only show up in the big stuff? He sought to guide and lead me in everything that day, and instead of allowing Him to do so I allowed myself to stay in control and in charge. So should it surprise me what happened? It’s like breaking a bad habit we all have, but the more we allow ourselves to calm our minds and allow Him to lead through that still small voice, through the big things we do expect and the small things we don’t expect, we will hear Him more and more clearly. I thank Him that he didn’t quit speaking even when I continued to disregard him!
I’m sure I’ve learned a few other things through this, and maybe when they come to mind I’ll add them to this list. Have you had a similar experience? What did you learn from it or this one?
