Waiting and nudging

At some of our King's Strings concerts, Eden talks about "following the nudge" and how it can brighten someone's day.

She shares about a time when she had specifically asked for prayer that she'd shine God's light to others.  Specifically, each of us had come to a small group gathering, bringing an item to represent a way in which another person could pray for us during the next month.  Eden had drawn a picture of various forms of light - a lightbulb, a fire, a candle, etc.  She shared that she wanted to do a better job of shining God's light.  Since there are more Kings in the small group than all the non-Kings combined, it was inevitable that when the items were passed around the circle, that at least one of us would go home with an item belonging to someone in our own family.  I ended up with Eden's picture.

I put it in a prominent location and began praying for her request.  Sometimes we'd pray this together at bedtime, other times I'd pray alone.  During that month, Eden began acting at a regional theater.  It was the Christmas season and she played an adorable little elf (unashamedly biased, I admit) with a floppy hat.  One day in the employee dining hall, she said she just got this feeling that she wanted to go sit in the lap of one of the actors that she had gotten to know.  So, she walked over to this young woman and climbed into her lap and promptly fell asleep.  We later learned that this woman had been sitting there hoping that Eden would come to her and it was a very meaningful time.

Upon hearing the story from the woman's point of view, I called Eden aside and said, "Eden, you were praying that you would shine God's light and look, sometimes that happens when we don't even know we're doing it!"  It was not only a good lesson for a 6 year old but for her "older" mother as well.

I admit that way too often I get that nudge but I'm too scared or embarrassed to follow through.  Oh to be a child and free to follow God's leading without worrying about what others think!

Yesterday in church, someone did this for me.  She leaned forward and handed me a piece of paper (Forgive me for not responded when you first tried to get my attention.   I thought it was the Good Doctor trying to get me to go up to the front where we would be serving communion but I knew that it wasn't time yet and I didn't want him forcing me to be the first one up front!), apologizing for passing along such a well-known verse but saying that she just felt like God wanted her to give these words to me:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11  I am praying that He will lead you beside the still water and restore your soul this week.  May your hope be renewed and your strength restored.

Those were just the words I needed to hear after a trying (crying?) week.  It was a week of doubts; knowing God always has the best in mind, but feeling like I was getting the short end of the stick.  Wanting to be mature and trusting but really feeling like life wasn't fair.  (Yeah, sounds like my 8 year old, doesn't it?)  Knowing that God cares so much that He gave a friend a word just for me, and knowing that she was willing to take the risk to share it... That meant more than I can ever tell her.  Thank you.