When You're Down...

It's taken me a week to get to this, not because it was unimportant, but because it's taken me this long to
a) find the time to post and
b) process just how quickly and efficiently God answers prayer (why I'm still amazed at this, I don't know!)

Last Monday, I felt a powerful "urge" to have coffee with a friend. I'm a very impulsive person, but most others aren't...so I was surprised when she said, 'Come on over!'. I did have something I wanted to talk about and it was a conversation she'd already heard part of, so I thought if I talked about it with her, maybe I could process through my feelings better. To be honest, I was confused, frustrated, hurt, sad, and most of all a little bewildered that after all these months of living according to how I believe the Holy Spirit has called me to...just one conversation can still make me feel all of these emotions! Ugh!

So I headed out from home thinking I would process this all out loud or even if I didn't get to verbalize it, just being around someone else that understands would make me feel better. But as usual...those Holy Spirit urges always have a bigger reason than I ever could guess. Driving down the highway toward me friend's house, I saw a church sign that blew me away. I usually read these & brush them off. Most of the time I feel they are trite or cliche' or judgmental...none of which I believe is helpful to people seeking God. But this one I think was written just for me.

It simply said, "When you're down be a blessing to someone else"

I may not be quoting it verbatim...but the message hit home and I felt teary at how, yet again, Holy Spirit gets His Message through to my heart.

I did still process my feelings with my friend and it did help. But when I got home that day, I knew I needed to ask the members of a group I'm in to reach out and help another mom that's been experiencing an overwhelming stressful few weeks. And Holy Spirit has done some amazing things...one lady handed over $100 to me that night to use toward this 'love-gift'. That was just the beginning! I know Holy Spirit has blessed my hurting friend in many others ways too...but I would have missed out on the chance to participate if I'd let myself stay "down" about my own situation.

Actually, the only times I've even thought about the conversation that brought up all of these negative feelings in me has been when I've remembered the sign I read at that church or when I've had a chance to reflect and marvel at how Holy Spirit helped me get out of my funk so quickly...by simply being a blessing to others!

It's difficult to wallow in my pit when I'm helping someone else get out of theirs!

Amen!