A Realization

A check in my spirit began to gnaw a while back, but I wasn't really sure what it meant.  I knew it had to do with Goshen, but just, well in my usual coping manner, got busy and tried to make sure I didn't commit whatever might be causing the check.  I figured if I was real busy on projects, I wouldn't be guilty of whatever had caused Abba to first give my heart a tug.  I knew it had to do with the place here, but it seemed to also have to do with Sukkot and the five fold ministry.

The "door of invitation" is not mine to open or close!  Suddenly, the reality that Sukkot was called for Jerusalem and trying to make it happen here, in Goshen would cheapen the entire observation.  He didn't tell me to advise everyone to buy tickets to Jerusalem; rather He said those who were led to be here would come without formal fan fair, but simply be led and drawn.  What a note of relief for me, as I am a social, mainstream, dork, lacking skills of small talk . . .

I really wanted to please Abba, still do, but the realization that He made me the way I am, doesn't call for a remake in every aspect.  I am not a socially needy person.  I can read and write with little human interaction for days on end.  I get up early, pray, have my devotions, do chores which involves talking to Abba, Messiah, and the critters, come back in and start working.  When Mr. B does get up, he doesn't say anything or even acknowledge me.  I'm not anti-social, just used to being non-social and shunned, I guess.  I was really concerned that folks might come and be very dissatisfied with me.  That's on old discomfort that, thankfully, is now only a small part of my life with just a handful of people.

Without worrying about how to do this, I simply told Abba I had truly embraced the idea of hosting a Sukkot gathering, but I knew this divided house would not be a comfortable atmosphere for guests.  It was at this point, I simply shrugged my shoulders and determined to trust Abba regardless of how things looked.  As it turns out, this isn't such a convenient location for distant folks to come, and there are several gatherings scheduled in many areas nearby.  My hostessing is unneeded, but my enthusiasm to share is being directed to surrounding areas, solving both problems.

I'm a pretty well behaved guest and definitely a gifted talents coach, so I'll be sharing outside of Goshen, which solves the divided house issue as well.  Our King is just so smart!  

Divine Intervention

As most of you know, I don't leave the place often, but when I do I have a list in hand!  This past Wednesday was business day in town.  Preferably, town day goes as planned, which is as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Mr. B was acting strangely that day, so I really wasn't looking forward to being trapped in the buggy with him for several hours.  I even gave consideration to "setting the tone," but Abba let me know He would not be pleased with that idea, so I opted for obedience.  In the time getting to town, I really thought about the choice I made.  What good would it have done to let Mr. B know he was being annoying?  When I have told him, in the past, he basically just shrugs his shoulders or tells me how it's my fault, which totally annoys me, further.  Why open the door for that?

So, the trip to town was efficient, and much was accomplished in less time than I thought it would take!  HalleluYah!  In traveling through town, making nine stops, there was only one close call in traffic, which is a good driving day for Mr. B.  There were three stops left to make and it wasn't really all that late.  Nine stops sounds like a lot, but in reality it's just a few minutes in several places, as I make business calls as well as take care of personal matters in the same trip.  It actually looked like we'd make it home before chore time was looming!  With earlier dark hours and colder temps, I don't like to push the envelope when it comes to evening chore time.  Perhaps if I didn't pack so many stops into a trip to town, they wouldn't be so dreaded, but then they'd have to be more frequent, so this present plan works pretty well.  This trip to town had more stops than usual.

As the afternoon was unfolding, the day seemed to be quite efficient, as I stopped at the Green Dollar Tree.  I don't really know the name of the store, but everything's a dollar.  As I got to the front of the store to  checkout, a woman was standing there with a basket.  I asked her if she was in line and she said, "No, I lost my keys."  Another woman was with her, and I of course jumped in with all the usual questions.  Have you retraced your steps?  Did you leave them in the car?  Yada . . . yada.  She was sure of all the places her keys could not be.  I prayed and went ahead and checked out.  I really wanted Abba to show me where her keys were.  She assured me that she'd already been out to her car and they weren't there, and she was simply going to call her son.  With that, I headed out with my purchases.

While placing the sacks in the buggy, I heard Abba tell me He'd take me to her keys.  I wasn't sure whether I should get in the vehicle or walk back to the store.  Mr. B. started the buggy.  As I got in, I heard "the keys were in her car," so I asked Mr. B if he'd please drive me over by her car.  I was thinking they had probably fallen into the floorboard as she was getting out.  I stepped up to peer in the driver's side window and couldn't really see the entire driver's side floorboard from that vantage point.   I walked around to the passenger window to get a full view of the floorboard on the driver's side.

 To my utter delight, the keys were in the ignition.  Since she'd told me she'd locked her car, I didn't try the door, I went to tell her, her keys were found.  It was then, she looked so surprised and told me she could only lock her car with her key from the outside.  To that I responded, "Answered prayer!"

We all walked out to the parking lot, I opened her door, and she along with the woman who was "helping her" shared a moment of rejoicing in the Father's goodness and giving Him glory.  Even in that extra time, the other two stops were efficient, and there was plenty of time before dark.  There has been a recurring thought since that day.  I can't help but think, if I'd have made the other choice at the beginning of the trip to town in dealing with Mr. B, that I probably wouldn't have heard Abba at all.