I received an unexpected phone call from an old work
acquaintance. She explained to me that God had placed it on her heart to call
and thank me for what I had done for her. This piqued my curiosity, because I
didn't remember doing anything for her.
She went on to say that while we were sitting in a
meeting regarding our employee concerns, she heard me make the statement, "I
have done all I can about this problem, I am going to give it to God."
Those words struck a chord with her heart. At that
moment, she realized that she wasn't giving anything in her life to God. She was
trying to run her own life. Hearing those words that day, changed this for her.
From that day forward, she began to submit her attitude toward Him.
For a long time, she had been struggling with her
infertility, when trying to conceive a second child. She had placed the blame on
her husband for her failed attempts to get pregnant and considered bailing out
of her marriage. But now she decided to work on her marriage and place her
desire for a second child on the back burner.
After examining her heart, regarding the treatment of
her husband and others, she purposed herself to be more kind and considerate to
them. With time, she chose to stay away from critical people and gossips. Over a
period of time, changes started to occur in her life. She received a new job
that was a better fit for her personal and family needs. New friendships came
her way. She felt better about herself!
She finalized our conversation by saying, "I called to
thank you, because I recently revealed to someone the need for God in their life
and they thanked me for it. Their act of gratitude made me realize it was
something that I needed to do, also."
I spoke with her a few months later. She was delighted
to give me her good news (of which she waited 10 years). "The strangest thing
has happened," she exclaimed. "Within one month of our conversation, I found
myself pregnant! My due date will be at Christmas." We couldn't help but wonder
if my friend was reaping the rewards of an obedient life.
On any given day, we never know how the wind of the
Holy Spirit is going to work in our life. We should always be ready to expect
the unexpected, when it comes to His mysterious ways.
Annettee Budzban is an author, freelance writer and
religion columnist. He new book When Heaven Whispers, will be available soon.
Her e-mail address is
ahrtwrites2u@aol.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.