God Told Me To

Last night as I stood in the back of the children’s worship room, singing with them and really just enjoying the simplicity of worship with children, God did something I didn’t see coming. You see, only the Lord knows how I’ve been pouring out my heart to Him. And only the Lord knew what to do to speak His love to me last night.

As I sang, I watched a little 1st grade boy in his school uniform walk across the room. I wondered where he was going, but he wasn’t missing a stride. As he walked, I noticed he was coming in my direction. He kept coming. And then, he stopped right beside me. Looked up at me, and smiled. That’s all he did…at first. I looked down at this little fella, smiled back and then had to stoop down to give him a hug.

I said, “Hi there!” While giving him a big o’ squeeze.

And he said, “Hi!”

“What’s your name.”

“Andrew”

“Hi Andrew. I’m Mrs. Lisa. You doing ok?”

“Yes ma’am” (still beaming!)

“That’s great!” (giving each other another big hard hug!) “Thank you so much for coming back here to give me such hugs! Thank you thank you!”

Without any hesitancy at all – without giving it a thought – that little young’n looked at me, widened his eyes as biiiiiig as he could and said,

“God told me to.”

(tears welling up instantly – yes, in mine! As I looked into his big 0′ eyes ….)

“What? What did you say?”

“God TOLD me to.”

He put more emphasis on that one word, and yes, I cried a little and said,

“Really? He did?” 

“Yes ma’am. He did.”

It was time to stand and sing. And when the music started, it was the song – “It is Well”

Andrew stayed right beside me. So, I reached down and took hold of his little 1st grade hand. And as we sang 3 verses of that one song, we were swinging our hands back and forth to the music, and when it got to the chorus, “It is well with my soul”, Andrew would look up at me (every. single. time) and he belted out “WITH MY SOUL!!!!”

And he would smile again.

I couldn’t fight the tears…why would I.

Then, after we sang, the worship leader asked us to sit down and we pray. I sat in my chair, as Andrew sat down on the floor beside me. I bowed my head as I watched him watch me. But then he slowly lowered his.

With my eyes closed, as the prayer began….I felt something.

I felt 2 small little hands taking hold of mine.

I felt 2 small little hands begin to cup mine in them.

I felt 2 small little hands holding mine in them so tightly…giving me no room to wiggle!

I felt 2 small little hands being the hands of my Father.

I felt Love.

I felt acceptance.

I felt JESUS!

I didn’t dare remove mine to cup his … I just let Him be Him, through a little 1st grade boy.

Meet Andrew

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You see, it seems as of late, my alone time with the Lord has been Him really wanting me to understand to a much deeper level how attentive He really is. How near He is. And He also wants me to know, and I mean … to know to the point that I “feel it,” just how powerful the CROSS is in my life! The love of the Cross. He’s wanted me to feel it.

Why? Because when we “feel” things, we remember them more!

It’s not a matter of how powerful the Cross was or had been…it’s powerful in our life today! The Cross. And the Resurrected life of Christ IN us IS real – and that “Real” has a name – the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit of God.

I don’t want to go deep on us right now. I just want to share how it’s been and what happened last night where God did something that HE alone knew would be exactly what I needed.  You see, it’s been like this – I pray. He answers. Then, it’s up to me to believe Him. (as it is for all of us.) To act on what He has TOLD me to do. Andrew did. And he made no bones about it. “God TOLD me to.”

We’ve never had a conversation, yet he wanted me to know that God told him to hug me.

You can’t make folks do what is right. (And shouldn’t want to.) But between the Lord and I, if He speaks to me through His Word and through my pastor, well, I dare not ignore what He is prompting. I dare not tell Him, “I agree that all I’ve heard is truth, but I’m not going to act on what You just said to me according to Your instruction in Scripture.”

To be totally honest … I’ve done that in the past. I have ignored His Word and gave excuses and reasons why. And friends, that only leads to great repentance and an aching sorrow. However, only the love of my Father has transformed that sorrow to a more “servant heart”  – yearning to obey Him like never before because I love Him!

I want to be like Andrew. Do what He has TOLD me to do. Keep’n it simple.

Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” John 14:23

And through Paul’s letter in Romans, we need to “feel” this truth every. single. day. –

“NOTHING in this world can separate us from the LOVE OF CHRIST.” Romans 8:35

Is there a place in your life where you are still steering the wheel? If there is, will you please let it go?  God will bless you and that blessing just may come through the hands of a little child, reminding you, (as it did me), that all God longs for is for me to be His “child” –

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,” Galatians 3:26