So almost two weeks ago, June 7, 2011, God showed me something I’d like to share with everyone.
So during my math classes we usually have a couple of 10 minute breaks, or I end up getting to class early, I found that this time is perfect for me to study God’s word. I especially like doing this because people around me think it’s strange that almost every spare moment I get during class I am reading a (to them) a mysterious book instead of going outside to talk and/or smoke. Most might just think I’m anti-social but curiosity usually gets the best of them and I have people coming up and asking me what I am reading. I love when this happens but I really need God’s help with sharing the gospel with them (maybe you can pray for me about that) because for some reason I just assume they know what it is. I need to remember to elaborate and ultimately lead back to the roots of the gospel with them if they don’t walk off before that.
Anyway on this particular day I was reading Leviticus 19. And something really stuck out to me. Here are the notes I took down about it in my math book…
-Leviticus 19:9-10- talking about harvesting your land but leaving some for the poor. Since nowadays not many of us really make a living off our land, then that should mean any other way we make money we should give/leave a portion of it for the poor/sojourner. Since the way they made money was harvesting their crops the Bible tells us not to strip it bare. Since we don’t harvest crops how much do we leave for the poor? I think, with prayer, however much God tells you to. In the Bible God and Jesus talk a lot about giving. Give to the poor, tithe to the Church, give your time; let your day be interrupted. As we see in Mark Jesus is always allowing his do to be interrupted. He is giving His time to these lost hungry (for the Word) people. How often do we allow our day to become interrupted? Living in America people are always busy and on the go. We live in a fast paced nation, a fast paced world. With fast food, high speed internet, microwaves, escalators, cars, etc. There are so many things that speed up our day and sometimes we can’t even be patient for those (fast) things. We need to allow God to work in our hearts, to give us patients and to help us allow our day to be interrupted. What/whose purpose are we doing it for anyway? We are here to bring glory to the Father and benefit the Kingdom. If we remember that we should always allow our day to be interrupted. If we had the wrong mind set, doing to for our own purpose/glory, we wouldn’t do it anyway. I mean how would it benefit us? We might gain 1 new Christian friend maybe but that would be a lot of work for one new friend. We can’t do it on our own anyway because only God can work in people’s hearts, He can save people not us. If we approach it with the right attitude, motivated for God to benefit the kingdom, we will always have time for them and He will give us the strength and speak through us in order to work in people’s lives. Not by our own strength but His alone. Do everything as to the Lord. His glory, His kingdom.
I had to stop taking note there because class had started again (I hope it all makes sense). Well I went on with more math and learning new things but kept pulling out my Bible and going over that passage and how God spoke to me every time I finished the in class problems. Apparently this did not please my teacher because when she came by she said “Is that really helping you?” gesturing toward my bible over my work sheet. I replied with a smile. Even though she didn’t like it the woman next to me did. She asked what I was reading and I got to share a bit with her, then I went on to show her how to do the math problem since that’s what we were there for.
When class was finally over I was relieved to go out to my car and go home and eat. As I got in my hot car and turned the key to start it, nothing happened. No noise, nothing. I tried again and again and again. Nothing. So I called my mom and asked her to pick me (and bring lunch J). I also attempted to look under the hood. Not that I know much about cars but I thought that maybe it was just the fluid levels. Everything looked good. Frustrated and not wanting to just sit in my hot car or go back inside the school building, I walked to the park right next to the parking lot I was at.
I made sure (because of all that my dad has taught me) to stay in a well-populated area where people could see me just in case. I sat under a tree and red my Bible, finishing the chapter I started. Then I just laid under the shade of the tree and prayed. Asking God why this was happening, I didn’t have the money to get it towed. I asked him if he was trying to show me something, I know I couldn’t take care of this on my own and I asked Him for help. Reassured I knew He promised He will take care of me.
I sat up, still waiting for my mom, and just listened. I listened to the sound of people playing with their dogs, listened to the sound of the breeze going through the trees, and listened to sound little kids made while playing on the playground. Then this man’s dog kept pulling toward me, the dog wouldn’t let up so the man (who was about 60ish) let him have his way. Normally I’d be freaked out, this man and his dog coming toward me, maybe even gotten up and walked somewhere else, but I felt at ease staying where I was. The man told me that the dog wouldn’t bite and that he was nice. I pet this cute little dog and he snuggled up close to me. Kind of strange I thought, most dogs would enjoy a little attention then move along sniffing new smells. Well this dog wasn’t going to leave my side on his own. So this man, Bob I think his name was, started talking which would normally freak me out even more not wanting to answer any of the questions he asked even if it was just “do you live in Albuquerque?” but I didn’t feel uncomfortable talking to him. We talk about how I was homeschooled and he asked “are you religious or something?” I told him a little about Christianity and stuff.
A while later as we went to sit at a park table he told me about his family and how they were very religious, though he never told me what they believed. He told me how awful his family was to him and a bit about his life. He finished his story and my mom had finally arrived. I wished him well on his goals he told me about and left.
Two hours later after we had finished running errands we came back to see if my car would start. It did, on the first try even. On my drive home I realized that God had showed me how to allow my dad or become interrupted. He’s shown me in His word but I was only half hearing, He had to prevent my car from starting to really show me how my life could be interrupted for His purpose. I didn’t get to see this man come to know Christ but I am praying for him. Hopefully there was a seed planted there and that it’ll grow.
I don’t know if any of this made sense or not, but I felt like I needed to share it. God had showed me something amazing and I had to tell people. Sorry this ended up being a little long.
