Bojangles and the Holy Spirit

#1 I love Bojangles...it's my favorite.

#2 I love my husband, but he says Bojangles can NOT be my favorite.

#3 That's why I was eating there alone today.

It was a Sunday (today, in fact). We had just left First Baptist Church where we watched my niece get baptized. IV had to go to work and I was about to head north to pick up our kids from their Nana and Poppy.

It was a little early, so I asked IV if he wanted to eat a quick lunch before we went our separate ways. He declined because he knew they would be having food at the station that afternoon.  I said, "Okay," and headed for Bojangles...just for spite. ;)

While I was waiting in the drive through the song I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons came on the radio. I felt a small stir of the Spirit within me...a little random, so I started to pray (which is what I recommend doing if this ever happens to you).

Me: Lord, what do I need to wait for?

...I'm waiting on the closing on our new home, and I realize it may still fall through, and I'm okay with that. Check.

...I'm waiting on a big van for our family, but I see how you've been providing for us by not having us have to ride over capacity lately, and I'm thankful for that. Check.

...I'm waiting with IV about law school decisions and such, but no worries. Check.

...I'm waiting with my flower business...trying to take it slow. Check.

...You really provided for some of our furniture needs at that yard sale yesterday, and I'm thankful for that. Check.

...I really can't think of anyth...OH.

Yeah, found it.

{If you ever feel like the Lord's trying to tell you something, stop right there and take a minute to listen. Open your Bible if you can, start to pray - you can always do that, and ask Him.  Then just keep asking. (Matthew 7:7-8)}

You see, the Lord has put a desire within me to teach His Word. (If you've read my blog before, this shouldn't be news...in fact, I wrote about it here not long ago.  Sometimes, it takes me a while to learn a lesson...Thankfully, the Lord doesn't give up on me.)

Anyway, it seems that I had once again put that call on hold.

Forgive me, Lord.

Looking back (since the last time I wrote about this), I can see some of my thought patterns that led me away from this desire:

• I didn't really think anyone wanted to hear me teach.
• Well, for one thing it ain't about me. It's about the glory of God and it should stay that way.
• Also, that's what the "WAIT" part is about...This is the time of preparation for me to study, and dig, and learn, so when someone's ready to listen, I'll be ready to talk.

I realized I had unknowingly been responding to God's call to teach the same way Jeremiah responded.  (We talked about in him in Lifegroup this morning so it was fresh on my mind.)

"Then I said, "Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak..." (Jeremiah 1:6)

(He continued with, "Because I am a youth," but we can debate about whether or not that would apply to me ;)

Perhaps no one wants to hear me teach, and perhaps I do not know how to speak, but no one wanted to listen to Jeremiah either and it didn't stop him. 

{What has the Lord asked you to do?  Does it seem unlikely or impossible?  Do you doubt that you can do?  Do you doubt that it will ever really come to pass, so why bother? - Keep asking.}

• I had gotten my priorities out of line.

Recently, I went with the lovely ladies from my church to hear Kari Jobe sing. It was a fun night and Kari did a great job, but I had some questions come up in my mind about the Holy Spirit.

I thought, "I'm really going to have to study this out to find my answers...it may make a good blog."

But then I gently set it aside and thought, "This is going to take a little TOO MUCH time to study and write, and do it well.  I'll just leave it alone." 

BUT, the questions still wouldn't leave me, and I still didn't want to do the homework.

I didn't want to take the time to study God's Word deeply. 

It was because I had become what I never wanted to be:

busy.

(I hate that word.)

I'd filled my time with good things, and they're things I'm going to keep on doing for now, like my flower business and teaching at the YMCA, but I don't want to neglect the "first things" anymore.

I don't want to put God on hold.

When he puts a thought or question into my mind I want to make the time to study it through and share it with others. I want to be prepared for whatever he has me waiting for.

{Is there something God has asked you to do that takes a "little too much" time?  Are you busy?  Are your priorities lining up with God's Word? - Keep asking.}

I WANT to wait on the Lord and I WANT to trust Him.  Those are my priorities.

IV shared this verse with our Lifegroup today, and it applies here as well...I was trusting in my own strength and turning my heart from God's call: 

《《 Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord...  

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is in the Lord." (Jeremiah 17:5,7) 》》

Keep asking, and keep waiting...just don't forget what you're waiting for.



P.S. IV called later and said he was sorry for not going to lunch with me, he realized it may have come across as mean. I knew he wasn't being mean, and I told him about my conversation with the Lord...in the Bojangles drive through. If he hadn't ditched me for lunch I may have had to wait a little longer for that (and I may not have gotten to eat at Bojangles :).  ~Roman's 8:28~

P.P.S. Expect to hear back from me on those Holy Spirit questions...I've gotta get to work on that. ;)

In the meantime: