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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Oil on opened wounds...

     That's what the email I received today said, "Your message of grace is like oil on open wounds..."   Honestly, a homeschool family that we know well has had some troubles this spring and I have been meaning to send a card or an email to them for a couple months.  Only I never got around to it.   Why?  I wasn't sure what to say.  I wasn't sure they'd want me to say anything.   And the more time that passes the more awkward I feel for not having said anything when I knew they were hurting. 

   I knew that God had called me.  Most of the time my callings are feelings of "oughtness", an awareness that I can do something to help, and that I should.  Too often though as a homeschool mom of 6 kids I don't make time for those callings, even though they are such small acts of obedience.  A card to a friend that is hurting, a meal for my neighbor who has cancer, a care package for my friend who just lost a baby, a gift for a widow that is spending her first Christmas alone.  These are the little things He asks me to do, the ways He asks me to be His hands and give a physical manifestation of His love.  Sometimes I manage to get around to them, and sometimes I miss the opportunity to be a blessing (and be blessed in return)

   This time God asked me to bless someone with my words of support.  To say I knew what was going on and I was sorry.  I certainly did not expect a reply.  The amazing thing was that their reply was a gift to me, to know that I helped soothe their wounds.  I gave them a gift and they gave me one back.  It reminded me of the verse in Proverbs 25:11 that says, " A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."  It was that way for me today, and for this other family as well, all because I responded to the feeling of "oughtness" that God had given me. 

4 comments:

  1. Very beautiful and I'm glad you took the time and effort to follow that leading. It is easy to feel like nothing you say can help or that you really don't know what to do or say, but all the notes and phone calls really do help and they do help you to keep moving forward and to realize that the world hasn't just passed you by in your grief.

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  2. We all miss the leading sometimes. It shouldn't happen but it does. Thank you for your honesty. I have been full of the "outness" lately. It can be overwhelming with all the day to day things that need to be done. Thank you for linking to NOBH. God bless you!

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  3. Dana, you would know better than anyone how much even the smallest words can help, thanks for the comment.

    Lynda, sadly this week I felt there was something I "ought" to do and I just remembered tonight that I hadn't done it. The little things get overlooked sometimes. Thanks for your comment.

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  4. This spoke to my soul. Thank you

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