Not Thinking About it and Just Doing It

We've all been there....made the wrong choice, wrong decision, said the wrong thing to someone and hurt their feelings.  We've done stupid, silly, regretful things and bonk our head AFTERWARD and ask our self, "Why did I do that???", "What was I thinking???"   "If I had thought BEFORE I spoke, or considered the consequence of my choice BEFORE I acted on it, perhaps I would have talked myself out of doing what I now know is wrong."
 
     On the flip side....have you ever had that conviction to do something good such as make dinner for someone in need, send a card to a friend who's going through a tough time, volunteer at the school, hospital, or retirement home.  Maybe you felt you needed to phone a family member you haven't talked to in awhile or run an errand for a neighbor.  Whatever it is I'm sure we've all experienced this conviction of knowing we need to do this deed but for some reason we don't act on it right away (as in when you made that WRONG decision.) Rather, we immediately go into that "excuses" mode as to why we can't act on our conviction and before you know it we've talked our self out of doing that which we should have done.


Example: You're walking into a store and see that cold person, all bundled up, ringing that bell next to the red  Salvation Army kettle and you know you should give SOMETHING but instead of pulling out a buck or some change from your pocket NOW, you say to self, "I'll catch them on the way out."  You do your shopping and spend a tad more than you wanted.  As you head to the exit....there's that bell.  You end up not giving this time because those few dollars in your pocket are begging for that McCafe Mocha you absolutely NEED right now and figure you'll catch the kettle next time.  Guess what?  You just missed a blessing. 


      I've been there a few times in my life....someone is having a surgery and I KNEW I should make them dinner but I talked myself out of it by saying there's no time to go to the store to get the ingredients.  The budget this month just doesn't allow for me to buy extra groceries.  This person has a great family and a church who will take care of them.  Guess what?  God put it on MY heart to bless this family and I blew it for them and I blew for me.  I truly believe I have missed out on so many blessings because I blew my chance.  I talked myself out of doing what I should have done per God.  I now strive to look for those opportunities God puts in front of me and I pray I don't miss them. 

Example:  A couple weeks ago I drove through the Tim Horton's where my son, Chris works.  I've always wanted to pay for the person who sits behind me in drive thru and just drive off but never had the courage to do it for some reason.  This particular day I decided to do it, yet when I got to the window (my son was working the drive thru collecting money), I started to have all sorts of doubts....what if the order is too large and expensive?  What if the workers, better yet, my son think I'm weird?  I decided to just go for it.  After I paid for my coffee I asked Chris how much the person's order behind me was.  He told me $1.60.  I gave him two bucks and told him I was paying for her order.  He was baffled and the woman working with him just smiled and said, "It's so good to know there are such nice people out there still."  I told my son to tell the woman behind me that the customer ahead of her has taken care of her order.  I did not tell anyone I did this.  The only people who knew about this incident were my son, the woman working with him and the woman whose coffee I paid for.  I have been taught not to boast in your good works and to let God reward you for your deed for as to boast to someone is your own reward.  Good enough.  Here's where the story gets good.  My stop at Tim Horton's was en route to Bed Bath and Beyond.  Silly me forgot the hundreds of coupons (exaggeration, of course) I have at home for this store.  A worker asked me if I needed help with anything.  I said, "Yeah, I need a coupon since I forgot all of mine at home!"  He politely said to bring the receipt back with the coupon and they'll give me a price adjustment.  To me that was too much work but figured I may do just that.  Standing in line in front of me at the checkout was a woman holding a handful of Bed Bath and Beyond coupons.  She kept staring at me and the item I held and after a few minutes finally asked me if I needed a coupon.  Yep, there was my blessing. Times three!  God blessed me above and BEYOND what I sowed.  Granted it was only five dollars off my order but was THREE times what I gave earlier in the day!  And to think, I almost talked myself out of paying for this woman's coffee.  (Too bad her order wasn't like ten bucks or something! (Just kidding!) 

          Now, I'm not saying we are to do these things for the sole purpose of getting something in return but certainly, we reap what we sow.  Ask the farmer, he'll tell ya.  Sow a little, get a little.  I truly believe God WANTS to bless us and I am finding out I CANNOT out give God.  Do I give because I expect God to bless me?  Yes I do because God knows my heart and motives!  Do I give because I expect God to bless me the way I want and when I want to be blessed?  Nope!  It's up to HIM to bless in HIS perfect time.  He knows what I need and when I need it.  I will never know who that woman was in drive thru but perhaps just maybe she'll pay it forward to someone else someday and voila, some else being blessed.  

        The reason I share this story is because Dennis (hubby) one day came home from his men's group and shared with me something he "took" from his group that day.  He said so many people are doing God's work but aren't talking about it.  I told him I believe many don't talk about it for the same reason I don't talk about it...ya don't want to sound boastful.  He explained, "The problem with NOT sharing (at least every now and then) is that we don't know how people's lives are being changed because of God.  If people don't hear about God, how are they going to believe in Him?"  That's when I decided to share my Tim Horton's and Bed Bath and Beyond incident with him.  I bet almost anything the woman at Bed Bath and Beyond who gave me a coupon experienced the same thing at one point in her life and someone offered her a coupon and now she paid it forward. 


Obviously some things SHOULD be kept between you and God but bottom line is, big or small, no deed goes unnoticed by God.  And to the person you are ministering to?  Well, you may never know how huge of an impact you made on their lives because you didn't think about it and you just did it! 


(By the way, had you put that money in the Salvation Army Kettle that day, who is to say God wouldn't have put someone in your life later in the day to bless YOU with a coffee or a McCafe mocha?)


                   Have a great day all!

Ask and it Will be Given to You

So I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.  Luke 11:9

After last year's diagnosis of breast cancer, thoughts of doing some sort of breast cancer fund raising walk definitely weighed on my mind.  Of course never having done something like that before and not knowing even where to begin, I just didn't pursue it and really had no inkling to pursue it since it is totally out of my comfort zone.  Well, along comes Kim, a fairly new friend of mine whose son is in Matthew's grade, who just HAS to ask me if I ever considered doing an Avon Walk and that she was going to register to walk the one in Chicago even if she did it by herself but would love to have me join her.  I don't know Kim very well yet but enough to know that this is something totally out of her comfort zone as well.  I didn't give her a yes or no answer right away.  I knew deep down this was an adventure that would probably be very rewarding but I also was looking for excuses NOT to do it because I was nervous.

I did what I know how to do best, I sought God's opinion.  I prayed and prayed asking Him if this is something I should do, NEED to do.  I honestly did not get a clear cut answer which absolutely perturbs me sometimes (God?)!  Lol!  What I've learned though through my prayer life is that sometimes the answer is a clear cut no.  Sometimes it is yes.  Other times not now and in this particular case, God didn't have a clear cut answer.  I believe He would be okay with whatever decision I made.  He wouldn't be disappointed with me if I chose NOT to do the walk and I knew He would be there should I decide to participate.

So, it was decision making time.  I knew the longer I waited to say yes (if that indeed was going to be my answer) I needed to do it soon because I needed to raise money.  Finally, I made the decision to walk.  But then the realization of what you just did hits.  OMGoodness!  39.3 miles in two days????   Raise $1800????  Chicago????  Again, God, you're gonna have to help me out.  Somehow, someway this money will be raised.  Those who can give will give, right? 

I registered to walk Sunday night.  I don't even have my materials yet.  I set up my online donation page Monday morning.  I decided to raise my fundraising goal to $2000.  Today is Tuesday morning.  I have donations totaling $1100 already.  This is NOT my doing.  This is GOD working!  This was me and Dennis ASKING God for help and look what happens.... friends and family who are able are starting to step up to the plate!

But, I'm not there yet.  Kim and I are doing this together.  I am enclosing both her link and mine.  Since it's what God tells us to do, ask and it will be given to you, this is me asking for your support.  If you feel compelled to give, even if only $5.00, thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!  If financially you aren't able then will you consider praying for Kim and me as we embark on this adventure?

Teresa's Avon Breast Cancer Walk Page

Kim's Avon Breast Cancer Walk Page