Day 181 of The Red Shoe Project has me in cosy RED socks unwrapping a new gift from God. Have you every received a gift from someone and not quite known what to do with it? Perhaps it's a beautiful scarf and you're not sure how to wrap it around so it looks the way it does on those models in the magazines. LOL. You look at the picture, then you look in the mirror, then you look at the picture again. Maybe if you twist it here and cross it there and pull it down? Or perhaps you need to knot it on the ends and adjust it slightly to the side? Or what if you put it on backwards and wrap it around two times and just let it drape? The picture looks so simple and easy, doesn't it? Then why doesn't it come together for me? Surely I must be missing something -- some key instruction. My scarf always ends up looking like I've put a noose around my neck and by that time, I'm so frustrated that I am ready to choke myself. LOL.
I have one sister... she's five years older than me. Growing up, whenever we received gifts, she would immediately search for that little booklet. She'd read all the directions, rules, instructions on how to put it all together and make it work. I'm so not like that. I'd just ask her, "How does it work?" and she'd show me.
Taking all that into consideration, it doesn't surprise me now that she always won at Monopoly. She truly understood how the game was played -- how it all came together -- what you could and couldn't do -- and how to work things in order to win. 
This morning, I woke up and decided to not get out of bed so quickly. I propped up my pillows, sat up in bed and began to pray. Almost immediately this motion picture of sorts started running through my mind. It was a vision of my friend, running up this dark alley and around the corner of this building. She was so worried and out of sorts - something she never is. As she looked up to the dark, evening sky for God, down floated a soft, fluffy, white, baby blanket. It fell right onto her face and ultimately wrapped itself around her entire body. With that, God spoke to me Isaiah 26:3...
"You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you."
This visual was so powerful that I immediately picked up my phone and texted it to my friend. As I was touching each letter of the message, I thought to myself, "This is crazy! What is going on?" It was so vivid that I was compelled to send it to her thinking that if it's totally off the wall, no big deal. But what if it's not off the wall? What if it's right on the money? What if God powerfully speaks to her through it? I took my chances and hit SEND.
I put my phone down and turned back to pray. My eyes weren't closed three seconds and another movie began, just as vivid, only with different characters and presenting a different message. Once again, I picked up my phone and began to text. This scenario happened four times. That's right, I had four different divine visions from God. When it was all over I was a bit dumbfounded. What's going on? Did I really just send those four texts to people?
Here's what I think is happening. I think God has given me a new gift. I opened it, in private, in my bedroom, and tested it out. I have no doubts that it's only a matter of time before God will manifest that gift as I minister to others. When He plays those pictures in my mind, I will speak them into the lives of the people I'm praying with.
Okay... so I know that might sound crazy to some of you. Let me say this... this isn't about me coming up with bizarre, dramatic stories in my mind to fascinate people. This is about divine dreams being downloaded from God for a specific purpose. It's a gift that's not to be taken lightly. I have experienced something similar to this in the past where Words of Divine Knowledge or Wisdom were dropped into me. I learned over the years, never to push them aside. God always gives them for a reason. I have chosen to deliver them, by faith, trusting that He will speak personally to the specific recipients. And if I don't deliver them? He'll just ask someone else to.
"To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,
to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,"
1 Corinthians 12:8
The other night, I shared a message with some people who are yearning to grow in Christ. I encouraged them to look for spiritual mentors -- people who are mature in the Lord -- people who not only know the Bible, but who live it out every day -- people who are great examples of men and women of God. Submit yourself to these people and allow them to teach you the way of the Lord.
There's a saying that if you are the smartest person in your group, it's time to get a new group! That doesn't mean that you abandon your posse... especially if God has put you there to be a teacher to them. Do both. Get yourself another group in which you can be the student. As someone teaches and pours into your life, you can in turn pour into the lives of others.
Yesterday, I was sitting in Panera's sipping on an ice tea and talking with my spiritual mentor. Suddenly, God started speaking to me again -- loudly and clearly. I excused myself to go to the rest room, mostly so that I could get away from all the noise of the restaurant and focus better of what God was saying. Once again, He spoke the same thing to me. Shortly after that, our meeting concluded and I headed straight home to pray. Finally, I got myself in a quiet place with no distractions.
God assured me that His plan was perfect. He didn't tell me how it was all going to come together. He just asked me to trust Him and told me that there would be great blessings for my obedience. That said, I called the woman back today and asked her to meet me again this evening for coffee. As we sipped our beverages under the Starbucks' umbrella, I told her of my conversation with God and my decision to follow her and support her whole-heartedly in her endeavors for Christ. She was grateful for my support. We talked about the things of God, well into the evening.
I'm home now. I've kicked off my RED shoes and will soon be headed for bed. I feel good that I've followed through on what God had asked of me. Now, I just have to walk it out, day to day. I will follow this leader, as she follows Christ, helping her with whatever she needs help with in her ministry.
It's been a long day. I'm remembering this morning, and my divine texting. Perhaps God is already rolling out His promised blessings in a spiritual gift that in time will be developed in me, for His divine purpose. We'll see.
Walking it out in Red shoes,
Gail
There's a saying that if you are the smartest person in your group, it's time to get a new group! That doesn't mean that you abandon your posse... especially if God has put you there to be a teacher to them. Do both. Get yourself another group in which you can be the student. As someone teaches and pours into your life, you can in turn pour into the lives of others.
Yesterday, I was sitting in Panera's sipping on an ice tea and talking with my spiritual mentor. Suddenly, God started speaking to me again -- loudly and clearly. I excused myself to go to the rest room, mostly so that I could get away from all the noise of the restaurant and focus better of what God was saying. Once again, He spoke the same thing to me. Shortly after that, our meeting concluded and I headed straight home to pray. Finally, I got myself in a quiet place with no distractions.
"Okay God... am I hearing you correctly?
You want me to submit myself to this woman's ministry 100%?"
But what about me? What about my ministry?
When are we going to do that?"
When are we going to do that?"
God made it clear that I was, in fact, hearing Him correctly. My way? No.
His way? Yes!
His way? Yes!
"Okay Lord, I don't fully understand, but because you say so,
I will do it."
I will do it."
Hmmm. Where had I heard those words before? I do believe the apostle Peter said much the same thing when Jesus asked him to let down his net for a catch after Peter himself had fished all night and come up empty-handed.
"Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.
But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
Luke 5:5
God assured me that His plan was perfect. He didn't tell me how it was all going to come together. He just asked me to trust Him and told me that there would be great blessings for my obedience. That said, I called the woman back today and asked her to meet me again this evening for coffee. As we sipped our beverages under the Starbucks' umbrella, I told her of my conversation with God and my decision to follow her and support her whole-heartedly in her endeavors for Christ. She was grateful for my support. We talked about the things of God, well into the evening. I'm home now. I've kicked off my RED shoes and will soon be headed for bed. I feel good that I've followed through on what God had asked of me. Now, I just have to walk it out, day to day. I will follow this leader, as she follows Christ, helping her with whatever she needs help with in her ministry.
It's been a long day. I'm remembering this morning, and my divine texting. Perhaps God is already rolling out His promised blessings in a spiritual gift that in time will be developed in me, for His divine purpose. We'll see.
Walking it out in Red shoes,
Gail
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