10 am, wearing white pants and a linen shirt, along with the cutest pair of casual, RED slip ons.
I met up with a wonderful friend and business colleague at Starbucks to discuss some important business matters. We are both entrepreneurs and today is Friday, so we casually sipped our iced lattes, outdoors under an umbrella, in our casual Friday attire, and discussed strategic planning.How great is that? This is networking at it's best!
Oh... if relationship building was always that easy. I love it when I naturally connect with someone. It's effortless. I can totally just be myself. It's as if there's nothing I can do to turn the other person away. For some reason, we're just divinely connected. The relationship is somehow part of a big plan that will someday all make sense. That's such a contrast to all the people I've tried to connect with over the years and no matter what I've done, (jumped through hoops, over-extended myself, gone above and beyond, you name it... ) and it never came together. Talk about inviting God into your business day? I'll take one of these divine set-ups, any time!
the Lord dropped a rather strange request in my heart.
In obedience, I found myself driving around my friend's neighborhood, singing soft worship choruses and praying for my friend and her family that the peace of God would fall upon them and that healing would touch their household. After about fifteen minutes of that, I thought, "What a nice thing! Okay, I'll go home now." But no, it wasn't God's time to leave just yet. I kept thinking to myself... "I think I better do one more loop around the neighborhood." Off I went, driving up and down the streets, praying for my friend while singing lovely choruses of worship. It was the most peaceful drive around.
Many loops later, I pulled over by the waterfront and chatted with God awhile. I asked Him for a sign about something we have been discussing as of late. Right then and there, a monarch butterfly passed by. That was so funny, because God just told me a couple days ago, when I was talking to Him about this same matter, that He would give me a monarch butterfly. I didn't think much of it at the time, but as this particular butterfly fluttered right by me, I remembered God telling me that. I took several minutes to look for more butterflies, but there were none. There was just that one... at that precise moment... and then it vanished. Hmmm. A God thing?I drove around a little longer, praying for my friend, and finally felt the green light to go home. My little neighborhood prayer ride turned out to be an hour and a half excursion, with Christ as my co-pilot. Seriously! I never do such things. I wouldn't even think to do such a thing. And even if I did, I would grow weary of it pretty quickly. But today it was God's idea.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says...
"The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth
in order to strengthen those whose hearts
are fully committed to Him."
We serve an awesome God. He knows when our hearts are crying out to Him. He knows how to interpret our heart's cry, even when we don't. My friend has not been feeling well, and a heaviness had rested upon her and her household. I believe God had me driving around her home and praying for a reason... perhaps to bring a special comfort to a heart in distress. Who knows? Only God.
I finished off the evening attending a concert at my church featuring:
Tenth Avenue North.
What a wonderfully uplifting event. Great music and great friends!
I had an awesome time.
I drove home, kicked off my Ruby Reds and began to blog.
Thank you, dear friends, for tuning in tonight.
God's blessing be upon you.
Gail
