Day 219

Day 219 of  The Red Shoe Project turned out to be a day jam packed with goodness.  Bob and Yvonne Gerhart (Day 217) agreed to delay their trip home to Alabama just so they could swing by The Bonfire and minister to the women there.  In preparation for that gathering, I popped on my Red sandals and met up with Bonnie at Starbucks to talk things over and pray.  Between yesterday and today, God was speaking to both of us through the story found in  2 Kings 4:1-7 where Elisha the prophet says to the widow woman...

" Go around and ask all your 

neighbors for empty jars.  

And don't ask for just a few!"

This has to be one of my absolute favorite stories in the Bible!  An old time hymn summarizes it like this:

Are you longing for the fullness 

Of the blessing of the Lord

In your heart and life today?

Claim the promise of your Father;

Come according to His Word,

In the blessèd, old time way.

Refrain

He will fill your heart today to overflowing.
As the Lord commandeth you,
“Bring your vessels, not a few.”
He will fill your heart today to overflowing
With the Holy Ghost and power.

Bring your empty earthen vessels,
Clean through Jesus’ precious blood.
Come, ye needy, one and all;

And in human consecration
Wait before the throne of God
Till the Holy Ghost shall fall.

Refrain

Like the cruse of oil unfailing
Is His grace forevermore,
And His love unchanging still;

And according to His promise,
With the Holy Ghost and power
He will every vessel fill.

Refrain

When we talked about this passage of scripture, Bonnie and I decided that we needed to put out some additional invites to this week's  "Bonfire."  If God was going to wonderfully fill people, we wanted to make sure that some of our closest friends and loved ones didn't miss out.

I personally had a specific friend in mind, that I wanted to invite.  She's a new Believer... so this would be a little out of the box for her, BUT I also know that she wants EVERYTHING that God has for her, so I hate to hold back on anything like this.  If I was going to invite her, I couldn't do it through voice mail, email or texting.  I'd need to talk to her.  Well... that didn't happen, so I guess she wouldn't be there.

Then suddenly...  there she was in Starbucks, smiling from ear to ear, greeting Bonnie and I!  How crazy was that?  We never bump into each other out and about town.  Guess God wanted to make sure she got a personal invite regardless. When God wants something to happen... it's going to happen.  There's nothing I can or cannot do to prevent it.

Yes... she came to the meeting.  Yes... she got blessed, beyond measure.  It was good.  It was very good.  God filled every vessel in the place.  Not one person left empty!  Not one.

Just goes to prove that God is the same...

 "Yesterday, Today and Forever!"

Hebrews 13:8

Amen!

Gail

Day 220

Day 220 of  The Red Shoe Project had arrived!  My eyes were barely open when I glanced at my phone to check out the time.  A text was waiting for me...  "Can you meet?"  My girlfriend wrote that message hours ago, so I literally jumped out of bed, dressed, brought Pauly for his walk and headed out the door, in RED flip flops.   My pal had other errands to do first, so she didn't have a specific meeting time.  With that in mind,  I headed up to the local coffee shop where we would connect.  I ordered an iced chai, plugged in my laptop and popped in some ear buds.  I'd write while I waited.


I don't know what it is about Me, Coffee Shops and Pandora, but when shaken together, it often presents to me an easy access point to God.  I guess worship music flooding my brain while I pound out meditations on the keyboard just does it for me.  I have to be ever so careful as to not break out dancing right there in the center of all the foot traffic waiting to place their coffee orders.  Seriously... I really do have to be careful when I pop those ear buds in... especially when I close my eyes and focus on the words.  I get swept away so easily.

 Last week, it happened while I was at home.  I was sitting at my office desk, totally lost in worship and prayer when suddenly my daughter gently tapped me on the shoulder.  Yikes!  I didn't even know she was home.  She must have slipped in the front door without my even noticing.

"I love you Mom.  And it's great that you're 

worshipping God and praying, but it's really 

distracting and I'm in the other room on the 

phone."

"You can hear me?"  I asked.

I thought I was just moving my lips, singing and praying to myself.  Guess not.   How I pray and sing when I think no one is around is quite different than when I'm in the company of others.  With people, I'm conservative, considerate, and acceptable.  When it's just me and God...
I'm loose, free and without reservation.  I'm explosive, and totally unacceptable!   Not to mention, God doesn't care if I'm off key, too loud, or get the words all wrong.  He loves my reckless love and worship and I love the
liberty He extends me to do that!


As I sit here, quietly typing this blog, a song comes on: "Exalted"  by Chris Tomlin.  Oh no!  Here we go.  I feel the tugging.  Right here!  Right now!  

"Come on in!"
 shouts the Lord,

as if He were calling me to join Him.

"The water's wonderful!  

Cool!   Refreshing!    
Don't miss out on this!"   

"Here I come!"

 my soul cries out.

In my mind, I picture myself running down the deck shouting, "Cannonball!"

 

* * * SPLASH! * * *  

I'm in!  Glory to God!  Oh how I love this!   I hear myself shouting in my head... "Jesus!"  I'm  laughing and splashing as I dunk my head under the water over and over again.  I can somersault.  I can tread water.  I can float on my back.  It's all good! 

Yes... I'm doing all this in Starbucks, as I wait for my friend to arrive! LOL.  

The minutes have turned to hours.  Time flies when you're having fun.  I'm noticing the lunch crowd has come and gone.  Jesus and I are still here, enjoying one another's company like sweethearts totally smitten with each other.  I look up and here comes my friend through the door.  Time to switch gears. 

Gail