How God led me to stop.....

This is a true story of how God is working in my life this week.

For the month of November, I had decided to put out more than I take in....
in other words....
Sowing Christs love in a more relevant way than just letting my walk be my walk.

BUT,,, I strongly believe in keeping my giving, my love and my acts of service for he Lord, and not for show to men.
Therefore, I have not shared on my blog "all" that I am doing in November to make Christs Love more real to people.

THIS story today, I was led to share... to encourage, spur to good works, and to GLORIFY the Lord who created this story from the beginning.

~~~~~~~~~

4 loaves of pumpkin bread sat on my counter.... waiting for me to freeze, eat, or give-away.
We make bread, cookies, and other special treat a lot for neighbors, family and friends...so I knew that his bread would go to someone this week..

Little did I know that I would be strongly convicted to share this bread with someone in this little community of mine,,
where I worship, drive through, and live, and not know some of those behind the closed doors...
who do not set their feet upon our Church doorsteps, or wave when we go by.

I load up three of the children, the bread, some caramel corn, and a strong leading t be a light to those who do not know HIM.
And if they cannot see HIS love in me,, then where will they see it.

Will God care that I was uncomfortable to knock on the doors in this community to say hello, and deliver bread, or will He rejoice when they see His life in mine?

I drive slowly through my little town. I pray, and pray and pray...
not for my nerves, not for strength...

But... I prayed that HE would lead me to stop where HE needed me to shine HIS Light.

His leading was so very clear that day.
My first stop was to a widow, and she was tired from much lawn work she had done on her own that day...
she LOVED the pumpkin bread, and now I know where we can help her.

Second stop.... I was least suspecting that He would lead me here....
Why... this house is straight across the street from our church.
The family waves to us,,,we wave to them... we have seen them out and about..
we do not know them, and no very little about them.
They watch everyone at church come and go...
we have stopped to chat with them once or twice...
they have sent their son to our children's programs, but, they have not come for worship.

I am thinking... "Lord,,, you really don't want me to stop here, do you?"...YES.
"Hm mm.. what if I give this bread to another family?"
...NO.
I slow the van down... truly hesitating,, thinking about how nervous I was to speak to them...why?
I am not even sure why...

We knock on their door... four times... for about 4 minutes...
"OK Lord,, we have tried,,, where now?"

No one came to the door, and so I begin to back the van ot of their driveway.
The father of the home comes out of the garage....
Walks up to my window.. and I smile....nervously...

"Hi,,I made some pumpkin bread and thought that your family might like some today."

He takes the bread without acknowledgement.....

and....

as if we talk every day...
as if he knows me well... like we are friends...

he says..

" My daughter lost her twins today...".. and he is all choked up..

My heart bursts with sadness...tears come to my eyes...

"How far along was she," I ask...

"She was to 8 months along ," he said... "identical, and their cords were tangled today."
He told me that she would have to have a funeral, and how devastating this was.
... the reason no one was able to answer their door.
The look of grief and hopelessness were overwhelming.

WHY was he pouring out his heart to me... a stranger?

14 years ago,.. God knew this day would happen.
The day my identical twin boys lost their life in my womb.. almost ready to be delivered,, and their lives were meant for another purpose.

This moment was so surreal to me.
I cried with him,,, for him,, for her...and ...
Shared how .. we also... had to bury our babies, more than just our twins.

God gave me the words this day...
to share with this man....
and I now will be going back.. following through to this open door ..
with hope for this family.

As I pulled out that driveway.... tears still streaming unabashed..
over the sadness this family is experiencing...
over the empty gap in the line-up of our children...
over the empty arms that I know this young mother is feeling right now...
I was truly comforted knowing that this was HIS plan...

Not for pumpkin bread...
Not for me to be out of my comfort zone...
But to let His Light become a presence behind the closed doors in this community...
where people are hurting...
all of the time...and we never know.

A door is just a barrier that man sees as an excuse to not see beyond the walls of homes and hearts.

There are no doors or walls in Heaven.

My heart was opened to His leading even more ...
Will you pray for this family today?

Where is He leading you to shine?
Don't ignore His calling.