I am always amazed at how God works in us in baby steps. When facing the new and scary, we are afraid He'll be like a mamma bird who throws their babies of the nest. I have come to know, however, that He gently nudges me as I make myself willing.
Last week while driving home in the pouring rain, I felt God prompting me to take an alternative route, which would mean driving through a dirt road. My first reaction was of sorrow, I felt God wanted me to get stuck in the muddy, rainy road.
I don't want you to get stuck. I want you to offer someone a ride.
Say what? I actually made a promise to my husband I wouldn't give rides to strangers. I live in Brazil, literally in the middle of nowhere, in one of those neighborhoods where you know no one will hear you scream. Ok God, just make it be a woman, please. I don't really want a strange man in my car.
Trust me.
As I kept driving I saw someone, a man. At least he had an umbrella. But as I got closer, I saw the umbrella did little to keep him dry. His pants, his bag, his back were all drenched. And to make matters worse, each car that drove by splashed him. To top it off, he was a little old man, walking quite slowly. My heart broke.
As I pulled up he could not believe his luck. We drove as he told me that he is a night guard, and talked about his job. It turns out that he works just by the dirt road, which means that 99% of the cars that drove in that main road would not turn, and yet, I did not have to go out of my way.
He got out of my car and blessed me. I blessed him. After dropping him off, I thanked God for using me. But I wanted more. I asked God to give me the boldness, to put words in my mouth. To enable me to talk to strangers about Christ.
(to be continued)
