If you’re joining me from P31 Devotions today, welcome!
“I can’t STAND my husband. I’ve had enough. It’s over. I’m so finished
with this marriage, Sharon. I’m DONE… DONE!” She screamed as I held
the phone away from my ear. She started sobbing. I waited. I could hear
her kids fighting in the background and a baby screaming. She said,
“Sharon, can the kids and I come over right now? I need your help. I don’t
know what to do with my life.”
Everything in me wanted to say, “NO!” It was lunch time. Her kids plus
mine would be a miniature army to feed. We were renovating our house
and the kitchen was out of service. I was using my bedroom as a makeshift
kitchen. We didn’t even have running water! I couldn’t imagine feeding
her crew and mine, much less have enough ingredients for a lunch.
Without thinking further I said, “Get the kids in the van and get over here!
We’ll talk over lunch while the kids play.” I heard her phone disconnect
before I even finished the sentence.
I rummaged through a box and found oatmeal, walnuts, maple syrup and
water bottles. That’s it, I thought. We’re eating oatmeal for lunch. That’s
all I’ve got! I made it on one of those table top burners. It was the biggest
pot of oatmeal you’ve ever seen.
The bowls and spoons were covered in dust from the construction. I wiped
’em clean. A little dirt never hurt anybody, I thought to myself. My kids
came in and asked why I had so many bowls. I said, company’s coming.
Your FRIENDS! They squealed with delight.
15 bowls of piping hot oatmeal topped with butter, walnuts, milk and
drizzled maple syrup were ready! I ran outside. Pulled 15 apples off the
apple tree and sat one next to every bowl.
The house was a wreck but I don’t think she ever saw it. She had tunnel
vision. All she could see was her doomed marriage. Everyone got their
bowl of oatmeal- including the construction workers.
We all sat down on the dusty floor, bowed our heads in prayer, ate, and
talked. The kids talked. The construction workers talked. My friend and I
talked.
As she told me her story, I thought to myself, “Oh my GOODNESS! I can’t
imagine being married to this man-either!” But I wasn’t about to say it! I
let her talk for over an hour without saying a word. At the end of it all, she
looked at me and said, “Well, what do you think?”
Within my spirit I prayed and asked God to help me say only what He
wanted me to say. My flesh wrestled with my spirit- BIG TIME! Lord?!
This guys a jerk! A total JERK!
I looked into her eyes and said, “Let’s pray and ask what He thinks.”
Words rolled out of my mouth that I hadn’t planned or thought. So much
better than what my thoughts were.
The prayer was finished and she looked at me and said, “I’m going to need
a lot of prayer to get through this Sharon. Everything you said really
convicted me today. I do love him and I believe more than ever after
coming here, that God is going to turn this around and use it for our good.
She hollered for her kids. Hauled them into the van and off they went. She
went back home to her husband, the kids’ dad, the family united. They
started to love each other again…
What did I do?
Served 15 bowls of piping hot oatmeal in 15 dusty bowls on a dusty floor
and barely said a word of my own. Listened. Kept my mouth closed and
invited the Lord through prayer to lead our thoughts. He is faithful and boy
did He answer.
“Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will
be opened to you.”
Do you have a friend who’s going through a hard time with money,
marriage, kids, or their health? One you should invite over but haven’t
because your house isn’t in order? It doesn’t matter what your house looks
like or what you serve ’em! They need your help!
In the comment section below, tell me who you need to invite in one word.
Your comment will enter your name in the drawing to win a fifty dollar visa
card and Karen Ehman’s book, A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart &
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