By: Charlotte
I am not one who normally sets goals for myself, but New Years Day I got together with some friends and each of us were given reflection cards - reflecting not only on the previous year but also the year we had just begun. Not wanting to disappoint, I decided to indulge and really think about both (which included setting goals for this next year). One of the goals I felt led to set was "becoming more bold." I love that God does not disappoint- ask & you shall receive. When Danielle invited us to come out to a Friday Night Lights, the Lord gently reminded me it was the perfect opportunity to help achieve this goal I had set.
Friday night comes and I show up. The fun part is I had told Danielle about my goal and she in her kindness thought it would be fun to dive right in. We didn't write anything down. We just walked around and asked the Lord to highlight a store for us to go into. She felt led to go into Macy's, so off we went. There wasn't anyone at the first location we went to inside the store so we decided to walk around. As we rounded the corner I heard the Lord say "turn around". I told Danielle what I had heard and we did but initially I didn't see anyone. However, God had someone in mind & she popped out from behind a clothing rack. I heard the Lord ask me to tell her she was beautiful. I was so nervous and wasn't sure I would be able to convey the message. Danielle again in her kindness reassured me I could do it and gave me some tips to help me get past the awkward. I walked up to the woman and told her who I was and where I went to school. I asked her if I could give her a word of encouragement and reluctantly she said "yes." I told her what I heard the Lord say and she immediately became receptive to the message. She thanked me and told me I was very kind. I was so overcome with joy I felt like I would burst. I had been bold & had stepped out, and God was so faithful. He used me to bless someone and in turn I was blessed!
The next store God highlighted was, Dillard's. When I asked for clues, I heard the Lord say "Clinique and woman in blue". So off we went. I love that God gives us clues & we get to search for the treasure, because that is just what happened. The woman in blue was actually across from the Clinique counter and the minute we walked up, she was someone who was receptive to the encouragement God had for her. What was even more amazing, she shared with us that her granddaughter (whose name was Danielle) was missing and that this encounter was a reminder that God hears her prayers. We were not only able to bless her with an encouraging word from the Lord, but we were able to pray for her and her granddaughter.
I am still in awe of the lengths God went to, to orchestrate the whole night. The people He paired up to go out and be blessings to the ones who needed to be blessed. The specific clues He gave and the encouragement He poured out was so specific for the people we gave it to, it was incredible. I love that I serve a God who is so mighty and so lavish in His affection and kindness. He is so faithful and loves when we say "yes".
