Barb's World: Whispering

In preparation for the snowy winter that I've been told to expect, I bought snow tires. In trying to make room in my trunk to bring the radials home once these wonderful winter tires were installed, I came across 2 large bags of socks in my trunk. A friend decided to donate them to the local thrift store and I had planned to make the drop for him. Well, I carried these socks in my trunk for weeks, because for some reason, I felt that I couldn't didn't just donate them. I had this burning need to give them to someone. But who? Who wants a bag of used socks?

On my way home from work one evening I began to think about how I could give these socks to someone who could actually use them. It was about 8:30 at night and I said to myself, "You need to find homeless people." Then I laughed to myself and thought about how silly that seemed. Where am I going to find homeless people in the suburbs of a major city, where I barely know my way around? And how would I find the time? So I asked God to give me a homeless man. Ahh, you laugh. I know I did. So as I approached the store where I was going to look for a sweater, you're not going to believe what happened next. In front of me, in the dead of winter in the suburbs of Chicago, was a man on a bike pulling a tiny bike-size trailer....

"You've got to be kidding me." I drove past him into the TJ Maxx parking lot fully prepared to go shopping, because I can't stop (it might not be safe), but I'm sure I heard someone say, "turn around." So I did. I went through another parking lot hoping I hadn't lost him then I saw him riding towards me. I stopped, rolled down my window, and asked if I could ask him a personal question and he said yes. "This may seem very strange to you, but are you homeless?" Yes. Tears welled up in my eyes. "I have some socks that I had planned on dropping at the local thrift shop. Would you be interested in them?" He shook his head and I pulled into a parking place. I explained that they were not new socks and some were missing their mates...and that there were a lot of them. "I have friends who could use socks." I gave him the 2 bags and handed him $10 and asked him to spend it on something useful. I then told him how we came to cross paths....by God's divine hand...because I listened to the soft whisper of His voice.

As we parted I told him that God loved him and that I would pray for him. His expression caused those tears welling in my eyes to fall as he said, "I hope God blesses you ma'am."

Have you ever asked God for some seemingly silly thing, kind of thinking it's so strange or insignificant it could never happen? I do it often, but this time He showed up in a very unique way. I wanted to be a blessing to someone and He already knew there was this man out there that would cross my path, if I would only ask. This man blessed me in ways I can't describe. My God, ever faithful and true, whispered to me. Turn around. We often ask and then are not still enough to hear his response and we miss out on blessings. As we come out of celebrating the birth of our Savior and enter into a new year, I challenge you to be still before the Almighty and to genuinely seek Him. And wait and listen for that soft, gentle whisper of His voice. It's powerful. You will never be the same, I promise.

And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”Job 26:14