My Say What? moment came last year. My Pastor had asked me to lead the adult Sunday school class in his absence, he suggested that I share a devotion from one of the online devotionals I receive daily by email.
I agreed although was I was filled with doubt, Prayerfully I started looking through the devotions I had saved over the years and narrowed it down to two of them. One I really wanted to share and the other because I felt the nudge that I was supposed to share it. I fought that leading tooth and nail for nearly a week as I continued to prepare for the class. It was too hard, the subject matter would offend some of those in the class, I wasn’t equipped to share and lead on that subject. All the classic “No God, I can’t be hearing you right and just in case I am these are my reasons why I can’t do this thing you want me to do.”
The night before the class I had both devotions in a folder in the middle of my dining room table, Bonnie one of our golden retriever puppies who was very proud of her new found ability to reach things in the middle of the table, grabbed my folder and carefully pulled out and chewed up the devotion I wanted to share. The devotion that God had been nudging me about was untouched even though it had been right next to the one that Bonnie snatched. “Ok God, I get it, you want this devotion shared with the class, I don’t know why, I am not sure I can do it but Yes, Lord I will share this devotion.”
The next morning the Bonnie pup story started the class out on a humorous note, I then went on to share the struggle I had had regarding sharing this devotion, and the class began. After the devotion about sandpaper people and ways to deal with them had been read, everyone around the table and I mean everyone even those who never say much had an experience to share. Then one of the ladies who was only in the class because she didn’t have a class to teach that day, quietly said “I needed to hear that today” and went on to tell her story, about a difficult situation she is daily living with, when she was finished sharing there wasn’t a dry eye around that table, and the class time turned into a time of prayer for her and her situation.
Immediately I could see why God had wanted that devotion shared, This sweet lady who is always there for everyone else needed to talk and she needed prayer.
My only regret is that it took me so long to say yes to what God wanted me to do. Since then I have been working on saying yes faster and trusting that He will equip me with what I need to do what He wants me to do.
Random Thoughts From My Everyday World 
I always am amazed and reassured when God obviously takes the lead and we follow (even if reluctantly) because when we look back we can see His hand, His purpose in the whole thing and how “creative” He is in the accomplishment of it. Thanks to your obedience we see how He works behind the scene but really right in the middle of it all. I am relieved to know that I’m not the only one who is sometimes reluctant to say Yes- tho I wish I wasn’t. The flesh of me gets in the way of things, but He does accomplish His purpose. Thank you for such a beautiful lesson.
But you did say YES – that’s what’s important. I went through some of those same thoughts being a part of P31 group leaders but so glad I did. God equips us as He did you that day and He does me daily. Thanks for sharing. Debbie W. (OBS Facebook Group Leader)
Oh, that was such a good reminder. I have read other things recently that just “cement” your blog into my heart and mind. And, God will use Bonnies’ playful act to help us “get it.” ( just like Balaam and the donkey in the O.T.) Well, a new day with thoughts whirling around in the brain. Have a good day and thank you, Bonnie, for your part in the story!
Carolyn