Obedience

Okay again this week I am a day late and a dollar short. Does the expression Better Late than never buy me any mercy at all?

Today is Yes to God Tuesday with Lelia Chealey. This week were discussing chapters eight and nine in Lysa TerKeursts book "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith." For this post I'd like to focus on chapter nine "A Most Unlikely Path". Lysa tells us that the longer we walk with God the more easily we hear his voice and trust His instructions.


Tonight was a backyard get together or our widows group First Tea @ Five. It was just a little over 4 years ago that God put the idea of this widows group on my heart. My first thought was "Cool, that sounds like a good idea I'll have to think more about it"


A few weeks later while I was searching for an answer to unanswered prayer I turned to the index in the back of my NIV Life Application Study Bible and looked up the word prayer in the notes section.
Under prayer I saw a title which read... “Why God May Not Be Answering Your Prayer” There was a reference to 1Samuel 28:15 “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams.”

The notes explained “God did not answer Saul because Saul had not followed his previous directions. Sometimes people wonder why their prayers are not answered, But if they don’t fulfill the responsibilities God has already given them they should not be surprised when he does not give further guidance.”

I couldn’t help but think of how God had put the idea of a widows group on my heart earlier, and how I hadn’t done anything about it.



With confirmation like that you'd think I would have jumped right on it. But it took two more reminders before I finally got in gear. One of the first things I did was go visit a woman named Shirley. Shirley was the mom of my very best high school friend . I was over at her house as much as I was at my own home. She became my second mom.


Shirley had been widowed for several years, and on top of widowhood, she was suffering from the effects of a stroke. She wasn’t comfortable driving any longer and many of the things she had loved to do in the past were extremely difficult, if not impossible, for her to do now; things that could possibly aid her in her grieving process.

When I arrived at her house I gave her a big hug, sat down and asked if she would be willing to answer a few questions. After sharing some insight with her about my ideas for the group, I told her how important it was to get as much insight as I could from women in different age groups as well as in different lengths and stages of grief and widowhood.

“Loneliness, Shirley began, is the number one thing that bothers me. When you’re first widowed you have a stream of people that come and offer support. At the time, you’re too numb to appreciate it. But it’s after, when the numbness wears off, that you’re left with the void, and by that time everyone else has resumed daily life. I’m just plain lonely.”

Leaving her home that day, I promised myself that I was going to make it a point to visit regularly.


It took 8 months of planning before the widows group was up and running. Two months into the process I left for Florida, and my friend and mentor MS agreed to step forward and see the plans to fruition.



MS made me promise to come back for the kick off event. Hurricanes, snowstorms or wild horses couldn't have kept me away.

At the end of Chapter nine, #2, Lysa T says " As we learn to listen for God's voice, the next step is to obey His voice." She gives scriptures verses that show us when God speaks he expects us to obey and then she goes on to say that "Gods word gives us many examples of how we will miss out on the many blessings He has in store for us if we do not obey. Many times for a number of reasons we ignore Gods voice.

True to my promise I flew up for the kickoff event. What a blessing it was to be able to see what obedience to God looked like.



I was so glad I had listened to God's voice instead of listening to the voices that told me "what makes you think you have what it takes to organize a support group. You have the worlds worst follow thru."



When only 10 women showed up for the event I began to think the voices had been correct, and we had failed God. But as the night wore on the comraderie grew so strong that it became evident that these 10 women were handpicked. God's idea of success was not the same as my own had been.


I was disappointed that Shirley hadn't felt well enough to make it to our meeting, since she had been such an inspiration. The next morning God laid her so heavily on my heart that I knew without a doubt that it was important to get over to see her before I left.



I went right to the kitchen and decided to make a Key Lime Pie and take it to her that afternoon. I was missing an ingredient. Needless to say things got in the way of my plans that day and by the end of my stay I let too many things get in the way of following Gods direction and missed going to see her.

I fussed all the way to the airport about my disobedience. God was really letting me wallow in my guilt.
I kept remembering the words I had heard at Bible Study a few weeks before.

My bible study teacher had emphasized a that when we hear Gods voice its imparitive that we respond immediately. Depending on what God is telling us to do, we may or may not sin by not responding, but we may miss out on a blessing God wishes to bestow. (The same advice Lysa gives in her book, however, at the time I didn't know the woman Lysa TerKeurst even existed. )


So often I find God asking me to put my money where my mouth is.
The plane ride back to Florida was one of those times.
Seated on the plane I kept asking God to forgive me, and telling him how sorry I was for not getting over to see Shirley.



I'm thinking God probably called a few of his saints over and said "Lets see how sorry she truly is". Because no sooner had the last I'm sorry left my mouth when God popped another task down in front of me..... It's a great story and I'll tell you all about it over at God Spots.

But before you go let me finish this one.

I had been back in Florida less than 3 weeks when I recieved a phone call at work telling me that Shirley had suffered another stroke and had died. I was stunned.

I wasn't able to fly back for her funeral and now I can see clearly why God had so strongly asked me to stop and see her.

I missed an opportunity to say a final goodbye to a wonderful friend. The blessing would have been mine for the taking if only I had obeyed.

But one of the joys of obedience I mentioned earlier in the post, was the backyard gathering of my wonderful group.

Tonight we welcomed 4 new widows into our ranks, and soon we will have quintupled in size from our very first meeting. God's hand is so evident in our endeavor to honor him by serving the women who's hearts are so near and dear to his own. He so loves these precious women called widows.

Our Hostess tonight, CT offered her pond incase anyone wanted to fish.

AC took her up on it. After a few casts AC's pole ended up in the pond, but CT came to the rescue.




Afterwards AC had sucess.


Unfortunately AC didn't know the pond was strictly "Catch and Release" She had visions of a fish fry floating in her mind. But CT was a good sport and let her keep them because after all were all "Sisters" and thats the kind of thing Sisters do.



Thank you Lord, for the help you give me to walk in obedience. I know I have a long way to go but with every step I take in your direction the closer I feel to you.

Help me to remember the blessings you have given and keep me ever mindful of the blessings I have missed when I've failed to walk obediently. I love you Lord.