Monday SHINE....

Sep 16

Reading Plan for the week of 9/16-9/22:

Monday 9/16: Psalms 63
Tuesday 9/17: Psalms 64, 65
Wednesday 9/18: Psalms 66, 67
Thursday 9/19: Psalms 68:1-18
Friday 9/20: Psalms 68:19-35
Saturday 9/21: Psalms 69
Sunday 9/22: Psalms 70, 71

Happy Monday, sweet SHINE girls! I sure hope you enjoyed this beautiful weekend!

The Prayer Walk around our schools we held on Saturday was INCREDIBLE! We walked to all 4 of the schools in our community. We stopped, held hands and prayed at each one. Talk about POWERFUL!

The weather hovered at around 67 degrees...yes! The sun was out, the trees were swaying in the breeze, nothing short of perfection for our walk.

These precious women walked and prayed.
{Love the sun in the background}

Not only did we cover the 4 schools, we also covered 3 preschools. My heart was overflowing when we were finished---7.2 miles later! Yes, my legs were sore, but my heart was bursting with JOY!

I'm still amazed at how prayer changes us. Not just the person on the receiving end, but the one praying. Only God could create such a beautiful cycle.

So, I sat down to write this post and I had a really great memory verse in mind.

However, after my traditional-Sunday-afternoon trip to the grocery story, God changed my heart.

What is it about the grocery store that produces such God-stories??

I was ready to get home. My groceries were being scanned. I was tapping my foot, trying to make small talk with the sweet cashier.

She was talking about making candy for her Daddy. She went into detail about how she made this particular candy.

Each time she would talk, she would stop scanning the groceries. It was definitely a slow process by this point.

Suddenly, I locked eyes with her and the Lord jolted my soul.

I cannot explain what happened, but I felt this wave of love, connection, and compassion for my sweet cashier.

I listened intently to the story she was telling me. The Lord was giving me His eyes to see, and His ears to hear.

Really, I cannot even explain what was happening, except that I didn't want to leave. I was frozen in this space of time. God was showing me what I was missing by being in a hurry. He was showing me what it was like to hear others. Really hear others.

The next few minutes we talked, laughed, shared, and I had made a new friend.

I glanced at her name tag, and I will never forget her name.

She is my friend now.

Only minutes before, she was a stranger, who was too slow for me.

When I unloaded my groceries into my car, I wept. Right there in my car.

I just kept saying over and over, "Lord, thank You. Thank You for letting me stop, and listen. Thank You for freezing me in that moment and giving me a glimpse of what You see."

How many times have I missed something because I was too busy to listen, notice, or really even care?

Ugh.

No moment is wasted with God, my friends.

At the grocery store, in carpool, walking your dog, at the library.....open your eyes.

Ask God to use you in these mundane places. Ask Him to open your eyes to what He sees.

He will. Oh, friends, He will!