I've tried to bargain with God but such cannot be done. We WILL obey God one way or another. I try to comply to save myself on the chastisement.

Once God told me to call a lady that I don't get along with so well and give her a message. He wouldn't leave me alone about it. I didn't want to talk to the woman to tell the truth but I realized it was God. I told her the message and she cried. She said it was confirmation on top of confirmation that she was not doing what God called her to do.

After we talked, I realized that many souls were at stake. She needed that encouragement to run with the visition that God had given her.

I am so glad you did as you were led and blessed the neighbor. I can't wait to read part 3.

Stay encouraged as you are an encouragement!

Shanita

www.waterplantgrowth.com

@theatrestarr@xanga - Praise God for your new dedication. I'll keep you in prayer. Pray and seek God. He will show you what to do. See 2 Chronicles 7:14

Not since childhood.  I generally either straight out obey or disobey.

haha you are really good at drawing this out, and making me realllly curious about what happens next!

It's amazing to me how God asks us to do things, and we feel totally incapable of doing it properly, even while we're doing it...but afterwards, we can see what amazing things happen because we obeyed.  And yet I still struggle so much with obeying Him.

Yes, on several occasions. And I almost always act on them.  Sometimes without question, other times with some prayer and 'are you sure God?' moments.  But the better story is when someone was obedient and approached me.

I was sitting all alone in a McDonalds (which, by the way, is probably the FIRST TIME EVER - and only time I can recall having done that ) fretting over surgery I was to have in a few days, fretting over my career and the time off I would be taking, fretting over my kids, fretting, fretting, fretting - and feeling sorry for myself.

A woman from a church I used to attend stopped in for a cup of coffee and as she stood in line our eyes met.  We nodded, smiled politely and I went back to whatever I was doing - oh yes, fretting. 

I remembered how much I loved to watch her sing, she cried a lot when she sang and took a lot of grief for it.  But I knew it was the Spirit of the Lord on her as she worshipped and one day I shared with her how much it touched me to see her strong connection to the Lord.  She was blessed.

On the way out she came over and asked if she could sit down for a moment.  She said she had a 'word from the Lord' for me.  Living in the South, you hear this all the time (and it's not always the case, mind you) so I internally rolled my eyes and said "Sure, what is it?"

"You have lost your first love, and if you don't find it again soon, the Lord has already prepared a replacement for you. - Does that mean anything to you?" she asked.

What the???  What?  I told her I'd pray about it and thanked her for sharing.  I knew it took courage to come up to someone in a public place and announce something like that!  She left and I considered... what was that all about?  Later it was revealed that her words were straight from the mouth of God!

I was very good at my job and I really, REALLY loved it.  I was about to take a couple weeks off for this surgery and knew it was a slow time, so everything should be all right at work.  But it actually took me 8 weeks to recover, and then almost 4 months to be completely up to speed.  I was shocked to find out that the company had already anticipated this might happen and had appointed two people I had trained to 'fill in' for me. 

Obviously I no longer 'prayed' about it - I was driven to my knees seeking and asking God what this was all about. The answer didn't take long.  I had forsaken my first love (God) and replaced it with an idol (my work and the recognition I received for doing a good job). 

It's been 4 years since I saw her in McDonalds.  I found out just yesterday that she will be a guest speaker at a luncheon I'll be attending next week.  I can't wait to tell her that God really did use her in my life - and to thank her for being obedient.  She helped me rekindle my first love and to understand that God does care for me - on a very personal level!