Aron was about 7 or 8 years old
when he smarted off to Tim at the dinner table one night. Tim jumped up, grabbed him by the arm to
march Aron off to his room. Aron
jerked his arm out of Tim’s hand and defiantly said, “I know where I’m
going!” I vaguely remember thinking,
“Ohhhh Lordy….” And I probably chuckled a little inside too. Today, Tim and I both laugh a lot about this
story.
It’s a story that is told often,
even at last night’s Valentine’s dinner party.
It’s a story that has come up a lot for me in the last six weeks. Almost 2 years ago, I sat with two dear
ladies and explained to them that I felt God calling me to be President of
Christian Counselors of Texas. I didn't
want to do it. So much so, I cried when
telling them about it. The decision was
made and I was installed as President-Elect last February knowing that I would
have two years to learn the job of President.
Those two years were reduced to about 10 months when the current
President had to resign due to health problems.
Aron’s voice rang through my head, “I know where I’m going!”
Several weeks ago, I felt a
different calling from God. I was to
draw a Bible verse for someone who lives in my neighborhood, someone I don’t
even know but I knew the verse had meaning to her. So I drew it.
And then I waited. It took a
couple of weeks before I got up the nerve to give it to her. I didn't want to look like some weird
creeper. Still trying to figure out some
way around God’s command, I called a neighbor who knows this woman better than
I do and asked if he would give it to her for me. He said he would but that she would probably
be fine with me coming to her door. “Just
look for her car in the driveway,” he said.
So I thought, “Ok, I’ll walk down there and maybe she won’t be home and
I can just leave it with the other neighbor to pass on.” But, of course, her car was there in the
driveway. Walking down the sidewalk I
remember thinking, “Great. I know where
I’m going.”
As with all things “God,” both of these things have worked out. Stepping up in leadership has been a true
growing point for me. I am working with
a fantastic group of people who make my job so much better. My gift to my neighbor was well
received. Since God was at the helm for
that one, I can only assume that it was meaningful for her too.
Just as Aron was a bit defiant
that night in his obedience, I too have been a bit defiant yet obedient. Doing these things were certainly not at the
top of my “want to do” list. But doing
these things certainly put God at the top of my list.
As I study this verse more just
now, I see that defiant obedience is a far cry from walking humbly with God. It is time to drop the “defiant” part. Humble obedience is one more step in my walk.
