SURPRISE!
by Steph Beth Nickel
Have you ever wondered if God was truly at work in you?
I admit there have been times—many times—when I had my doubts about myself. “If I really loved the Lord, wouldn’t I ____?”
And then SURPRISE! Seemingly out of the blue, something happens and you just know it had to be His doing.
When they offered my hubby the job as church custodian, he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to fulfill the responsibilities, especially considering he has a full-time job already. But he was willing to give it a try.
One day when Dave was at work—his day job, I felt God nudge me to offer to help with the cleaning. After all, with two of us working at it, it would only take half the time.
And do you know something? I was good with that. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of “but I don’t wanna.”
A quick aside for those who don’t know me well . . . I used to write regular posts for one of my blogs called . . . wait for it . . . “Confessions of a Horrible Housekeeper”
Now, I’m not one of those people who says, “Forgive the mess,” and you’re thinking, “What mess? I don’t see any mess.”
Think I’m exaggerating? I once put caution tape across my stairs when we had company. Hey, the main floor was presentable, but if they went upstairs, they would definitely be doing so at their own risk.
And believe you me, things haven’t changed a whole lot—at least not around the house.
But the church? Well, that’s a different story.
I asked God to give me the right attitude as I took on this new responsibility. I wanted to see it as a privilege, a ministry, not merely something to cross of my To Do list—as quickly as possible.
And when He answered that prayer, I knew for sure He was at work in me.
Yes, my back constantly feels as if I’ve done a serious workout, but that’s okay. It is getting stronger. And wow, do I appreciate my bed at night! Plus, as many of you know, there is a real sense of satisfaction that comes after a time of physical labour.
This may not sound like a very spiritual evidence of the Lord at work, but He shows up in some of the most everyday, some of the most surprising, ways. We just have to be on the lookout.
How about you? What evidence have you seen of God at work in you recently? [Scroll down to join the conversation.]
Tweetable: God shows up in surprising, everyday ways. (click to tweet)
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Stephanie (Steph Beth) Nickel is an award-winning co-author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She also loves to speak, teach, and take slice-of-life photos. She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.
As always, your words encourage me, Stephanie. Thank you for the reminder that God is working. Something I’m seeing lately is that if I start to get anxious, it’s easier to remember “God’s got this” and to choose to trust. I’m not saying I always get it right, but there’s definitely a bit of progress.