Yes, You Matter

I ran into Aldi’s the other day to do a little grocery shopping. I  just needed chicken, raw almonds and feta cheese.  That’s it.  Quick. Easy. In and out.  Or so I thought.  After quickly buzzing through the store, I got up to the ONE check-out line and found twelve people- no joke- standing there.  Most with shopping carts heaped high with groceries.  Well, I said to my grumbly self, “Sheesh, you’d think they’d open another line or at least, someone would let me go ahead of them since I’ve only got a few things. I really don’t have time for this.  I’ve got way too much to do!”

And then, totally out of the blue, this thought came to mind... “Mary, you need to pray for these people.”  Now, I’ve come to realize that when I have a totally out-of-the-blue-not-what-I-want-to-do thought that, though not audible, is still deeply impressed upon my heart... Yep, it’s probably the Holy Spirit.

So, deciding to be quasi-obedient, I began a pretty generic draw-them-all-to-You kind of prayer.  And then another not-me thought came to mind...  “Mary, pray specifically for each person in this store.”  And my thought, “But I can’t! I’ll lose my place in line!”  Really Mary?  You’ll lose your place in line?  Really?  That's the best you've got?!

So, I turned my cart around, {darn, now I was fifth in line} and began 

to take notice of each person around me.  

I began to walk back through the aisles and pray specifically for: 

The man with the skeleton tattoo on his neck.

The woman with blond hair, black roots and multiple piercings.

The mom with the red-headed toddler and sleeping baby in the cart.

The sad-faced, white haired woman choosing ice-cream.

The elderly gentleman with a slight limp and a kind smile.

The forty-something woman on her cell-phone.

The tall blond woman in a black dress coat on her cell-phone. 

And, on it went. 

After each person had been prayed for, I finally made my way back to the front of the store.  There was no one left in the check-out line... just me.  So I loaded my few groceries onto the belt, talked and laughed with the cashier, handed her my money and waving good-bye, prayed for her.

After loading my groceries, I sat in my car, head on the steering wheel and cried...  

 Oh God, what an honor it is to pray for those You love.  Forgive me for my selfishness.   Help me to have Your heart for those around me.  Help me to, at the very least, give mental recognition to each person I see.  They exist. They matter.  Help me to love as You love, care about those You care about. 

 Show me Lord...

     1.  It’s not about me or my schedule.

     2.  Every single person matters.  You matter.  God cares deeply for each man, woman, and child that I walk past.  

3.  No one, No. One.  is nameless or faceless to Him.

     4.  When God says “Go”, never say “But, I....”  Don’t say anything but... Yes.     

     I need to go to Wal-Mart this week... That's a very busy place.  Lots of people.

     Honestly, I'm a little worried that the Lord will ask me to pray for everyone there... Surely not :)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”  

John 13:34, 35

 Living in His grace, 

Mary                           

How aware are you of the people around you?

Has God asked you to do something out of your box?!

If so, how did you respond? 
Please leave a comment!

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A Radical Walk With God

Are you radically determined to walk closely with God?

Picture yourself and your husband (if not married, a friend) walking amongst the hustle and bustle of downtown New York City. You’re walking on one side of the street, and your husband is all the way on the other side. You’re separated by hundreds of nameless people and loud, exhaust-producing cars. How intimate a conversation can you have shouting across the street at each other?  There’s so much he wants to tell you, but you can’t hear him, can’t see him. You know he’s there, but it’s impossible to feel connected. 

What do you do?  Do you push, shove, and do whatever it takes to cross the street, find him, take his hand, hold tightly, and never let go? Or, do you continue your separate walk, knowing he's there, but, either not knowing how to cross the street, or not caring enough to get to the other side.

Does your walk with God ever feel like that? By faith, you Know He’s there, you know He wants to talk with you, but you allow yourself to walk on the opposite side of the street, feeling separated... Why? By what?

Knowing myself, and having counseled and coached many precious women, I can safely say that in most of our lives, there are times when we just aren't walking intimately with the Lord. 

Why do so few have a consistently close walk with God?

1.  The painful truth:  We don't want it enough to pursue it. {Ouch!}
A close, consistent walk with God isn't a priority. We allow 'life' to become more important than our Lord.

2.  We don't know how.  We try, but can't seem to 'get there'.

The reality is, a close walk with the Lord requires an intense pursuit.  We may not begin the pursuit with passion, but through our obedience, the Holy Spirit will enable us to develop a deep and abiding love for Jesus. We must (with the help of the Holy Spirit) become radically determined to walk closely with God.  

It's not an occasional stroll. It's a radical-lock-arms

don't-let-Him-out-of-your-grip walk!

"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: 
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  
Micah 6:8

God has a no-bounds, radical love for us. And by His grace, this is what He wants for you and for me: 

To Be in His Word, or
Meditate on His Word

"...for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."  Acts 17:11

"Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."  Acts 20:32

To Give Thanks and Praise

“Be joyful always; give thanks in all circumstances, 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

To Pray Without Ceasing

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, 

present your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6

To Confess Our Sins and Forgive Others 
"Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love,  

Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins."  Psalm 51:1

To Surrender Our All

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you;  Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life–and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.”  Romans 12:1

To Listen For His Voice

“Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

To Believe Him and Soar

“Great and mighty things He has for me, things my eyes cannot see.”  Jeremiah 33:3

"This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only 

blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.  
Genesis 6:9

Where are you with the Lord, today?  Are you walking in close fellowship,
or are you on the other side of that crazy-busy street?  
How close do you want to be?  

 I'd love to hear from you! 

Living in His grace, 

Mary

My dear sister, I'd like to ask you for two quick favors. 
1.  Please go to the block of Google Friends over in the right column and click Join this Site. This doesn't subscribe you or obligate you to anything. It's just a way to let me know that you visited Woman to Woman. If you're reading this by email, you'll need to click Here to sign in. 
2.  Please click the Facebook Like button in the right column. (I love seeing your beautiful faces!) 

Each woman who stops by WtoW (I'm talking about you!) is so precious to our Lord and to me.  

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, emails, and FB messages.

Are you new to this blog stuff?  You can leave a comment by going down just a little further, right under the 'social media' bar.  You'll see 'comment' ... it's small and easy to miss.  

I look forward to hearing from you!

'Daily' source:  Professional Life Coaching 201 Series p. 45 

Picture Source: 1, 2