There are times in our lives when God speaks to us through people. Usually this happens when you are paying very close attention and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I will never forget the conversation that I had with my fiancée about going into ministry. I was hung up on whether to continue my education (following my own desires) or go into the ministry. I knew that God had called me into ministry, but I wasn’t quite ready to let go of my plans. I was wrestling with this decision hard, and really seeking God’s face on it. On the way home from school one day, Amanda said one of the simplest and most profound things I have heard, because it spoke exactly to my predicament.
She said, “Sam, if you would just give it to God, he will give it back when you are ready.” It is such a simple truth, and it was an ah-ha moment for me. I had gotten hung up on the time issue because I wanted to pursue writing before I gave myself to ministry. The truth is, God has placed a desire to write and a desire to do ministry on the inside of me, and they don’t conflict. God needed me to hear, ministry now, writing later. Now I am in a place where I know that when God gives me a burden to write something, He is in it with me and it will be exponentially more effective.
I was seeking God’s will for my life, and in hindsight, it was there all along. God used Amanda to communicate to me what I would have otherwise missed from someone else. I am sure that people told me exactly what she said before, but I didn’t receive it. Thankfully, God knew right where I was and just what I needed to hear to receive the direction He had for my life. God is faithful, and He will find a way to bend our ear, but we have to be listening. I love how our pastor says it; it is not hard to hear from God, it’s hard to obey God. Open your ears, open your heart, and get ready for God to move.
I knew I like that girl! She’s a keeper!