A Gentle Nudge
Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 5:5
My brain speaks to me with logic and analytical thoughts—sometimes but not always. I confess that there are moments when I tend to ignore that little nudge from my heart. What nudge, you ask? Well, I call it the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You know, the one that says, ‘help that old lady with her groceries’ and I respond, ‘not today, I don’t have time.’ I can do a great job of rationalizing once in the car. I am just as old as she is and no one ever offers to help me. Crazy thought, right?
Ignoring that nudge brings about feelings of guilt and shame within me. Of course, I could have done more to help but I chose to stay in my comfort zone. I chose to take care of me. I struggle with my own bags of groceries. My arthritis causes discomfort in my shoulders when I pick up things that are heavy. But the sadness in my heart is now greater than the physical pain. I realize I have missed an opportunity to share the love of Jesus.
We have all missed or ignored the chance to be kind to strangers. (We might even have had the chance to entertain an angel.) Needy people are placed in our path every single day. How do we respond? Do we recognize that nudge of the Holy Spirit to reach out and do something nice. Being kind may take a few minutes, but compared to the joy and blessings it can bring to both parties, it is well worth it.
That feeling in the pit of our being that tells us to act or not to act, is a gift from Jesus. Think about the times when we also felt that nudge not to participate or go somewhere. His loving protection saved us from a heap of trouble.
Pay attention to those little prompts from the Holy Spirit—our life-line to Jesus.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Please make us more aware every single day and help us to be willing to move with the nudges. Give us insight to recognize Your biddings and courage to act. AMEN.