Remember my good friend Meghan? Well, she’s back with us again today to share another incredible story of how she encountered Jesus in everyday life. This recount is just as powerful as her last testimony– so I pray that it not only inspires your heart but also motivates you to move in the name of Christ!
Covered by Christ,
SGK
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God has recently impressed on my heart how He is my covering. I’m counted as blessed because I get to take shelter in him. He’s showing me how He longs for me to come under His protection and allow Him to shield me from damaging elements in this world. If I seek shelter in Him, He will guide me to do things that I once feared. Under this protection, He’s also teaching me to step out of my comfort zone.
This is a story about when those two things combine.
I recently encountered a woman who was not protected from the elements. She was standing at a bus stop on a busy road, in the pouring rain, with no umbrella, and I could see that her fancy hair-do was slowly melting.
(I’m sorry to say it, but) My first reaction was just the thought, “Man, that really stinks! I bet she put a lot of effort into her hair and make-up this morning and now they’re both getting ruined!” Can you tell I was having a grumpy day?
And my second thought was (slightly better), “Oh, maybe I should pray for her. That would nice.”
I was actually going to drive off just feeling pity for her when God nudged me to look down and notice the (hardly used) umbrella on the floor by my passenger seat.
That’s when God spoke and reminded me, “Dear {Meghan}, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that {you} really have it? For instance, you come upon a {woman on the side of the road} and say, “Good morning, friend! {I’ll pray for you! Hope your hair doesn’t go flat!} Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and {drive} off without providing so much as a coat or a {umbrella} – where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense” (James 2:14-17).
Oh goodness, I was a bit intimidated when I realized that God wanted me to actually pull over and offer it to her! It’s not that I treasured the umbrella or anything, but I was intimidated to actually have contact with her and act on my faith. What if she rejected me? What if she thought I was some creep-o?
But could I let myself be guilty of trying to talk the talk without walking the walk? What good would my prayers for her be if she was still getting rained on?!
I knew that I had to listen to the nudge and pull over. So I did just that. I pulled over to the side of the road, rolled down my window, and called out to her. It was really inarticulate, but I was able to get her attention and she actually walked over to my car.
So I timidly said, “It’s raining! You look like you could use an umbrella, and I’ve got one that I never use. So… would you like it?”
She looked shocked and at first denied it. But I insisted, and she said, “ Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! For real? I can’t believe it! Thank you!” She was truly flabbergasted, and the light of joy on her face shone through the rainy day haze around us.
All because I gave her a measly umbrella.
But really, I think she was touched because I saw her. I saw her need, and I listened to God long enough to do something about it. I was able to show her that in this crazy busy world, there is someone who cares about her, and yes, even about her hair-do. I made sure to let her know that the “someone” was God.
So what can you do today? How can you put the love into action? Do not be content to sit back and let your faith grow lazy. Will you settle today for merely talking the talk, or are you willing to go out on a limb and walk the walk as well? Trust me, God has powerful things in store if you will trust Him and put your faith into action.
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Meghan Stewart is the Young Adults Director at Christ Community Church in Columbus, Ga. She is a wife, sister, daughter, friend, and devoted follower of Christ. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys health-wise cooking and baking, running, reading, and spending precious time with her husband, Mason, and cat, Jake. She is basking in the joy of her salvation and loving every day that God blesses her with!
