God visited me today...again.
Most of you know that I am an avid fitness walker. A few of you know that the Lord called me to start picking up trash and recycling cans during the summer of 2011.
He always "shows up" in some form when I am out walking and picking up trash and/or cans. He has come in the form of speaking to my spirit with Scriptures. He has come in the form of leaving empty, durable Walmart bags laying in the grass for me just when the ones I had brought with me were full and I needed some more. He even came in the form of wind one afternoon when I was trying to "beat the clock" by retrieving a can from a busy intersection; right when I stepped out to reach for the can, the wind picked up and blew the can toward me. LOL. And of course, I cannot forget the handful of people who have had enough curiosity and boldness to ask me what I'm doing, which has provided me with an open door to simply tell them that God told me to do it.
Last year, I was out walking one Sunday morning. The entire neighborhood was still sleeping, I think. I remember asking Him aloud, "What is this all about...this trash and recycling stuff? Why am I doing this, anyway?"
About 5-10 minutes later, I was bent over picking up some discarded items. As I stood up, I noticed some activity above my head. I looked up, only to face the sun's rays head on, but I could see something moving in the air. It floated slowly down to my eye level - kind of like the feather in "Forrest Gump" - and then proceeded to land on the ground in front of me. It was a McDonald's cheeseburger wrapper.
I paused for a moment, realizing how strange this was. There was no one around, no wind even, and not a McDonald's restaurant for at least two miles. And yet, a cheeseburger wrapper seemed to come out of nowhere from the atmosphere and land directly in front of me. However, as with all other trash, I simply picked it up and put it in my bag.
A few moments later, I felt the Lord tell me to get it out of the trash bag I was carrying and read it. I'm glad I was obedient. It said, "Created Just For You".
Something in my spirit suddenly clicked, as if this was His way of telling me that the trash & recycling thing was a ministry He created just for me. I kept that wrapper, still have it, and have found the same wrapper many times on my walks since then.
I was telling a close friend just the other day that one of the reasons I love walking and picking up trash and/or cans is because God always visits me (somehow) when I am doing it. Today, about halfway through my route, I said aloud, "Okay, Lord, how are You going to visit me today? I haven't seen You yet." And then I smiled, wondering just what He might do.
I continued on my way, forgetting I had asked. About 20 minutes up the road, heading into the home stretch, I was walking through some grass and He quickly directed my eyes to a piece of white paper ahead. Lo and behold...it was a torn cheeseburger wrapper, with only the words "Created Just For You" still in tact on it! Needless to say, I smiled and laughed, and even began to tear up a little just thinking about how personal He continues to prove Himself to be. God visited me today...again...in the form of that burger wrapper.
Family and friends, I spent 35 years of my life perceiving Jesus to be a "force in the universe" who was much too busy to deal with me and my issues. I believed He was real, but I lived in deception (from the devil!) thinking that He was not personally or intimately available. Consequently, I also believed that I could not talk to Him about my deepest sins and concerns. Oh...how frighteningly wrong I was; over the past six or seven years, He has diligently used people and circumstances in my life to repeatedly show me just how personal He is.
Study the Bible by reading and listening to it. Talk to Him about everything. Listen for His responses. Expect Him anywhere at any time. He is so much more than a force in the universe who is too busy to deal with you; He loves you passionately and wants to be personally and intimately involved in all that concerns you! Jesus rocks!!!!
