Go and Do Something Today

When I was pregnant with Two I had one of those life changing experiences. I seem to have had lots of these-I guess my life needs a lot of changing:)

I do not have easy pregnancies. Two's was the worst. I was on bed rest for half the pregnancy, had injections every other day, couldn't gain weight (wish I had that problem now), and threw up no less than 10 times a day. No exaggeration. Hmmm. That doesn't sound so bad written out. Trust me. It was my personal hell.

One Tuesday during this pregnancy, I was in my car driving through my neighborhood to my home (I think I had picked up One from play group) and I passed another neighbor's house. This neighbor had just been diagnosed with an illness and had a young child that was fighting cancer. (I know, dead give away to anyone from this neighborhood) I noticed their front yard flower beds were without flowers and a bit weedy. I felt Heavenly Father prompt me to weed their yard and then go buy some flowers for them and plant them.

I'm sad to say that I didn't listen.

I told myself that I was too sick. And I was really sick. One needed a nap. She really did. I was worried that the afternoon heat would send me to hospital for more fluids. It probably would have. We didn't really have extra money to be buying flowers for other peoples yards. There were a million reasons why I should not do this. The problem is that I didn't know the reason why I should do this. Now. I should add that this "prompting" I had wasn't a flash of lightning angelic voice whispering into my ear type of prompting. That would've been easy to follow. Nope. Instead, the prompting I had was more like a little thought that popped into my head-it even sounded like my own voice. It made it easy to justify not doing. After all, it was more like an idea I had rather than a prompting. I decided to go home and wait until Thursday to do this. At that time I would have gone to the hospital for my shot, had time for it to kick in, bought flowers for planting and been able to get out nice and early in the morning before it was too hot. This was a perfect plan. It made more sense than doing it right then. A lot more sense. I felt comfortable with my decision and looked forward to doing this secret little act of service on Thursday.

And then...

Wednesday afternoon I saw another neighbor at the first neighbor's house

WEEDING AND PLANTING FLOWERS!!!!!

I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped open. I remember thinking, "I was supposed to do that!" As in, "hey! that was my idea!" And then I heard that little voice again that sounds a lot like mine. But this time I knew without a doubt that it was His voice. And do you know what He said? "Yeah, you were supposed to do that." As in, "but you didn't so I had to get someone else to do it instead." And He wasn't mad. It was just sort of matter-of-fact. A little disappointed.

I have no idea why that flower bed needed to be weeded before Thursday. I have never even shared this story with these neighbors, although I have shared it with countless others. The point, though, is that I might not know why something needs to happen. I may never find out. It may seem meaningless and insignificant or overwhelming and impossible. It may seem like there is a better time, place or person for the job. But that's because I can't see the big picture. The one that is being drawn by God. I can't see that he is using me to answer the prayer of another, or touch the heart of someone, inspire another or even bless me. My job is to simply trust that the things put in front of me are those that He wants and needs me to do. Right then. Not when it's more convenient or logical. I've tried to live by this ever since then and my life is the one that has been blessed, not those I have helped. A hundred times over.

"I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow-creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

Steven Grellet