When God nudges…

     A friend recently shared a story about an experience he had while working at our church’s fall rummage sale. He, Gary, worked outside pricing and arranging old donated furniture, patio and yard equipment on the lawn along one side of the church building.

      Before the sale officially started, a lady walked through Gary’s department and was thrilled to find a drafting table, thinking that it would be perfect for her son. She told Gary that she’d come back during the hours of the sale to buy the drafting table.

     It just so happened that after the doors to the building had opened to the public, someone else came by, saw the table and bought it on the spot. There wasn’t anything Gary could do, except say that another person had shown interest in it too and might be coming by to get it. Imagine the disappointment the first lady felt when she learned that the drafting table had been sold.

     On the second day of the three day sale, everything was marked down at a very good discount. While Gary was working his shift, he was surprised to see the woman who had purchased the table coming through the door. For some reason, she had changed her mind and decided to return it to the rummage sale. She refused the offer of reimbursement, because it was for a “good cause...” to support missions around the world.

    Gary took the table, marked down the price and put it back on the lawn with the other things, wishing that the lady who had wanted it for her son would come back. He was amazed when that very person appeared just before the sale ended.

    She had a very strong feeling, a “nudge from God” that she should return to the church. So she did! Imagine her joy when she went back to the grassy area and found the same table for sale at a discounted price! Needless to say, it was soon paid for, loaded into her car and on its way to her house as a surprise for her son.

     Gary’s final remark was that he believes God nudges us all the time. We just have to trust Him. It’s a little different from the nudge my mom used to give me when she wanted to get my attention, by poking me with an elbow in my side! Whether it comes through a strong feeling, a person, a verse from the Bible, a sermon or another source, we have to decide how to respond. Sometimes that can be difficult!

     An example of a nudge that was ignored came during the busy rush just before Christmas. The screen protector on our cell phone was grimy after years of use. After scrubbing it without much success, I decided that it was time to put on a new one.

     In spite of the fact that Al thought we should leave it the way it was, I was determined to take off the old screen protector. How hard could it be? When I tried prying it off with a knife, the plastic sheet cracked but wouldn’t come off. Al came to my assistance without any success and ended up cutting his thumb in the process. Ouch!

     He suggested taking the phone into a repair shop, graciously refraining from saying “I told you so!” We anxiously watched while a young clerk worked at it for some time. She finally had to take apart the entire protective case. That was when we discovered that the plastic screen cover was meant to be permanent. At least the screen itself wasn’t broken.

     The clerk put the flimsy screen protector on the phone and advised that we buy a new case to replace the old one that I had destroyed. Ouch again! Thirty some dollars later, the phone was once again usable.

     In this case, God’s nudging came audibly through Al’s reluctance to take off the old protector. I heard it, but didn’t listen and plowed ahead anyway. It’s a good thing both my husband and the Lord are patient!

     Perhaps if we paid attention to God more, He wouldn’t have to nudge us! Believing Him, paying attention to Him, trusting in Him and responding obediently to what He is telling us to do—great challenges for 2019, don’t you think?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV