Ordered Steps
My husband had a two-hour gig and invited me to ride along with him. The drive was about an hour, and he just wanted some company. Normally, I would have said, “No, thank you,” but this time, I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to go. I brought along some paperwork to work on while I waited. As we neared the location, my husband suggested I check out the mall a couple of blocks away from the event.
Here’s the funny part—our church was hosting its 35th-anniversary gala in a few weeks, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to wear. I’d browsed the internet a few times but couldn’t find anything that matched what I had in mind. I had even prayed, asking God to provide what He wanted me to wear. So, I followed my husband’s suggestion and headed toward the mall. There were two sides to the mall. I wanted to go to the right, but I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to go to the left and stop at Nordstrom.
Nordstrom was the last place I wanted to look—I’d already searched online and hadn’t seen anything I liked. I was tempted to head toward a couple of boutiques on the right, but the prompting to go to Nordstrom was strong. I obeyed, parked exactly where the Holy Spirit directed me, and walked into the store. As I followed His guidance, I was led to a sales rack. On the rack was a beautiful dress, but it was too big for me. I decided to try it on anyway and thought about getting it altered. That’s when the Holy Spirit said, “Ask the sales clerk to check if they have your size.”
When I stepped out of the dressing room, the Holy Spirit directed me to a young saleswoman. She was so stylish and adorable that I couldn’t help but compliment her. I said, “Oh, I love your style! You are so cute, with your boots and short skirt! I continue to tell her not to let anyone tell her otherwise.” She immediately started to tear up and said, “I really needed to hear that.”
I encouraged her, saying, “Listen, your haters are only coming after you because you are walking in who you were meant to be. It’s confirmation that you’re on the right track!” She opened up about how some friends had been treating her and said, “You were sent to give me exactly what I needed.” Then she asked, “Can I hug you?” Of course, I gave her a big hug and spoke a blessing over her. Not only did she find the dress in my size, but it was marked down even lower! Look how God ordered my steps.
At the same counter, I noticed a little girl with her mom. She looked about seven or eight years old and was wearing a “Happy Birthday” sash. She stared at me, and I felt the Holy Spirit shining through me toward her. I smiled and said, “Oh, it’s your birthday!” She beamed, and so did her mother. I reached into my purse, pulled out some cash, and handed it to her as a birthday gift. The little girl and her mom were stunned, but they both thanked me with big smiles.
I knew God had directed my steps to Nordstrom that day to meet those two individuals and bring them encouragement. He also provided me with a with a new dress! Every day, God has a plan already laid out for us. We just need to listen closely to His voice and follow His leading. When we do, we have the opportunity to experience His greatness.
Key points:
Don’t miss the promptings because of your own desires.
God has laid out a plan for us every day.
His plans bring us joy.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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