I left Publix. I dropped a cup of fruit. It spilled everywhere. It wasn't fully sealed apparently. A black mother walking past me said, "go back in there and get it right". I was gonna go home and not think about it. But I heard the Lord say, "Listen to that black mother. Listen to her. " It was more of an impression than just words. I went back to Publix. Got it right.
It made me think of Naaman. In 2 Kings 5. He is a great man in the army but he is sick with leprosy. A slave girl tells his wife that he could be healed if they went to the prophet Elisha. Elisha tells a servant to have Naaman dip in the Jordan river 7 times and he will be healed. However, the Jordan River is dirty and Naaman doesn't care to do it. Then the servants ask him if Elisha had required something great for him to do wouldn't he have done it. Naaman knows he would have. So he goes into the river and dips 7 times and gets healed.
How many times do we ignore doing the small things? Taking the fruit back in was handled quickly and effortlessly. It made me think of why God was so specific. Maybe we don't listen to black mothers enough. I don't think she was right or wrong in what she said but God agreed with her and sometimes that's more important. Not everything is about right and wrong. Some things are just about going through the trouble of learning a lesson. Some things are about the experience.
The reason you go through hard times is so when you face them again you have that experience. Or maybe someone you know will go through something just as tough and you can be there for them. I have no idea why life is so challenging. Why do some people get help and some get nothing? Who knows. Naaman was not the only person to ever get leprosy but God healed him.
I don't think the point of life is we all get the same miracle or that we all overcome the same struggles. Life is different for different people. I think the point is no matter where you go and no matter what happens, the little things matter. May we all be willing to do the simple thing of faith no matter the reward. May we all be able to listen to a black mother and grow.
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