Lent Day 22: Right Message; Wrong Timing and/or Wrong Messenger

Once in a while, God places a burden in our minds about someone we know. We are enlightened as to what is going on in their lives, or problems they may have not yet realized, talk less of ventured to think about. It might be about them or their loved ones. In the past, I have taken it upon myself to reach out to the person almost immediately and seek to deliver unwanted advice or request to pray with them.

I cannot count how many times I have been burned by this strategy. Delivering a well-meaning message that I was not expressly sent on has cost me some precious relationships. And I am now learning how to ask God for direction before reaching out to loved ones. More importantly, I am learning how to wait for some kind of response from God before taking important steps

I am learning this from observing one of my beloved sister-friends, Mrs. N., navigate what I would have described as an urgent family situation. Everytime I urge her to take what is clearly the best step forward in this desperate situation, she patiently tells me she is waiting to see if she will get a sign against going in that direction. After about two weeks, she confirms that she has not heard anything, and she will now move forward. I would proably have gone crazy in those two weeks. I continue to marvel at her patience, strength and wisdom.

Further readings have led me to now understand that when I get these insights, I am simply to intercede on behalf of the person to our Father in heaven. I do not have to let them know my opinionated thoughts unless I get a clear directive to discuss the issue with them. I am also realizing that sometimes, my task may simply be to keep on praying for them while God sends them someone they will actually listen to and cooperate with.

More often than not, I get an unexpected confirmation from another person/circumstance before going ahead with bringing the issue up. Sometimes the subjects will bring it up themselves, and that will be my opening. I am learning wisdom and impulse-control. This is what it means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. You only make a move upon marching orders. Discretion is indeed a wonderful thing!