A stranger approaching...

It never ceases to amaze me at the way that God chooses to bless us....especially when we aren't looking. Minding our own business, doing the day to day routine and then BAMM, you look up & there He is...not realizing He was always there.

Recently our family decided to walk around a local, outside shopping center, have some dinner and just relax together as a family. From a distance I noticed a lady and she looked familiar but I just went on my merry way. Not a couple minutes later she tapped me on the shoulder and re-introduced herself to me and began sharing with me a blessing. She attended MOPS the year I was apart of leadership. As the leadership team we would take our turn getting up in front of the entire group for about 5 minutes and sharing something God had placed on our heart & just allowing the ladies attending to get to know us better. Along came my morning to share....I was big and pregnant with my third son, emotional, and feeling huge. I was exhausted from keeping up with two other young boys, but taking a deep breath as I was having some fellowship with my adult friends.

I thought & thought about what to share that morning and God laid something on my heart that I personally had been learning...where my true identity lies. So often as moms we find our identity in how our home looks, or our children, or our spouse, and we forget that our identity only comes in Christ. After I said my piece I then played a song..."You are the potter, I am the clay. Master, Creator, Take My life...."

I think that day I spoke more to myself than anyone. I walked away with a few comments on how much what I said ministered to them....trying to turn them back to "all glory be to God."

So, there we were...a year later with my family at the shopping center and this lady who I recognized but never met personally walks up to me and says to me, "You have no idea how God used what you said at MOPS that day." She proceeded to tell me her story and the identity crisis she was in at that time in her life. Then she said it..."thank you...thank you for being used by the Lord to minister to me." LORD, HOW YOU BLESS ME WHEN I LEAST EXPECT IT. She took the time to come my way because she wanted me to feel encouraged that maybe when I thought I was not affecting anyone, that the Lord used me...what?!...used me? Her exact words were, "When you thought you might not have been making a difference, just know you made a difference in my life."

I was humbled beyond words....for what happened that day is that she ministered to me. For when I wasn't looking I was still making a difference, but what she didn't realize is that her words to me that day made a huge difference in my heart...for the Lord used her.