by Christina Rose
Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3 NLT
My beloved companion of 19 years passed away, and I missed her terribly. Lily was a little Pekinese puppy who followed me everywhere. Sleepless nights were spent tearfully gazing at her empty little bed. One night I thought I heard her barking as if she were right next to me. “That’s crazy,” I thought, “She’s dead! I then heard her bark a second time. After the third time, I sat up in bed and cried out, “God what is going on?” I then recalled the story of Samuel.
Samuel had been dedicated to God before birth by his mother, Hannah, who was barren. She promised the Lord if he would give her a child, she would give the child back to serve Him all the days of his life. When Eli the priest witnessed Hannah crying and praying in the temple, he took pity on her and prophesied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’” 1 Samuel 1:17 NIV.
Soon after Eli’s prophecy, Hannah became pregnant with Samuel. After he was weaned, she took him to the temple to minister to Eli and spend his life serving the Lord. One night, as young Samuel lay sleeping, he thought he heard Eli calling him. Three times he heard his name and went to Eli, who said he had not called him. After the third time, Eli realized it was the Lord calling the boy, so he told him to go back to bed and listen. “Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” and Samuel answered, “Speak for Your Servant hears.’” 1 Samuel 3:10 NKJV.
Remembering these words, I thought the Lord may be calling me too. I laid down, closed my eyes and prayed, “Speak for your servant hears.” I saw a vision of Lily as a happy young puppy running free in heaven with other puppies. It was a message to me to be at peace, that God was taking care of Lily in heaven, and one day we would be together again. I heard that Lily’s purpose of unconditional love, devotion, and service to one master had been fulfilled. I heard that Samuel’s life was also that of the high calling of devotion and service to one master: the Lord.
The message to me was to stop worrying and thinking I was in control. That if I focused on my calling of devotion and service to my one Master, I would have peace and purpose in my life. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV).
I’d recently run into anxiety-causing circumstances. I did not imagine the fiery darts that would come at me. Still I pressed on towards the mark of that high calling. I am now living in a beautiful penthouse on San Francisco Bay with a comfortable income. Close friends live next door. On moving day, they sent their 30ish son over to help. Sparks flew when he laid eyes on my 30ish daughter, and they are now dating.
Then my old car blew up and I lapsed into worry about finances. I put a lid on God. I didn’t see he had another blessing planned for me. Early the next day, God gently chided me, “Are you still worrying? Go get your new car.” I obeyed. Just a year ago I was living in a blizzard in Denver, now I’m living in a beautiful home on the bay, with a new car, a nice income, a prospective son-in-law, a hopeful daughter, and a renewed call to serve.
When we call on God, He may answer us in unusual ways to prove that He and His plans for us are amazing. He shows us great and wonderful things we could not have seen on our own.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11 ESV
This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).
About the author: Christina Rose is an author, trainer and speaker with the John Maxwell Team. She is a DAR whose patriot ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War. Christina’s book, My Appeal to Heaven, is her story. With her young family on the verge of falling apart, Christina appeals to heaven for hope and freedom just as her patriot ancestors did hundreds of years ago. She is a contributor to Arise to Peace Daily Devotional and a frequent blogger for Arise Daily Devos.
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