Photo Cred:  Vancouver Church of Christ

The first time I heard someone say, “God placed it on my heart”, I thought, ‘what the heck does THAT mean?’  It came at a time when I had pulled out of serving in my church’s kids ministry as I had just suffered the loss of my beloved Dad and I knew that I wasn’t in a good “head-or-heart” space to love-on and pour into these kids.  I was met with understanding and compassion, even though I felt guilty for taking myself off of the rotating schedule.

I continued to be strong in my faith; never being angry with God for calling my Dad home, but still incredibly sad over my loss.  A few months passed, when the woman who oversees our kids ministry program reached out to me via Messenger to let me know that “God placed it on her heart” to ask me if, instead of returning to serve (if I wasn’t ready), would I consider writing a kids ministry newsletter.  As I read her message and before I could let it sink in, she immediately sent another message saying, “You don’t have to answer now…please just pray on it!”

That same evening, I was on my way to a ‘Staff Recharge’ at church (having no idea what it was all about as I was still a ‘newbie’).  As I was driving, I was reflecting on 2017 as it was getting ready to come to a close.  I was still struggling with the loss of my Dad, and my best friend of nearly 40 years had just lost her son.  I was ‘SO OVER’ 2017…I just wanted it to end!  All of a sudden, it was as though Jesus was riding shotgun in my truck and reached over and gave me a dope-slap.  Then I clearly heard His voice, “Terri, I know that you’ve suffered trials this year, but did you forget that you found me in 2017?  That I saved you?  That you and your best friend were baptized on the same day?”  And just a few short weeks later, my husband, for whom my church family and I had been praying on for eleven months to come to church, joined me for Christmas service and returned the next week and was saved before the end of 2017.   Whoops…my bad!

After the Staff Recharge event, the woman that I previously mentioned came up to me and asked if I had prayed on her request and she reiterated again, that ‘God had placed it on her heart’.  She was so excited about it, as she animatedly shared why she thought He placed it on her heart, saying I was ‘a gifted writer’, and she really believed that I was being ‘called’ to do this.

I placed my hands on her shoulders, and when she had paused, I told her, “I prayed on it” :::insert dramatic pause here::: and then I told her that He guided my steps to say ‘yes’, which I believe was His way of placing it on my heart!

Since that time, I’ve learned to “Be still, and know that He is God”, and before I knew what hit me, He was placing all sorts of things ‘on my heart’. “Pay for the person who’s behind you in the Dunkin’ Donuts’ drive-thru; Offer your time here, and there; Increase your giving at church for My Glory; Be kind and gracious to this particular person”, etc.

If you’ve been unsure if whether or not God has placed something on your heart, I’ll humbly simplify it… When you are unsure about making a decision…if it’s unclear if it will truly be for your good, the good of others, and for His Glory, turn-off all of the other noise and just ‘listen’.  When you do, your heart will grow tenfold (quite similarly to that of the Grinch’s!), and you’ll hear His soft voice guiding your steps, placing it on your heart, and it will be an unmistakably clear message!

 

Proverbs 3:13 – “Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.” (NLT)

 

~Let Love Lead The Way~ TP

 

N.B.  As I was getting ready to publish this, while listening to the Contemporary Christian music station, Chris Tomlin’s “Good, Good Father” began to play.  This song’s meaning is two-fold for me – “He” is such a good, good Father; and so was my beloved Dad.