I WOKE UP SATURDAY MORNING THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING…
And on our way to work, I mentioned it to my daughter, Julie. She said she knew something I can do that will help me. Fast forward about 30 minutes later, she shows me a cartoon depiction of the very thing I woke up thinking about and what we had just spoken about in the car that had astonishingly showed up in her Instagram feed. We both knew it was God’s fun and sweet way of revealing His intimate Presence with us. Like He is ALWAYS with us. From me waking up and thinking about this issue to having that conversation with my little sweetie to us getting to work and it showing up on her phone was just the love and attention we both are feeling from Him.
After we were having technical difficulties getting one task done, I switched Julie to placing some estimated payments on our vehicles to attract customers’ attention. We ended up selling a car that day, and I asked the customer how he found out about us, and he said, “We were just driving by, and we saw the payments on the cars and decided to stop here.” Again, the sweetness and love of God. His direction I feel through my spirit helping me in every aspect of my life. I pay attention to those nudges from Him when these ideas pop to mind to do something. God even sends the sweetest customers our way!
“Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.…” – Psalm 34:9-11
And the word “fear” here means having honor and respect for God. That’s the message I hope to convey with my life. That I honor and respect God by being the wife, mother, and person He would have me, and He ALWAYS shows up for me in every area of my life. Everything is between God and me, NOT between me and anyone else.
NOT THAT I GET IT RIGHT ALL THE TIME!!! I’m pretty messed up in many areas, but that where God’s sweet grace (His love, forgiveness, mercy, and favor) comes shining through. ‘Nik, no problem. Just do better next time.’ I feel Him say.
“We’re God’s beloveds,” I said to Julie this morning, still not getting over the cartoon depicting my intimate thoughts to myself. God knows every thought we think!!!! The horror! But unlike humans, He is totally non-judgmental, full of love and forgiveness for each of us, and He lovingly asks us to do the same for others. Can we aim to be more like God even to the point of loving our enemies? All for God’s glory!
Hey, nobody’s perfect! But the God maniac here who always preaching about getting God involved in every decision, didn’t pay attention to His guidance. It was a car I felt doubtful about selling (I’m in the car business), and turns out that that DOUBT was God saying, ‘NIKKI, DON’T!!!’ Don’t sell that car to this lady!’ Exactly what I always write about, and I didn’t follow my advice, and now that customer has skipped away with our car! The horror! But leaving me, and hopefully you too, with a crucial lesson: LISTEN TO GOD IN EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE!!!
When God speaks, it is never a maybe you should do this, He always gives you a ‘Yes, do this!’ through your spirit. When you feel doubtful, hesitant, and unsure about what to do, that’s Him saying, ‘Hold up. Wait a minute. Be cautious. Look into this some more. Stay still. Don’t move.’
On the other hand, when I had a tough decision to make about releasing a title to a customer who purchased a vehicle who still owed money to the bank, God gave me the full confidence to move ahead with it. The feelings were, ‘YES! This guy won’t disappoint you!’ And honestly, this customer went the extra mile to assist me with that transaction. Down to waking up early, waiting in his car for hours for them to text him for his turn to go inside. I mean, he was fantastic!
So, that’s where I want us all, in the 1,000 decisions we make every day, continuously going to God for His help and guidance. As you learn His voice, especially through seeking Him in those alone times, you will learn when He is saying, ‘Yes! No! or Maybe, but proceed cautiously!’
God shows me such love guys! Waking up the other morning and feeling worried about this lady who has stolen our car, I had a sweet God wink. My sister, Juanita Smith, had asked me to review a document for her, and I stopped everything I was doing to help her out (super BIG sister wannabe here!). In the middle of looking at it, I heard Julie’s TV show in the background say what sounded like my sister’s name. I freaked out and I rushed to rewind it, and unbelievably a character on the show said,
“This is the voicemail box of Steven ANITA SMITH (Wink! Wink!). I’m gonna need to call you back!” LOL!
That was close enough for me to know it was another one of my God winks letting me know His Presence is always with me when everything lines up a little bit too perfectly to be some random occurrence. For all the shows, of all the episodes of the exact time I’m looking through that document for my ANITA SMITH was God’s fun way of saying, ‘Nik, I got you!!!’ Ain’t worried ’bout nothing!
That was me to my hubby yesterday. “This car business is rough! I need all the prayers I can get!” I continued. I told him how, when he didn’t answer my calls or when he was too busy when I had tough dilemmas, I would run to God in dealing with our business here. But those difficulties that had me running to God have turned out to be so good for me. Every time I ran to God, He would find these sweet and fantastic ways to let me know that His invisible Presence is always with me.
Like this morning, waking up with another worrisome issue on my mind, I rushed to have an appointment with God. I honestly had intended to click on my meditation book, Jesus Calling, but my finger clicked on my book, ‘Keep Calm, You’re Rolling With God,’ and honestly, that was the message from Him: ‘Nik, Keep Calm, you’re rolling with Me, remember?’ I just smiled with Him, reminded as I do my best in the physical realm, He is at work in the spiritual realm on my behalf. Wink! Wink! It’s just for me to PAY ATTENTION as His spirit leads me to what He would have me to do to resolve the problems of my life. Don’t stress, do your best, and leave the rest with God. Got that?
These challenges have brought God and me so close together that yesterday driving home, I played this song, singing my heart out to Him:
“Some people want it all
But I don’t want nothing at all
If it ain’t You…
If I ain’t got You…
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain’t got You, yeah” – Alicia Keys
I can’t imagine my life without God. He gives me the mindset to take on life joyfully, purposely, peacefully, bravely, and courageously KNOWING He is always with me. I can wake up, keep my eyes FIXED on Him in every moment allowing Him to guide me to be the wife, mother, and person He is calling me to be, going the extra mile in excellence, love, kindness, and peace.
“We’re representing God,” I tell our staff. We have on our signs, “In God we trust,” and therefore, we must honor Him as our standard of operating. We sell used cars, and I tell them that I don’t want to put anyone in a car that we wouldn’t drive ourselves. So, in every aspect of our life, I want us honoring God. He is our Boss!!! And let me tell ya, when you do that, His blessings will chase you down! A bank rep said to me yesterday, “You’re doing good.” Considering where we’re coming from, I’m giving all the praise and glory to God.
Like no shame in my game, but I have to continually run to God during the day as my base and center when I need to calm down, regroup and remind myself that He is with me. I did that several times yesterday. Let me tell ya, it was a rough day! But God showed up to remind me that I’m not going through life alone and that He is on my side.
It was a situation that came up this week, and I was talking to my husband about it when I remembered someone who always helped whenever any problem came up before like this. My hubby said, “Yes, call him!” I called, and he gave us a great idea, and I did exactly what he suggested, and things seem to be looking up. Phew! He didn’t even remember me, but he still gave me excellent advice. How I even remembered that guy from so many years ago was one of my God solutions that magically popped to mind. Thanks, Boss!
Before going into the grocery store late yesterday evening, I stayed in my car for a little bit AGAIN to have another appointment with God. No shame! I need God! I opened my meditation book, Jesus Calling, and I was reminded that I’m not going through life alone; God is on my side!
I then joyfully went shopping, and a random thought came to mind of how I told a customer that he could call me anytime to discuss and important issue, and five minutes later, my phone rang, and it was this very customer. Believe it or not, this was God’s sweet way of saying, ‘Nik, I am with you.’ You may call it a coincident, but it was another one of my God winks where everything lines up a little bit too perfectly. For me to think of that customer and within five minutes for him to call was all orchestrated by God to let me know He is in the background of my life working on my behalf. Do your best and leave the rest with God!
My husband doesn’t know what a favor he has done for me all the times I would call him to discuss things I was stressing about, and he would be busy. I ended up running to God, and I’m so happy. He gives me the wisdom, solutions, guidance, peace, love, calmness, and joy that I need to take on life courageously, bravely, and happily! This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
“YOU DON’T CARE THAT I’VE HURT MYSELF?”
That was my daughter, Julie, last night after bumping into my bedroom door. I calmly responded, “My Julie sweetie, PAIN IS A PART OF LIFE.” I was in my office, having an appointment with God reading through my old emailed posts. I was just picking random ones to read, and a minute after telling Julie that PAIN IS A PART OF LIFE, this email from November 2018 said:
“Let me tell ya, PAIN IS A PART OF LIFE, so just get over having a perfect life.”
Woohoo! Another one of my God winks where, out of the blue, everything lines up a little bit too perfect to be some ordinary occurrence. It’s God Himself, revealing His invisible Presence with me. God, who are human beings that You care about us?
And this good loving from God is what I want all of us to experience! Your girl here LOVES PAIN because all the hurtful times are what is taking me closer to God. He uses everything – the good, bad, and ugly – all for our good. God has given me such a right perspective about my life now, where I feel like totally loved by Him, and no other love is necessary. I’m to share His love with others.
“Happiness never came from the dependency upon people; happiness comes from dependency upon Allah/God alone.” – Tumblr.com via believeroftheunseen
“Don’t love people so much; don’t rely on people so much. It is deception, don’t love it, don’t love anything here. Allah (God) has made connections in this world like mother, father, husband, wife or friend to test you. Don’t put too much heart in this matter. – Shaykh Mohammad Akram Nadwi
That’s what all the pain has taught me. Put your full heart into God and hold people in their proper perspective. People will hurt us and disappoint us. Don’t expect too much from them has been the lesson. But God doesn’t disappoint, and He gives more than we can ever expect or imagine. Invest in your relationship with God having alone times with Him like I did last night. He will give you the wisdom, tact, charm, strength, and know-how to deal with everyone in your life. Even your enemies! Didn’t Jesus sit and eat with Judas who betrayed him?
