So last Wednesday was our garbage day. Garbage day is special around our house because a big truck comes and carries away all our refuse. It's great! It's also special because we're often running at the sound of the truck to get our can to the curb so that the magical transfer can happen. Recycling day is especially bad because the recycling truck only comes every other week - so we really need it - but it comes earlier than the rest - so we often miss it. Suffice it to say that I know the route of the recycling truck, and if I miss him on the West side of the street, where we live, and I can roll my can to the East side of the street, leave it in front of my neighbor's, and it will eventually get picked up. Then I can stroll across the street and happily bring my empty blue can home.
So, as I mentioned, last Wednesday was the big day for the week. But this week, as you all may know since most of you live in Oregon or have been to Oregon, the big push was for the yard debris cart because of all the leaves on the ground. If a person can fill the cart with leaves in time to get in emptied, they might be able to finish raking their yard by filling it just one more time. While I was out raking the leaves when the truck came by the East side of the street. Assuming this was already his second pass through through the neighborhood (because that's what the recycling truck does) I ran across the street with my half-filled cart so that I could get it emptied before he moved on.
Once the big, magical truck was on it's way, I went back to the yard and continued raking. Now, Jeff and the kids had made some piles over the weekend. I therefore had a choice - no big deal really, but a choice - I could either put their piles in the cart, or rake up more leaves from another part of the yard and then fill the can. Not really recognizing the choice as a choice, I just started pulling some leaves into a pile with my rake and continued until I had raked the back part of our yard, and our neighbor's leaves as well. It was just as I was coming back from my neighbor's yard with a big pile under my rake that I heard it. The yard debris truck man was coming back down the WEST side of the street. And I had a mostly empty can sitting in my yard. Aaaaarghhhh. If I had KNOWN that the routine was different from the recycling truck. . . .If I had KNOWN he would be back. . . I could have made a different choice. In that 30 minutes I could have packed that can and then re-packed it once he was gone. I would not have had two piles of blowing leaves in my yard all week! But such was not the case. I was standing in my yard with a stricken look on my face with the nice yard debris truck man stopped his truck and smiled at me as if to say, "Is there anything in that cart you want me to take?"
I rolled what I had to the street and he dumped it into his magical truck, but I was acutely aware of missed opportunity. And that's when it hit me, "I have to blog about this." Why? you might ask. It would be a fair question. It's a silly story really. But here's what hit me: There are things I can't know, that if I did know, would change the choices I make. Go with me here.
This is why it's important for us to walk with a clear understanding of the Holy Spirit's voice and how God nudges and prompts us. Because in little and big ways, there are things God knows, that we can't know, that if we knew it would change some of the choices we make. I'm not saying this in a guilt-trip way, like "You should be listening to the Lord," but in an opportunity kind of way, like "God can save you from missing the garbage truck."
When we pray and ask God for direction, if we stop and wait for His answer, He will nudge and prompt us. If we don't sense a direction, perhaps it's because either decision would be o.k. If we do sense a direction, perhaps God knows something we don't know and He's giving us a heads up. "Hey, Jennifer, the garbage truck is coming back today, fill your cart first."
Now, in this particular instance, I didn't hear from God - I just missed the truck. But that's not the point. The point is that I believe God speaks to us daily, and the more we tune our ears to His voice, the more we will hear.
And what does running have to do with all of this? Well, I was wanting to go running to get my exercise last Wednesday but I couldn't because I didn't have childcare. So I chose to rake leaves instead. And I got a great workout. I was raking to beat the band, running in my rubber boots, in the yard debris cart, stomping down all those wet leaves. It was truly a cardio work-out!! I was grateful. Sometimes opportunities don't come in the package we expect, but they are still great opportunities.
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