[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Woof

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "revjoe2701 at comcast.net" <revjoe2701 at comcast.net>
To: "<<<<------Rev. Joe Diaz Founder His Love Extended Minsitries
Internationa------>>>>" <revjoe2701 at comcast.net>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Woof
Date: 
Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:25:16 -0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)

Woof! 


(By Susanne Scheppmann) 


Proverbs 8:33-34, "Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore
it.
Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting
at
my doorway." (NIV) 


Woof! I thought I heard one small bark. Not sure, I turned the shower off
for a moment. No, I couldn't hear my little dog yapping. Jasmine is a
twelve-pound black and white Shih Tzu and a yapper. If anyone knocks on
the
door, she goes crazy barking like a hundred pound Rottweiller. I turned
the
water back on, stuck my head under the spray, and reached for the shampoo
bottle. 


However, a voice inside my wet head nudged me. You heard her bark.
Something
is up. A realtor could be showing the house! Our home had been on the
market
for almost a year. About once or twice a week, various realtors would
bring
a potential buyer to walk through the house. However, it was stipulated
that
they must call first. The "woof" replayed through my thoughts. Maybe
Jasmine
doesn't bark at people coming in anymore. Quickly, I turned the water off
again. 


I jumped out on to the cold tile floor. To my horror, I heard voices. My
bedroom door was wide open. I raced toward the door dripping water along
the
way. However, it was too late. The realtor along with a husband and wife
previewed me along with my bedroom. They saw crisp floral drapes and soft
beige carpet, and then they spied cellulite and flab jiggling toward them,
reaching out for the blue tattered robe hanging behind the door. I almost
slid into their arms as I crossed the wet tile. With wide-eyed shock, they
scurried from the house without a word. 


I collapsed on a rug with laughter and tears. Jasmine came by to lick me
dry
 She looked at me as if to say, "Hey, I warned you, but you didn't
listen!" 


Eventually my heart stopped pounding and my red face returned to its
normal
color. After the initial mortification, I began to wonder how often I do
not
listen when the Holy Spirit speaks to me. How many times have I shrugged
it
off as just my imagination? Jesus said, "But the Counselor, the Holy
Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will
remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26 NIV). I need to
learn to listen to His instruction and be wise, not to ignore Him as I did
with Jasmine's first "woof." 


The next time I feel a nudge from God, I will remember my "woof"
incident. I
plan on listening and moving a lot more quickly than I did. I do not want
to
repeat the lesson I learned today. 


Oh, I never heard back from the potential buyers. I guess they didn't
care
for the preview. 


Reflections: Do I sometimes intentionally ignore God's voice? How could
listening to the Holy Spirit help guide me each day? What does the term
wisdom mean to me? 


"Dear Lord, how often have I not listened to Your voice when You warned
me of something in my life? Today, I ask that You help me to listen to Your
instruction and to be wise. Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit to
teach me. Let me become a quick learner. In Jesus' Name, Amen."