Obedience & Unmentionables

It's funny now, but it was not funny January 8, 2009. You will not believe what I am about to share with you, but I share so much, why not share this too.

January 7, I was in bed watching TV trying not to fall asleep because I wanted to do 1 more load of laundry when the load in the washer was finished. The machine beeped, I got out of bed, put the wet laundry into the dryer but did not start it because it would wrinkle if I fell asleep. I put every bra I owned in the washing machine on the hand wash setting and decided to throw all my socks in as well, pulled my drying rack out of the laundry room so I could hang up said unmentionables and socks when the washer beeped.

I went back to watching TV and fell asleep, the Lord woke me up and said in a still, quiet voice Annette hang up your laundry. I said I will in a minute. He said it again, I said I will in a minute Lord. Guess what, I didn't do it. I turned off the television and fell asleep.

The next morning I overslept (of course He knew I would), I woke up at 6:15am, I made coffee turned the dryer on and moped I overslept and wondered how I could get ready for work and read my daily Bible readings. As I dressed, I thought oh no - you didn't hang your bras up to dry Annette, your socks are wet...so now I am late and braless (and at my age, gravity is not my friend) and will have to wear loafers instead of boots...I thought I will have to bite the bullit and put the bras and socks in the dryer. I threw them in, drank more coffee, and got the call to take my dad to the hospital. (The Lord knew the call was coming, He tried to make a stressful morning a little easier for me.)

If I had obeyed the Lord on the simple task of hanging my bras and socks up to dry, I would not have sat in the ER on 1 of the coldest days of the year with a 1/2 dry bra on under my blouse and I would not have been sockless...

How many times do we say we want to hear from the Lord, we want to be used in ministry and then hear from Him and don't do what He instructs us to do. His instructions are to bless us, not make us feel small or inferior. He instructs out of His love for us.

I would be wise to take heed to the following Bible verses:

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.

Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Take it from me, if the Lord instructs you to finish your laundry, do it!