When I originally saw the quote for this week’s In Other Words, I instinctively decided that it wasn’t a quote that I had a lot of insight about. I have been enormously blessed in my life and have experienced little of what this quote initially spoke to me about.

However, when I noticed that my longtime cyber friend MiPa was hosting this week I thought, oh I wish I had something to write about so I could honor her by participating. Still struggling, I decided to read what she had written. Something I don’t ordinarily do when participating in this particular meme because I don’t want my initial thoughts influenced by another’s interpretation. But I needed MiPa to speak to me today. And she did.

During the past five years I have made what I would call “radical” changes in my life. When opportunities present themselves to talk about these changes I find myself stating:

“If it wasn’t for _________ I wouldn’t be in this place of contentment.”

Depending upon the opportunity, I would fill in that blank with:

my husband

my therapist

my antidepressant

my age

I never ever filled in that blank with God when talking with others.

Yet, in my private moments, whether it be driving to class, walking around the neighborhood, or doing nothing in particular…I ALWAYS fill in that blank with God.

I have what I would call a “quiet faith”. Yet lately I have been feeling God nudging me.

Here are some “words” that He has placed into my daily readings:

Erin Keeley Marshall from The Daily God Book:

“Whom do you influence? Just by breathing and functioning in the world, you touch other lives. Besides friends and family, how about the grocery store checker? the postal worker? the furnace repairman? Your world is larger than you may imagine. Even if you don’t communicate with many people in one day, you surely cross paths with numerous individuals over a month or a year.

What impression do you leave on them? Does your smile and the atmosphere you bring into a room invite others to know God better? It doesn’t take much to give someone a taste of God’s love – a luxury that can be in short supply in the days of many.”

Marybeth Whalen’ The Power of the Word. (I highly recommend reading the whole devotion).  I read this just this morning and her prayer spoke volumes to me:

Dear Lord, please help me to remember that Your Word is powerful. Help me to speak it to others in my everyday life. Thank You for placing people around me who need to hear Your Word, and help me to be more aware of opportunities to share it. Please use Your Word in the lives of those I speak to and bring about change and renewal. I don’t want to take Your Word for granted. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

And I just recently read this in the Life Application portion of my Bible:

Who is my neighbor? Does my life-style – my work, my play, my buying habits, my giving – help or hurt people who have less than I do? What one thing could I do this week to help a helpless person?

During my “less” moments (to quote MiPa) and my “more” moments, God is always my strength and my refuge.

How selfish of me to not share this with those that are struggling with their “less” moments. God continues to nudge me to tell others:

“When you get to the end of your rope and there ain’t nothin’ you can do, that’s when God takes over.”

After all, Denver Moore had to have heard these powerful words from someone else before he believed them for himself.

By the way, the book Same Kind of Different as Me has been on my to be read list ever since Susan from Learning For Lifetime recommended it a few years back. I really must read it!!!

Thanks MiPa for hosting and for speaking to me today.

Also many thanks to Heather from An Untraditional Home for selflessly providing me this space in cyber space to “speak” what’s on my mind.

What can you do this week to help a “…….less” person?