Does an idea ever pop into your mind that makes you think, “Where in the world did that come from?” I am usually caught off guard when I’m hit with one of these thoughts because (A.) it’s a brilliant idea and/or (B) it is an idea that if I am to pull it off, it’s going to require a whole lot of work on my part! When one of these flashes of brilliance comes forth I feel strongly that it was planted and I am compelled to act on it.
God talks to us through His written Word, through others, and through nudges He plants in our minds.
He nudges me a lot and most, if not all, of the nudges, require action on my part. I find that I need to take action quickly before I talk myself out of it or, because of the magnitude, I allow someone else to talk me out of it. The one person who has been known to talk me out of following through on one of the ideas is the one person who often gets enlisted for help, my husband. In looking back over some of these ideas that came to fruition and were a tremendous amount of work, I can understand his pooh-poohing, nay-saying reticence. But since I fully believe that these nudges come from God, who am I to say, “I’m a little busy right now God; can you find someone else?” I have, after all, asked God to use me! I volunteered! And if I think the job is too big (or too much work) for me to handle, then perhaps I don’t realize just how big God is. It is not uncommon, when an event or task has been completed, for me to look back on it and think, “How did I do that?” I then remind myself that I didn’t do it, God did.
One nudge from God was to create a camp for our church kids so that our kids would see that there is more to church than sitting on a hard bench listening to a less-than-inspiring sermon. The thought actually came to me while I was sitting on a hard bench listening to a less-than-inspiring sermon. Since that particular sermon in 2004, which as it turns out, was inspiring after all, we have had camp for as many as 40 kids. Camp Oasis was started with a thought, out of the blue, from God.
If you haven’t asked God to use you, to be His instrument, why not? And if you have, be prepared for the various ways He will take you up on his offer. The job He has in mind for you may come in the form of a thought, a nudge. Please don’t shrug it off thinking, “There’s no way I can do that.” Remember, it was God’s idea and it will be God doing it through you!