In our service to Him, are we really listening to people’s needs? or do we come to someone with our own agenda and preconceived ideas of what they need?

It was an important part of our work in my current job to talk with the residents one on one preferably at or in their homes to get their stories. Those stories help us determine the needs in the community and who we should make the greatest effort to help during our limited time there. It is my favorite part of the work and everyone on the team knows I am very sloooow at meeting and greeting – because I love to listen and hear people’s stories. 

People open up to me, usually immediately and it is just too difficult for me to pull away. At what point in the conversation do I leave? Right after you tell me what you did for a living as a young healthy person, or after you express the pain of losing your spouse, or your leg in an accident, or your pet that has been your companion for many years. I can never find a good exit point so I stay until they’re done. I am a good listener. It is time consuming but I receive it as a gift from God. 

However, my good listener crown slid off today when the Lord reminded me of something that was told to me a week ago that I had already forgotten!

Molly was not especially know as the sweet old lady in the neighborhood but I found her to be cordial, kind and mostly lonely. She had refused previous visits and we weren’t sure of her reception. Her home was super clean and manicured inside and out. Mol, as she was know, didn’t really need anything but she had been nominated by a neighbor so she was on our radar. Molly happened to be on my list of homes to visit that day. While I was walking up her steps to her very lovely home I whispered, “Lord, open the door”. Molly answered the knock but held the door at half mast. I started my spill of who and why but I could tell she was frustrated, so I just paused all that and said “Is there anything we can do for you?” She held up her remote and said “I can’t get my television on!” That was God opening the door. Over an hour later I left her home having learned all about her children, her two husbands, and her parents. I saw every family picture on the wall in every room and was given a detailed survey with history of the things in the spare room that she wanted to give to Goodwill. Ms. Molly shared intimate details about her children and their fighting with each other. She told me they had stolen things from her and one day after she got home from an appointment they had replaced her beautiful ‘old’ lamps with a ‘new’ set they had purchased for her. She told me how bad the lighting was and how she could no longer read because of it. I ask if I could give her a hug, after which I tried to leave. She followed me out the door and I painfully ended the visit on her deck discussing her flower beds just below that were full of weeds and how she could no longer do that type of thing. She expressed how much she loved them and how she wish she could clean them out. Finally! A job, something we ‘could do’ to bless Molly! Perfect! That was over a week ago and Mol’s flower boxes are on the list of jobs awaiting an eager volunteer! 

Today, while I was praying for our team and the residents and expressing to the Lord my concerns of letting ‘our’ work get in the way of ‘His’ work, He said, “Go buy Ms. Molly a reading lamp.” As soon as I heard those words I had a total recall of that part of the conversation about the lamps. It started when I ask her if she had a Bible, after which she said she used to but not any more because she couldn’t see to read anyway and I had ask why – ahha the lamps, the lamps!

I trust that we have enough volunteers to clean out Mollys flower boxes (our work) and I know she will be blessed by it but now more importantly, I feel very confident that our Lord and Ms. Molly are about to have some beautiful moments together (His work) because you know – every new lamp gifted must be accompanied by a Bible!

I will never fully understand the workings of The Lord but I do know this, when we pray according to His will He listens! 

1John 5:14