"A Decision"

Stepping out in  RED shoes!

- Day 9 -

This important move of God 

started with a decision.  

There I was in my RED shoes, in my kitchen, having just prepared a salad for my daughter who would be stopping home for a quick bite to eat before heading to work.  The music was playing in the other room when suddenly I felt a tug... 

-- a prompting -- 

a call to stop what I was doing and go in there!

My guess is that we receive such promptings all the time.  The Spirit of God urges you to stop whatever you're doing, right then and there -- 

and do what?  Worship the Lord? 

Can't I just do that later?  

How many hundreds of times have you done that?  -- so much so that you don't even know you're doing it anymore?  Now, it's just some crazy thought that dropped in your mind during the day and disappeared as quickly as it came.  You can't even remember it.  It's long forgotten.

There were plenty of things on my list that needed to be accomplished today -- but that tugging -- what was I going to do about that?  I needed to make a quick decision.  I put down what was in my hands and went into the other room.  

Set a Fire by Jesus Culture  was playing on Pandora, beckoning me to step into His presence,

RED shoes and all.

"Set a fire

down in my soul,

that I can't contain,

that I can't control!

I want more of you God!

I want more of you God!"

Immediately I shut my eyes, lifted my hands and joined the worship.  I sang those same words over and over again -- each time going deeper and deeper into His presence.  Within moments, I wasn't singing mere words anymore.  I had dropped to my knees and was calling directly to the heart of God from the depths of my soul.  

"Set a fire

down in my soul,

that I can't contain,

that I can't control!

I want more of you God!

I want more of you God!"

Eventually, the song concluded.  What was that?  Still kneeling, eyes closed, lost somewhere in the Spirit, I saw two tiny little angels hovering over my back, each trying to unlock something that was resting upon my shoulders.  It looked like some type of shoulder gear that a football player would wear.  It was tightly strapped to my body and had a lock situated over each shoulder.

A new song had begun to play, but something was happening to me.  I was in the middle of a spiritual event that I didn't want to end.  I got up and went to a quiet place to continue my worship.  I wondered, "What is it the angels are trying to unlock?  It appeared to be some sort of harness.  

Just then the Lord reminded me of a clip from the movie, Forest Gump.  Little Forest has been in leg restraints for the longest time.  Who knows if he actually needed them or not, but his mother made him wear them, all the same.  As Forest is walking home from school with his friend, some bullies ride up on their bikes and start throwing stones at Forest .  "We're gonna get you!"  That's when the little girl shouts those famous words... "Run Forest Run!"

Forest takes off for his life, as best as he can, with those braces securely fastened on his legs.  In desperation to get away without getting beaten, he pushes himself to full capacity.  It's heartbreaking to watch, but suddenly, the braces begin to fall off.  Piece by piece they drop to the ground and Forest runs like the wind and never stops.  "That boy's a running fool!"  an old man comments, as Forest flies past him.

First, let me say this:   Whatever restraint was on me, God made it clear to me that He, Himself,  was the one who put it there -- for a purpose --  but now, the time had come, to remove it.  Tears, rolling down my face, I  knelt there patiently, in His presence, allowing the angels to unlock the harness and set me free.  

Part of me wondered, "What are we setting free?

 while the other part shouted, "Do it!  Do it!" 

You see, for almost thirty years, just like little Forest, I've been somewhat restrained.  This powerful call of God has been in me -- this knowing that I was destined to do something very specific -- but the time wasn't right.   The time wasn't right for a long time -- for decades -- but now we're getting close.

"Okay, you can get up now,"  

said the Lord.

I stood up and opened my eyes.  Slowly I rotated my neck and rolled my shoulders wondering if I could feel a difference.  

"It was a spiritual harness, not a physical one."  

The Lord laughed.

Just then Acts 1:8 dropped in my heart. 

"But you will receive power when

the Holy Spirit comes upon you;  

and you will be my witnesses in 

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and

Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Wow!  Who would have thought that making the decision to respond affirmatively to that little  prompting of God, would end up being such a big step in God's plan for me?  He left me with some important instruction:

 "Be sure to check in everyday with Me 

-- on your knees --

and I'll train you for what's ahead."

With that, He left.  I stayed there quiet and motionless for a few minutes, trying to take it all in.  I barely wiped away my tears, and in came my daughter from school, ready for lunch. 

Apparently Stepping Out in RED shoes, sometimes means,  Stepping out of your RED shoes and dropping to your knees.  

 "Take off your sandals, 

for the place where you are standing 

is holy ground."  

Exodus 3:4b

Until next time, 

Gail