Verse of the Day - 1 Chronicles 29:17a

I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there.
~ 1 Chronicles 29:17a (NLT)

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Yesterday, in the grocery store, I saw a woman step out of the checkout line to grab one more thing from the produce department, where I was busy trying to be healthy :-). She made a gesture, as if she felt something had brushed her arm, as if something had fallen out of her purse, but then dismissed it and kept walking. I looked on the ground as she walked away, to see if anything had fallen out of her purse. Sure enough, it was her shopping list. I picked it up and turned it over to see if there was anything important, like a phone number or something, but it was just a simple shopping list. So there I stood with a piece of paper in my hand, presumably now unnecessary, as her cart stood in line and she stood at the bananas. I thought, "Oh well," and laid it on a stack of canned goods that stood next to me. But, for some reason, I didn't feel right about leaving it there -- it felt like littering, for one thing, but also I felt that maybe the lady really still did want that little shopping list. What if she needed it...? I knew that I knew where it was and who had dropped it. So I picked it back up, and walked toward the bananas and handed it back to her, as she scurried toward the checkout line. She said she didn't really need it, but she thanked me for the effort. And that was that.

So, was that a test of my integrity?

I know it wasn't significant in the grand scheme of things, but I felt something in my being crying out to do the "right" thing. Now, was it right, or wrong, for me to return a lost shopping list to its owner? It's not like it's listed anywhere in the Bible about my responsibility for lost shopping lists, right? But I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me, still -- I felt a tug on my heart to reach out and make the effort to return this silly little piece of paper to its owner. And, though it seemed unnecessary, I had peace about listening to God's Spirit and doing what was right. Anytime we listen to the Holy Spirit and obey, we are doing what is right. It doesn't matter if it seems insignificant or unnecessary. God is testing us, as the Word says. He is examining our hearts. Are we passing the tests? Are we modeling integrity, or not?

Oftentimes, only you and God know about the tests. Like the little shopping list test. I'm sure no one in that store saw me or the interaction that took place. But then, again, maybe so. Maybe someone was standing in another checkout line and, while perusing the latest magazine headlines, saw what happened. Maybe they even thought about getting the woman's attention about something falling out of her purse, but had decided not to say anything. Maybe as they watched what God called me to do, it gave them food for thought about their responsibility to other human beings. Because, although returning lost papers to unsuspecting owners isn't in the Bible, loving your neighbor as yourself is. Hmm . . .

Don't waste any opportunities to do what is right, to build your character. Listen carefully and consistently to God's Spirit. Let Him teach you, and test you. Be willing to listen and learn and obey. His goal for you is to steel integrity into your heart, to become a person of truth and justice, just like Him.

Life is a classroom . . . and God is the Headmaster. Learn well, my friends!

Love,
Joelene