Episode Transcript
HEAR
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
CONSIDER
Today, our Holy Spirit story comes from Farm Team member Katharine Guerrero! (You may remember her voice from the Lenten series.) Katharine is back as a voice on the Wake-Up Call and will be your host each Saturday for the Holy Spirit stories through the summer! You can learn more about her and her relationship with the Holy Spirit as she shares fresh Holy Spirit stories from Sower Nation each week.
Below, you will read the story in her words, and, if you listen, you will hear it in her own voice.
Let me first set the stage—when this Holy Spirit story occurred I was in an exceptionally busy season of my life. I lived in Los Angeles and I was tired all the time. I can see now I was in a constant state of striving. Hindsight is 20/20 here.
I've titled this story "The Nordstrom Mishap."
So, let me begin. I was planning a wedding shower for one of my best friends. Less than a week before the shower, I realized I forgot to get her a gift. I pulled up her registry and ordered a beautiful white robe she had on the gift list. I cut it a bit close when I ordered the robe and wasn’t sure it would make it in time. Strike one! Worry, anxiety, and panic hit. I prayed and said, “God, help me get this robe on time, please (and thank you)!”
To my great joy, the robe ended up coming the day before the party. It was truly perfect timing. I was thrilled and so grateful! I opened up the package the night before the shower to wrap it and it was the wrong robe. It was white but decorated with a blue design. It was beautiful, but not what I ordered or what my friend wanted. I pulled up my order to double check if I had ordered the wrong thing. I hadn’t. Nordstrom had just given me the wrong item.
I didn’t have time to fix this and I was crushed, stressed, and wrapped the present anyway, fully prepared to tell my friend the whole story and let her know I’d get the right present for her. I really wanted the shower to be so special to her and hoped the gift wouldn't throw off the shower.
That night I prayed about the debacle with the robe. I asked for help and I told Jesus I wanted my friend to feel so loved and seen tomorrow. For some reason I felt so bad and felt like it was my mistake (that was the stress and striving speaking). I remember sensing so much peace from the Holy Spirit about it all and an invitation to trust Him.
Fast forward to gift unwrapping time at the shower. I set my present down in a way so it would be one of the last to be opened, fully prepared with an explanation about it being the wrong gift.
As the gifts were being opened, my friend opened one that was a beautiful matching pajama set. I didn’t remember seeing it on the registry, but it looked familiar! I looked closer and it had a white and blue design just like the robe I had mistakenly received. I quickly pieced together that this pajama set matched the robe. My friend exclaimed she loved the set and thought it was gorgeous.
At the very end she opened my gift and right when she opened it she squealed, “This matches my pajamas!” She loved the robe! I went up to her after and explained this wasn’t actually the right gift. I showed her what I originally ordered from the registry and said I’d be happy to exchange it for the correct item. She immediately said "no!" She went on to say, she liked this robe much better and was so happy about the mistake.
I still laugh about the robe debacle to this day! First off, what I thought was a huge mistake made by Nordstrom ended up being the perfect gift for my friend. A detail I couldn’t even have planned. And when I paused to invite the Holy Spirit into the whole situation, He knew that would be the case and said, “Do you trust me?”
PRAY
Father in heaven, the Ancient of Days—thank You! I praise You for Your wisdom and the way You weave Your wisdom into every detail of our lives. You live outside of time and space, and know our beginning from end. You care about every detail of our lives. As we step into the coming week, reveal to us where You are present in perceived mishaps, mistakes, delays, and disappointments. We trust You have a plan even when things don't unfold in the way we expect or hope. Praying this in Jesus's name, amen.
