roses from jack

here is a story that my discussion group leader from MOPS told over an iced coffee yesterday, it is really neat and i have her permission to share it.

katies mother in law was watching her kids as she went on some errands. on her way home she stopped at yokes when some yellow roses caught her eye. at 2.50 a dozen she couldn't pass them up. on her way home she remembered a conversation she had with her husband earlier on in their marriage in which she promised him that she wouldn't buy herself flowers anymore, she would either wait for him to buy them for her and for someone else to give them to her. so debating what to do with them she heard a voice that said, "it would really bless your mother in law if you choose to give them to her." the debate continued as she drove home because she really wanted to keep them for herself. when she got home her oldest boy jack ran out to the car and impulsively she gave him the flowers and told him to give them to his g-ma and say thank you. he ran ahead of her and did so. when katie got inside her mother in law was crying. not sure why she asked what had happened. her mother in law replied, "katie, why did you have jack give me yellow roses?" katie replied, "i was at yokes and saw them on sale and couldn't pass them up." as it turned out the day before was her mother in law and father in laws (who passed away in '95) 42nd wedding anniversary. his name was jack. yellow roses were also the flowers that she had in her wedding. so even though her husband passed away 13 years ago, she still received a special bouquet of yellow roses from jack.

katie and i were talking about all the times we have missed opportunities to see Gods grace because we chose not to listen to his promptings. as you notice, she didn't hear him say, "you have to give her these flowers" just that it would bless her if she chose to. in return she got to experience that blessing right back and had more joy for herself than those flowers would ever have brought her, had she kept them for herself.
that is my challenge to myself, to listen to the promptings of God and to bless others and receive the blessings that he has for me.

isn't it neat that God has given us free will, he doesn't make us do anything. we were both wondering what other kind of blessings we had missed out on because we chose not to listen to that voice.