Sliced, Diced and Mashed/Empty Carport

Empty Carport

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.  All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits  Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

                                                                                              …Proverbs 16:1-3

A carport was attached to the first home Bill and I rented upon our arrival in Brazil.  The house faced a small side street with a park in view planted between a busy, main avenue into town. 

Just arriving in country Bill and I were told to learn a couple of words in Portuguese besides hello and goodbye.  These words were hoje nao, not today!  I had practiced and knew this phrase by heart, in case there was anyone that would pass by the house.  How would I communicate with them?  I was ready for anyone, so I thought. These words were a cover all circumstances sort of word—so they said. 

Armed with these words, I answered the door, opening the little window latch.  All I could see were men with items in their hands, and I, not understanding a word they said, told them hoje nao.  How did I know they wanted shelter from the rain?  Not today, not today, I repeated. I said it so well I don’t think they believed me.  These men had been working in the park across the street, when the rain began to fall pretty fierce.

They returned the next day, and after a friend explained our situation, they waved with understanding hard working hands.  Cutting and trimming with large scissors and sweeping the grass with brooms, instead of raking, made me appreciate their hard work.

How many of us have learned or memorized Christian vocabulary so well, we even fool ourselves.  We seem to think we have fooled a lot of people by quoting verses, while living very poor testimonies.  Don’t talk it if you can’t walk it.

Has God asked you to cross the street to invite someone, and all He heard was hoje nao?   Do you wonder why your heart is not touched by missionaries?   Maybe it is because you have failed to love those, right in front of you first. 

Is there someone knocking at your heart’s door?  Could it be the Holy Spirit laying something on your heart?  Listen carefully for His leadership, but say something different than, not today.