He Speaks Through Us by Chuck Elmore

One morning while sweeping rocks off the blacktop at the school where I taught, I saw the music teacher from a distance walking to her classroom. "I bet she doesn't feel appreciated," I thought. I kept sweeping, but the Lord said to me, "I appreciate her." "I hope so, God.? That's your job," I prayed. "I want you to tell her that I appreciate her," He said. At first, I questioned whether or not I'd heard from God, or if I had just been programmed by years of Sunday school lessons to know that God appreciates His servants. Then I questioned the message. "I am just supposed to walk up and say God appreciates you? Doesn't she know that already? Isn't that a little trite?" But the Spirit kept pressing, and when I finished sweeping, I went to her classroom. I went inside, but she wasn't there. I figured I was off the hook as I headed to my classroom, but then we crossed paths. I nervously cleared my throat and took the step of faith. "Um, Betty? This normally doesn't happen to me, but I feel like God wants me to tell you something." She nodded politely, not knowing what to expect. I looked?at the ground and said, "God wants me to tell you that He appreciates you." The words sounded anticlimactic, and as I stared at my shoes I mumbled something about me appreciating her too. I stole a glance at her to check her reaction, and she was crying. And I knew she wasn't crying because I appreciated her, but because God did and He audibly told her so. I learned from that not to question God's message and his prompting. God knows the whole story, even if He only reveals part of it to us. Acting in faith is our part. He prepares the works in advance, we just walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).