Welcome. If you are here for the first time, before proceeding, you must read the first and second “Tuned In” blogs, or none of this will make sense. I didn’t want the lengthiness to cause you to miss this important lesson, so I divided it into three parts.

So here we go with Pastor Adrian Roger on Bott Radio. The station the Lord must have tuned in for me. 😊

#1 In your relationship to God, there is a Spirit of Adoration

#2 In your relationship to God, there is a Spirit of gratitude

#3 In your relationship to other people, there is a Spirit of accommodation…

“Ephesians 5:21 NKJV “submitting to one another in the fear of God.” “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all learn to submit to one another?” He went on to give the example of teaching your child to drive. “The brakes, not the accelerator, are the first thing you teach them to use. If he doesn’t want to learn how to make the car stop, you don’t want to teach him how to make it accelerate. The key is the fullness of the Spirit. But the promise of the Spirit is only to those who are under the control of the Spirit and submit to the purpose of the Spirit, submission. If you are not interested in the brakes, then God is not going to show you the accelerator. But oh my precious friend, if you will learn to walk with God in faith, if you’ll do it, He will do it. He will be filling you, and in your relationship to God, there will just be the Spirit of adoration. In your relationship to circumstances, no matter what happens, how hard it is or how dark it is, you’ll just be saying thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord. And when you meet your brothers and sisters in Christ, you are going to be saying, ‘How can I serve you? How can I love you? How can I accommodate myself to you?’ Wouldn’t that just be like heaven on earth if we did that?”

In God’s perfect timing, there was a brief recap just as I arrived at my destination (the Wellness Center). I was filled with a sense of wonderment as I entered the building. “Lord, this message was so timely! How will I accommodate myself to others today? Will I let others go ahead of me in the shower? Or by assisting someone using a walker or locker? Or maybe spend time listening to or praying with someone in need?” I really wasn’t stretching myself because those were things I had done previously. God had plans to stretch me a little more out of my comfort zone, hence the test.

The check-in, locker room, and entering the pool were uneventful. But the Lord just jumped right in with an answer to my prayer: “Lord, give me someone in my path that I can help.” That turned into a “test.” Here is the unexpected “test” that lies ahead.

As we were exercising, our instructor announced that a fellow exerciser needed a ride to the pool. She is having treatment on her eyes and is unable to see well enough to drive for an unknown period of time. She went on to explain where she lives. I was thinking, “Oh no! Bentonville (a neighboring city) traffic is horrible in the mornings, right when we are heading for the pool! And after the pool, I frequently do errands, shopping, and appointments. I would have to take her all the way home before I could do that. I would really have to go out of my way three days a week!”  Notice there were a lot of “I” and “my” in that way of thinking. 😦

 As we listened, she gave us a general idea of the area of Bentonville where she lives. I was admittedly hopeful that someone who lived closer would volunteer. But there was silence as I waited for someone to speak up. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit covered all aspects of my time with Him so far this morning.

Hmmm… we began with #1) adoration being the word He brought to my remembrance before I was out of bed. Then finding the song, praise, and worship with #2 thanksgiving, and my prayer,  “Lord, give me someone in my path to bless” #3)(accommodation). These, coupled with the lesson the Lord “tuned in” for me that was so fresh in my thoughts, were the Holy Spirit accelerator that caused me to lay down “I’ and “my” to accommodate the one in need. How could the Lord answer my prayer if I were putting the brakes on by my unwillingness?

I knew I was to submit, even though we were not certain how much extra time it would take me to pick her up, get back to the interstate, and arrive in time for our scheduled exercise class. But we do know “The promise of the Spirit is only to those who are under the control of the Spirit and submit to the purpose of the Spirit, submission”.

It was settled, and I told her I would be her transportation. After committing, I found that she only needed me to pick her up in the mornings on Mondays and Fridays. Wow! Another delightful surprise from the Lord! He really blessed me after getting my heart in the right Spirit.

As I told David, the events of my morning that led me to volunteer to drive the extra unknown amount of time for an undetermined duration made it evident the “opportunity” was a “test.” Was I truly walking by the Spirit or only when it was convenient for me? Did I mean it when I asked the Lord to give me someone to bless? I find it a bit amusing that the opportunity given was exactly where I had already settled the issue of traffic, time, effort, and gas with the Lord. 😊David said the real test would be if it took me an extra hour to do this. I believe he was right, and at least the Lord did not ask me to “walk” the extra miles! When I come to my senses, this was a very small act of kindness that I could gladly fulfill.

As it has turned out, it only takes an extra 15-20 minutes. The lady is a delight to get to know, and we are developing a friendship that I don’t think we would have had otherwise. I told her how she became the “answer to my prayer” that morning, and she was intrigued and touched. She is a Christian woman also with a heart of gratitude to the Lord and others. I ask myself the question, “Would I continue to drive her if she were ‘grumbly hateful’?” Only by the Spirit of accommodation. 😊

It is important that you know I did not write this because I think I am doing something grand or super spiritual by helping this dear lady. No, this is another opportunity to share how the Lord orchestrates events to help us in everyday life as we are being filled by the Holy Spirit of God. There have been many bigger “tests”, but how He put this morning’s events together as I came before Him in adoration and gratitude, that led to accommodation, was better than I could have ever imagined. And He will “tune me in” to exactly what I need as I learn and grow in Him. It doesn’t just set the tone for the day; it sets it for life, walking in the Spirit. If we submit, He will not only guide, but also provide. And as Pastor Rogers said. “Wouldn’t that just be like heaven on earth if we did that?”

Now, don’t be surprised if He tunes you in exactly the right moment to prepare you for what He has for you next, including the “test”. Or He could give you a word that leads to a special song (or the entire song) with precious memories and a message from Him. Or maybe He will give you a dream, vision, or a verse of scripture, friend or stranger. He can, and does, use anything and everything. It reminds me of an old song that says, “Every day with You, Lord is sweeter than the day before.”  I say, only if we are being filled with the Holy Spirit of God by submission.

I am asking you to consider this lesson and let the Lord search your heart to reveal if you are “being filled with the Holy Spirit of God”. The searching of our hearts is of vital importance, and He does it for those with humble hearts. I wrote a poem included in my first book, “Inspire Me“, that I hope you will read. It is titled “How You May Help Me,” and it addresses more of what it looks like to be accommodating to others’ needs.

All praise and glory to Him,

Reba