Have you ever wanted to accomplish something big?
Here’s your chance to do just that.
I got this idea from a widowed lady who lived alone. She called me one early morning around 3:00 at the Christian radio station where I worked.
Standing at the console, in front of the three computer monitors, I sent the call to my headphones. “Hello, this is Lee, who’s this?”
“I’m Ida.”
“Hi Ida, what can I do for you.”
“Nothing, I want to do something for you and others.”
I was a little thrown off. Very few called the broadcast studio with the intention of giving something instead of getting something. “Okay, what would you like to do for others?”
“This for you too.”
“Okay.”
“Do you have something to write with and something to write on?”
There was an ink pen laying beside the phone, at my right, on top of a pile of scrap paper ripped into roughly 4” x 5” squares. “Yes, Ida, I do. Do you want me to write something down?”
“Yes, I have a big opportunity for you.”
I had the thought that Ida was playing a game with me. “All right.” I played along.
Ida said, “This is not a game. This is a serious opportunity.”
Wow, did she read my mind? “Okay. I’m ready to write.”’
“I want you to make a list with these three categories: 1) People, 2) Places, and 3) Things.”
I scribbled on my paper People, Places, Things. “Okay, what’s next?”
“Now comes the fun part,” Ida said. “Write a list of three items in each category.”
“Alright.” I continued to play along, not figuring out what the joke was.
“Next I want you to pray and ask the Lord who and what to put on your list in each category.”
“You want me to pray?”
“And ask God who is to be on your list and what is to be on your list, and then write down what God says to you,” Ida affirmed.
I thought the punchline was coming. “Okay, that doesn’t sound too difficult.”
Ida said, “Now pray for those nine items for a week and then ask God for nine more items and pray for those nine items for a week, etcetera.”
I played along. “Alright, and what can I expect to happen?”
“You’ll experience God improving your world,” Ida said.
“Really?”
“Yes. Try it and you’ll find out for yourself.” Ida hung up her phone. I heard the disconnect and then a dial tone.
I wanted Ida to explain a few things. I had questions. I read over her instructions.
- Make a list in three categories. One for People. One for Places. One for Things.
- People: 1), 2), 3).
- Places: 1), 2), 3).
- Things: 1), 2), 3),
- Ask the Lord to fill in your list.
- Write down what God says to you.
- Pray for those items for a week.
- Repeat the steps for the next week, etc.
- Experience changes in your world … and you.
I folded the scrap paper and stuck it in my left breast pocket. I’m going to do this, I said to myself.
Knock, knock! “Who’s there?” … “Opportunity.”
Song:
Book:
