Listen and Follow Through

Listen and Follow Through

               As I scratched my head, trying to think of a subject for this week’s post on Gloria’s and my blog, and, yes, begging the Holy Spirit to give me an idea, my thoughts kept returning to Monday morning’s experience.

            ‘Noooooo,’ echoed my spirit, but it is said confession is good for the soul, and, prayerfully, at least one of you readers can benefit from my not-very-smart decision.

            I attend Monday morning Mass followed by coffee at Hy-Vee with other Monday Mass goers.  I rarely eat breakfast before Mass, so I purchase a Greek yogurt at Hy-Vee.

            But the “TPMS” light had been going on and off in my car and had stayed on and not gone off for a couple of days.

            I don’t like to stop at convenience stores to check the pressure in my car’s tires, so I go to the Honda service department and let them do it—for free.

            My gut told me yesterday to turn my car toward the Honda dealership rather than Hy-Vee.  But I was sooooooooooooo hungry.  ‘Oh,’ I thought, ‘I’ll stop at Casey’s and pick up a yogurt.’

            I walked around Casey’s and found NO yogurt.  I found croissant breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy . . .AND breakfast pizza.

            As the Holy Spirit always does, the Wise One gave me a couple of seconds to think and make a sound decision—but I ignored the Voice of Reason and purchased a slice of breakfast pizza and a cup of coffee.

            And so I walked into the Honda service department, balancing a slice of breakfast pizza—cheese, egg and sausage sliding off the crust—in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other and asked the service manager, “Can you check the pressure in my car’s tires?”

            He answered, “Yes,” and I walked into the waiting room where I sat down to eat my slice of cheese, egg and sausage pizza.

            But I had no plate nor utensils, the slice was large and difficult to handle and the toppings continued to slide off the crust.  I was embarrassed to be eating there in the waiting room (but remember I was soooooooooooooo hungry), so I took big bites, hurriedly, but the pizza slice kept growing larger.

            Finally, I gulped the last bite, with a stomach that was, yes, full, but unhappy with all that grease.  My stomach was unhappy with me all day.

            Lesson learned?  I need to listen during those few seconds the Holy Spirit gives me before choosing what, when, and where to eat.

            “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” (Prv. 3:5-6 Life Application Study Bible).

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty