[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hey, friend. Welcome to Perspectives into Practice, a place where life's stories meet practical wisdom. Together, we'll explore how faith filled perspectives can transform the way we live, love, and grow.
So grab a seat, settle in, and join us on this journey to turn inspiration into action.
Let's dive in foreign.
Hey, friend. Welcome back to Perspectives into Practice. Today's conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered if their small yes really matters. I'm honored to sit down with my sweet new friend, Sharon. Sharon has lived a life of quiet obedience. She served faithfully, loved deeply, and followed wherever the Lord has led her. She lives life with humility, prayer and trust. And, and really does believe that our job is simply to say yes to God. His job is the results. Welcome, Sharon. Thanks for being with me.
[00:01:00] Speaker B: Oh, it's a pleasure and a delight.
[00:01:02] Speaker A: All right, so y' all know I love a good fun fact. And hold on to your hats, folks. Sharon and her husband have traveled to nearly 60 countries and visited all seven continents. And here's where it gets even better.
So she travels with groups on cruises, and everywhere she goes, she brings four devotional books with her. And my. This is my favorite part. Sharon, tell our friends listening what you do before every trip.
[00:01:31] Speaker B: As I pack the books and I only take four. Cause they're kind of heavy. I just pray that God will guide me and lead me to who he wants me to give the books to. And you know, sometimes it's, you know, right away I figured out. But sometimes it's sort of almost the last day and I'm like, okay, God, I need some direction. But he always, you know, and it's amazing how God uses that for me to connect with people. And, you know, some of them I still keep up with.
[00:02:03] Speaker A: I love that so much. It's like every vacation becomes a mission field. And I think that that is just so incredible that you open yourself up for that. Even though a vacation, you know, usually we say, oh, hands off. It's just for whatever. You go with intentionality to do what the Lord wants. And I just, I love that so much about you. And it, it really is exactly what we're talking about today. It's about saying yes to God's call and then trusting him with everything that happens after.
So, Sharon, you shared something very powerful with me earlier. And you said that obedience is how we show God we love him. And it doesn't matter if that yes, lasts five minutes or five years. And about a year ago, very quietly, God placed something on your heart. And that was prayer. So can you Take us back to when you first sensed that God was stirring this in you. And what did that obedience look like in that season?
[00:02:59] Speaker B: Well, I was. It was about. Just exactly a year ago, or maybe a little bit longer, that I was stepping into a role at my church as a moderator of the deacons.
[00:03:11] Speaker A: And.
[00:03:12] Speaker B: And we talked a lot with our deacons about their jobs and their responsibilities and things like that. But I started. God just started putting something in my head is, it's more than a job, and it's more than a responsibility.
It's a holy privilege. It's holy work.
And along with that, he was like, prayer. The best thing a deacon can do is pray for their people. In our church, we each have a region, a geographical region, and we have all the families in that region. And sometimes you know them and sometimes you don't.
So I have to say, God usually calls me to something where he knows I need remedial work.
And so, you know, I was a bit of a. I say a disorganized prayer. Prayer.
You know, people would ask for prayer, and I'd say, okay, I'll pray for you. And, you know, my tensions were always good, but sometimes I would not remember, or I remember it two weeks later when it wouldn't really matter that much anymore. About the same time, I was just talking with a good friend of mine, and she is one of those rock solid, just bold Christian woman.
And we were talking and, you know, about prayer, and she said, you know, well, our family's so big.
I just had this little chart where I, you know, pray for different ones on different days. And she showed me a little chart, and it was like a sticky note, one of the bigger ones. But, you know, she has this tiny, incredibly neat handwriting. And I was like, well, that'll never work for me.
But so I went home and did an Excel spreadsheet. Yeah, I mean, so about that same. It was all sort of happening at the same time. And so God just kind of put it on my heart. I know what, you know, when you have those ideas and, you know it's not from you, but it's from him.
And it was like, just text, how can I pray for you today? Yeah, I was like, okay. I. I said yes, because that's what we're supposed to do.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:05:26] Speaker B: And I sent that a text to each of the people in my region, and I got four responses, which was incredible. In fact, when I was telling the deacons about it at the next meeting, they all gasped when I told them because they're so used to like calling people and just not getting any response.
I think, I mean, it's a brilliant idea of God's because I think church texting feel safe.
Even safer than maybe a face to face conversation. Especially if it's not somebody you know very well. Yeah. You know, which to me, you have a, a holy obligation to keep it confidential. Number one, whatever they say. And then the Lord was, I'm also, it was like, no, you know, don't just say, okay, I'll pray for you. Because I already know the dangers of that.
[00:06:18] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:06:18] Speaker B: Don't respond until you have time to sit down and write out a thoughtful prayer and then send it. Also, I tell the deacons, I don't do this, but you could actually speak a prayer into the phone.
One of the things that I think about our roles as deacons is we're supposed to build connections with our people. And there's a verse in Ecclesiastes which I can't recall exactly, but it talks about a three strand cord.
[00:06:49] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:06:50] Speaker B: And so it's the two people and God. And that creates a strong bond.
And it's just been amazing how I have seen even people that don't respond, I'll see them in church and they're like, just because I didn't respond doesn't mean I didn't really appreciate it.
And people, I mean, are amazingly frank. You know, pray for, pray for a young father. Pray for my, Pray for me to be patient with my wife and kids, pray for my marriage, pray for my adults, estranged children.
I mean, now my chart, you know, people I meet on trips that, you know, they're going through stuff.
[00:07:33] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:34] Speaker B: I have one lady was recent widow and she and I still stay in contact and in prayer. Yeah. I was on a retreat in France and this one gal, she, she and her husband had a business and she got home to find out he was having an affair with their assistant. And she was just crushed and so angry.
And so that's been a year ago and she and I still correspond.
And she's, she said to me one time or texted me, I've gone back to that prayer multiple times when I needed to, I needed it again. So it's just amazing, you know, And I tell, I tell our deacons, if nobody responds, don't worry about it. It's up to God. It's not about you.
[00:08:19] Speaker A: Right.
[00:08:20] Speaker B: And so he's in charge. Your job is just to be faithful.
[00:08:24] Speaker A: That's right, yeah.
[00:08:25] Speaker B: Recently we've been training some new deacons and so I Was like, you know, I get more out of it than maybe the other people do because there's such joy in doing it. It's a real.
[00:08:38] Speaker A: For sure. Something that you said really, really hit me. And it's that intercessory prayer is a precious gift and it's sacred work. And that's exactly what you're. What you're saying here is that when we are praying for others, it really does build a bond that lasts for eternity. And when we are obedient to the Lord, he gives us more things to say yes to, which is amazing. And you're right, sometimes it. It blesses me. And I say sometimes, most of the time, it blesses me more than the other person or when I do that. And so I'm so glad that we are having this conversation because I think it's so important for us to remember that when someone says, you pray for me, will you pray for this? Not just to say yes, because we will forget. We just. We're humans. We have things that happen, and you say yes and then go on, and then you remember or never remember, and it's not done. And so you've. You've given your word to something, and then it hasn't happened. But if we can just take that moment, take that time right there instead of saying yes, either writing a prayer or say yes as you're praying for them. Right. Either way. But I. I love when people write me prayers because I do go back and read it over and over again just because I feel heard, I feel seen. I know that someone else is lifting me. And whatever my prayer request is up to the Lord. And, you know, Lord says, we're two or two or more are gathered. I am in there. And I really feel that that connection does.
Does extend through texts because we're both on that same. That same mindset. And I just think that that is such a beautiful, beautiful perspective.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: It reminds me of this old hymn. Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.
[00:10:21] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:10:21] Speaker B: Yeah, that's an old one.
[00:10:22] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm old.
Yes, that's exactly it. So how have you seen God do more than you asked or imagined through prayer after you've said yes to this?
[00:10:35] Speaker B: Gosh, I just. See, I've seen our deacons just respond, you know, it's sort of contagious or. That's right. You know, I. I think it's, you know, to me, it's so effective. It's contagious. And, you know, I think they probably get tired of me talking about it.
[00:10:52] Speaker A: Keep Going, yeah.
[00:10:55] Speaker B: And you know, I just, I just see it working on so many levels.
[00:11:00] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:01] Speaker B: I'm 75 years old, so sometimes I'm like, oh gosh, I know they were going through something and I can't remember. Well, I never delete an email string, I mean, a text string, because I can go back and say, oh, and then I can say, how's that going? Or something like that. I don't know. God just keeps, I mean, to me, the best thing. God just keeps me enthused about it and connected and, you know, I hope it's contagious. And I don't even think I'm answering your question, but no, no.
[00:11:33] Speaker A: And that's, I mean, that's exactly it, is that when we are obedient to the Lord, He. He shows us things that, I mean, I, I don't know if you ever imagined that you would still be so on fire for sharing this prayer thing maybe a year later. I don't know if you thought that the deacons would take it so well and want to continue it with them. I don't know if you thought how much it would even impact you as you were getting these. So you might not see it. But what I hear on this side is that there's a lot of things that God's doing that you probably never imagined would happen just by saying yes. How can I pray for you?
[00:12:13] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I have learned it's so important to say yes, like you said, even if it's something that just takes you five minutes. And I learned that lesson a few years ago. I was my Sunday school class, some lady, she had had cancer and she had been declared cancer free. But she was going for her first six months checkup and she was nervous about the results, so she asked for prayer. So I got home, I thought, well, I'll send her a card that was a holy spirit nudge.
And I do not remember what I wrote on there. I'm hoping that I prayed over it. I can't remember.
And then I just sort of forgot about it and. And a few weeks later I saw her at church and she thanked me for the card and then she said, I took that card with me to my appointment and I was just so touched that, you know, I had no idea. You don't ever know how God's going to use it. And just the five minutes that it took me to do that, it had an impact on her. And, you know, most of the time we don't know the results.
But I think God every once in a While lets us see him and that encourages us. But it really taught me a lesson that the little things, saying yes to those is just as important. When he calls you to something like, well, being moderator or something, that's going to take you decades, you know, missionaries or, I mean, it's everything.
God is in every single moment of our lives.
And obedience is so important.
And you know, in John 14, which is where he's taught, it's the Last Supper and he's talking to his disciples, he, in a very short space, he says words to the effect, if you love me, you will obey me three times.
My pastor always says, if it's repeated and a short space, yes, that means it's really important.
[00:14:16] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: It took me a long time to learn that lesson because it's not easy.
My, my selfish self wants to say, well, may maybe later, or, you know, I don't think I'm up for that, or. But the right answer is always yes.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: It is. It is always yes. And I love that you mentioned that. Even though it feels small to us when we say yes to that obedience, we don't know the impact that it's going to make on the other side. And we don't always get to see the fruit of the seeds that we've planted in our obedience. But that doesn't mean that we should obey any less because we know that God's doing something with it. Whether it was just for us to say yes and for us to learn from that, or if, if it is for someone else. That's, that's the beauty of it is that he wants to continually be in a relationship with us. And when we are praying for others, it takes that humility and we're like taking it off of ourselves, taking it off of self and putting it on someone else. And then the Lord, the Lord can use that which is just so amazing.
So for someone listening who says, my mind is like a ping pong ball, what tools do you have that help them stay focused in prayer?
[00:15:33] Speaker B: Well, I think one of the most important things is number one, you have to listen and, you know, listen for his voice. It's hard.
We live in a really noisy, cluttered world. Even when I, you know, I have learned just I need silence. I think we need silence to hear him. In Kings, it talks about, I think it's the prophet Elijah. And God was trying to speak to him. And he wasn't in the earthquake or the wind or the fire. It was a still, small voice. And God's usually talking to us in whispers now. Every once in a while I get a, you know, hit over the head by a two by four, but mostly in. So silence is so important. And, you know, in the silence my mind just can go boing, boing, boing, boing, boing.
So one of the things that I do, I tend to my listening time with God is usually I live in Houston where it's hot, so we have a pool and I swim back and forth, back and forth, which is boring. So that's my prayer time.
That's when I really try and listen to God. But it's like my mind abhors a vacuum and it just wants to wander.
And so I just started doing go through the Alphabet and say, oh, okay. God, you are awesome. You're amazing. You're my. All in all, you're the anchor of my soul. I want to apply your word to my life. And I just try and think of all the A things, you know, you are the author of everything.
And sometimes then something will pop into my head that I'm like, oh, there's a word that I need to remember.
But, you know, I try, you know, and I just. That keeps me focused. And I think it just sets the, sets the stage, if you will, for God to be able to, to speak to me. Because I need to listen in the sun in the winter, when it's a little too chilly to get in the pool, I walk and I do the same thing.
[00:17:31] Speaker A: Yes, that's what I was going to say was you can do it walking, running, working out, driving in your car. I mean, this, it's not just, just a pool, a pool thing, but you could do it in all the places. But what I hear from that exercise, which is so practical, is that taking the time to slow your thoughts down to focus on the Lord, which is what we don't do a lot of times. And we really, we really need to, because that's when he. He's speaking with us, when we allow that communion with him and then stop.
Then we stop and we listen. Because you're right, we have a lot of things going on in the world. It's very easy to get distracted and let other things fill our mind. But when we are intentional with our time with him and intentional with our listening, that is when, when he. We hear those still small whispers, even if sometimes we do need to get knocked over the head to, to hear what he says, which I feel like I, I am one of those as well. I do sometimes he's just like, Jessica Renee, if you don't listen to Me, he's.
[00:18:38] Speaker B: When he uses your middle name, you know he's serious.
[00:18:41] Speaker A: I know, I know. He's like, you need to listen right now. Yes, sir. So one of my last questions is, what is, what does that daily nourishment look like for you in staying spiritually nourished so that you can pour out to others?
[00:18:57] Speaker B: Well, you know, it takes discipline.
[00:19:00] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:19:01] Speaker B: I'm fortunate that I am retired and you know, I have a little more control over my schedule. But to me, I have to set aside, you know, some time, ideally in the morning, so that I just open myself up to him. And I have several devotional books that I use and some, some of my favorites are where you just pray scripture because God's word is filled with the nourishment that we need.
And you know, I am not perfect at doing it. You know, there are days that stuff happens.
[00:19:36] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:19:37] Speaker B: And you know, you just keep coming back to it though, when you get. It's hard for me, like when we travel, it's hard for me and to be as disciplined. But I take one of my little devotional books with me so that I can grab a few minutes, a daily walk. I mean, he wants us to be with him or to be in communion with him just for a small portion of our day.
[00:20:01] Speaker A: Absolutely. And it is a discipline that you have to continually practice and you're not perfect at anything because we're humans and we do slip up. But I think the biggest impact that we have is just exactly what you said. I do slip up, but I go right back to him. And that's what we have to continually remember to do, is that even if we slip, even if we fall, even if we take, whether it's, you know, a day or a decade away, he's still right there and he wants to hear from us just like we've never left. And that's, that's intentionality.
[00:20:37] Speaker B: Yeah. The first few years, somebody, I guess it was my sister in law who is a fabulous Christian woman, and she sent me something and it was about drift to start the year off. Don't let yourself drift because sometimes it's so easy.
I think for Christians there's a saying, familiarity breeds contempt. But what familiarity to me does in Christians is it leads to complacency.
And so you have to be very intentional to just not get in your spiritual recliner and just chill. And because when you drift, you're going to drift downhill, you're not going to go uphill, and, and we just have to guard our hearts against you. Know, the spiritual laziness.
[00:21:29] Speaker A: Yeah, that's good. And.
[00:21:30] Speaker B: And he will. I mean, he's there with his hand out to grab us.
We just have to say, hang on, you know?
[00:21:39] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:21:40] Speaker B: Hang on to his hand.
Yes.
[00:21:43] Speaker A: Yes. Oh, that's so wonderful. So, Sharon, before we close, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your obedience. Thank you for showing us that a quiet yes can echo into eternity.
Now, a question that I ask every guest on the show is that what is one perspective that you would encourage listeners to apply today?
[00:22:05] Speaker B: Take the time to listen to God, make space, be quiet, let him speak, and just keep. Keep doing it.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: Simple but difficult at times.
So, friend, maybe your takeaway today is simple. Say yes. Pray first. Trust God with the outcome. Prayer is not small work. It is sacred work. It is eternal work. So I pray that you fill yourself with his daily bread so that you can pour out yourself out in love and obedience.
If today's conversation encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs to be reminded that their small yes matters. And if you have a story of how God has shifted your perspective and you would love to share here on perspectives into practice, I'd love to connect with you. This space is about real stories, real faith lived out in real life. Your story matters. Message
[email protected] so that we can chat about your story. And remember, even small shifts in perspective can lead to big changes. Now go put those perspectives into practice. Talk to you next time.
