The Urgency of Nudges

One of the things that I love about a dear friend is that his bandwidth extends far beyond his own needs.  As in the original electronic definition of the term, his "frequencies" are not just set on himself but sensitive to the nudges of God, living with a deep capacity to not just listen but respond.

Quite recently, feeling first a slight concern for a friend and then a stronger nudge to reach out, literally saved the life of one of his acquaintances.  The man had been gravely ill and did not realize how much.  And as far as my friend knows, no one else had checked up on him.  My friend knocked on his door in the nick of time.

Not every nudge is a matter of life and death.  Sometimes nudges from God are 911 calls, sometimes to fill a pothole or a gap with a kindness, sometimes just to come alongside, but always with an urging to respond.  God's nudges are never insignificant and remembered far more than we can know.

I cannot remember their names, nor even what they looked like, just that they seemed really old to me at the time.  But many decades ago when I was a struggling intern living in a strange city, an elderly woman sitting behind me in church, tapped me on the shoulder at the end of the service.  She and her husband introduced themselves and invited me and the two women I was with to join them for lunch.  The others accepted immediately.  As I was dependent on my friends for a ride, I was drawn into going as well.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I was in a really tight spot. The other women were joyfully ordering their lunches. Living on a strict shoestring budget, I could not afford to eat here.  I was hungry, but perhaps I could get by with nursing along a cup of coffee.  

And then I felt that tap on my shoulder again.  The old woman whispered into my ear, "This meal is on us.  Please order whatever you would like.  Our pleasure."  Even after all these years, I have never forgotten that kindness.

God nudged her.  She had no idea the significance of responding to Him.  It may have meant nothing to that couple, something in their habit, or just an opportunity suddenly before them in an unlikely place, or maybe even an inconvenience in their day.   But an unexpected kindness has no expiration date.  God nudged that couple, perhaps in the middle of a long-forgotten sermon, "What if you invite those girls to lunch today?"  Their response was yet another way of worshiping God.  There are always excuses not to respond.  But God always multiplies when we do and wraps His faithfulness all around it.

We can never comprehend what takes root or bears fruit.

Or what will be remembered.

                      And multiplies His glory.

In the morning sow your seed,

and at evening withhold not your hand,

for you do not now which will prosper,

                this or that,

or whether both alike will be good.

                   Ecclesiastes 11. 6