Pink, pumpkin lattes, and prodding

I woke up today and knew it was going to be a good day. And you know something? It was. Here's why:

1. I had the chance to sleep in, so I did.
2. All my homework was finished.
3. It was the last day of classes before fall break.
4. In the girls' dorm Tuesday night, we had a breast cancer awareness party. The resident director bought a bunch of pink t-shirts and we all got to decorate one with Puff paint. Today we were all going to wear them and get our picture taken together before Chapel. Plus I got to wear the striped pink socks I won in a raffle Tuesday. We won't talk about the glitter Puff paint that I got on my moccasins - which, by the way, I wore anyway today.
5. I got compliments on my shirt, which had some messed up spots, so that made me feel good that it wasn't as bad as I thought.
6. Chapel was good. One of the students rapped his way through the Gospel as a humble example of Christ's love; another shared his personal testimony; and an illusionist, although he only performed one trick, spoke on an interesting point of how our perspective changes when we come to know Christ. Made me think.
7. I got to see people excited and happy instead of dealing with a few who might have been hurt and frustrated.
8. I spent some time this afternoon with a good friend of mine and other friends who stopped by our table in the campus coffeehouse. I laughed a lot, had a pumpkin spice latte, and shared time with excellent people.
9. We had a makeover session during one of my classes today. There are only four of us in the class, we're all girls, and we're all anchors for the campus news broadcast, so my professor thought it would be neat if a Bare Escentuals representative could come and give us some tips on make-up. Not gonna lie - those HD cameras we have are brutal, and I am very pale and prone to stress breakouts. I took any help I could get. Also there was a goody bag.
10. My last class of the day let out early. I was definitely okay with that.
11. I got to come home and spend time with my family.
12. When I was unloading my car when I got home, I turned and saw an older lady who lives a few doors down hobbling down her driveway with her walker to get her mail from her mailbox. It broke me apart. She made me think of my grandma, who passed away this summer, and who was and always will be one of my favorite people. She meant and still means the world to me; I think about her all the time. Lately I've been overwhelmed with this prodding feeling, like a push, telling me to do something I wouldn't normally do. Granted, I think about doing or saying a lot of things that can really only help someone out. When I ignore this prodding, I deeply regret it and my heart sinks. Loaded down like a Sherpa with all the bags I was carrying, I fought back tears walking up my own driveway and trying to interpret this "feeling" this time. My puppy greeted me enthusiastically, I dropped off my stuff, and then I found my mom and asked her if we could make dinner for the lady down the street.

Honestly, this was the best part of my day. All the other things stopped mattering. The student who rapped during Chapel kept putting emphasis on giving your life away for Jesus. I've been trying to see past myself and all the tasks I set before myself and see instead how I can encourage others and, again, do or say those things that I only think about doing or saying. I realize that I have the Holy Spirit with me, and I know that these pushes that I have been getting lately are because I have asked the Spirit to show me opportunities to share and help. It is always so amazing when I respond to it.

My mom and I walked down to drop off spaghetti at the lady's house. Her husband is in a nursing home struggling with Alzheimer's and battling cancer simultaneously. She is still recovering from a fall that broke her hip this summer. She was very kind and we talked to her for probably 20 minutes, just standing in her doorway. The experiences shared and this time spent was incredible to me.

Normally, I just would have thought, "Oh, that would be nice if we brought her brownies or something" and kept walking in to my own home, not phased at all, and sat down and played Beatles Rock Band like I was planning on doing. But God is working in my life and in the lives of his followers to push them to do things that they wouldn't normally do. We are given the Spirit to help us see how to "give our life away for Christ" and to see things with a new perspective.

I'm wondering what the prodding will be next time. Pray that I'll respond to it.