I have a story to share with you this morning, Holy Spirit just reminded me of it as I was seeking Him as to what He would have me share with you this day, someone needs to hear it – is it you?
As with most people, I have fire alarms set on the ceilings of every room of my home. My mom and dad used to say that they would change the batteries in their alarms twice a year, at the turning forward of the clock or the setting back. I didn’t realize how many things I was dependent upon my husband, Johnny to do until he passed away. Johnny used to take care of the changing of the batteries. Well, I am short (and the older I get the shorter I am becoming! 🙂 I used to be 5″1 now I am 4″11) and reaching anything high up is a royal pain for me. It requires my getting a step ladder and reaching my short arms up to take care of things or get things from high shelves. It is truly an annoyance. Well, sometime months ago, one of the fire alarms started its “chirping” which indicates the need for a battery change. It was in an area close to the rooms of where two others were located, and I could not tell which of the three it was. It would chirp a high-pitched chirp off and on, my guess is it occurred every 3 minutes. So, I went and retrieved one of my husband’s stepladders and changed the batteries (as difficult as it was for little ol’ short me! 🙂 ) of each and every fire alarm thinking that would solve the problem. It didn’t. After 3 minutes the chirping began again and again. I threw my hands up in the air! I had done what I thought would alleviate the problem, but STILL it continued on! I didn’t know what else to do, and soon my attention was deviated to other tasks and concerns of my day putting the need to figure out what the problem was with the alarm to the back of my mind.
Well, as time went on, I forgot about the alarm, what was once a predominant noise became background noise in our home to the point where I didn’t even hear it anymore. I didn’t even notice it anymore. It didn’t bother me anymore. In fact, I completely forgot about it. That was until a guest came to my house to fix something for me. A brother-in-Christ and his precious son came to aid and assist me in something that needed fixing in our home. As he came into our living room, perplexed he asked me:
“Does that not bother you? Do you not hear that?”
I looked at him in confusion, wondering what it was he was referring to. He continued on surprised at my reaction:
“That chirping… Oh it is awful! That would drive me crazy!”
And he went and stood in the corner of the connecting hallway looking intently and quizzically above his head to try and figure out where it was coming from. I stood near him, shrugging my shoulders and waving a hand at it.
“My husband use to take care of all the alarms and changing of batteries. I changed the batteries and still it is chirping, I suppose I have just gotten used to it.”
But my brother in Christ would not let it go. It had captured his attention, and he was determined to resolve this issue! He requested a step ladder and asked if I had any other batteries, and I nodded and provided him with all he had requested. After he had changed all the batteries of all the fire alarms adjoining the rooms, he stepped down from the ladder pleased with his work. Until it happened…
“Chirp.”
We both looked up at the ceiling surprised. He got a fierce look of determination on his face, like a warrior confronting an enemy in battle. Setting up the stepladder again he rose to check out the situation again. Pulling out the battery, he studied it for a moment.
Did you know these batteries have expired?
I looked up at him surprised, I didn’t even know batteries HAD an expiration date, and my husband had a whole HUGE pack of your 9-volt batteries (which as far as I know, were only meant for the fire alarms, for nothing else we had used those type of batteries).
“I suppose I will have to buy some new ones.”
I said sighing and making a mental note of yet another task I needed to handle.
He nodded his head, put the battery back in the alarm, stepped down and kindly went about repairing what he had originally come to repair. The day went on…
Well, of course I got caught up in the other things life threw my way and although I had ordered new batteries from Amazon, quickly forgot about the alarm. The chirping once again fading into the background. That is until a month later, having a barbeque fellowship at my house with a small group of couples that were my friends and also had been friends with my husband, when one of the men turned to me and said:
“My goodness! Doesn’t that bother you???”
Turning my head, I looked at him quizzically to ask what it was he was referring to. He continued on, surprised by my reaction.
“That annoying chirping that goes on and on every 3 minutes.”
He walked over to the area to try to figure out where exactly it was coming from, studying the ceiling.
I laughed, remembering what I had forgotten.
“Oh yes, I know what you are referring to now. I guess I forgot about it. I don’t even hear it anymore.”
He looked surprised, now this is a very tall brother (the husband of a friend) and after determining which alarm it was, he reached up and took it down.
“Do you have a battery we can replace it with?”
I did indeed, the batteries I had ordered from Amazon had arrived. I went to grab one and he promptly replaced it. The chirping stopped. Sighing with relief, he nodded his head at my “thanks” and went to join his wife and other guests in the living room.
As I asked Holy Spirit what I should write about today, He brought that recent story to my memory and then pointed out something that hadn’t occurred to me. This is something He wanted me to share with someone(s) reading this post.
Sin is like that. When Holy Spirit points something out within us that needs changing, our spirits are sensitive to it. He points out those things within us that need our attention, promptly. Holy Spirit’s job is to teach us, to guide us, to make us more like Christ. Now, even when we have accepted the gift of salvation and confessed Jesus as Savior, made Him Lord OVER our lives we STILL have free will to listen (or not) to those things that Holy Spirit is showing us because He IS in the process of TRANFORMING our minds. Renewing us. The things He shows us that need to be changed are for a reason! To grow in our walks with Jesus. Romans 12:2 tells us:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
He points out to us (like my brothers in Christ pointed the “chirping” out to me) the things that we may have become “use to” in the worldly foundation we were once part of… It is our job to ALLOW Him to transform ALL those annoying to God “chirpings” that need to be replaced by His Spirit. So that we can run the race that God has set before us! So that we can function in the manner we were created to function. Just as a “fire alarm” is a vessel to save us from a fire, WE are to be vessels to be filled with Holy Spirit and used BY God to save others from the fires of hell. Proclaim God’s gift of salvation! As it is not God’s will that ANY perish! Is there a “battery change” that needs to take place in the vessel of you? Have you ignored it for so long that you have become unaware of the change that Holy Spirit has pointed out needs to be made? Is it time you re-evaluated yourself and prayed as in Psalm 51:10:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
I did not realize until it was pointed out to me (and I allowed it to be fixed and is now gone) how annoying that chirping had been. I had adjusted my life (and my family’s life) around the noise. It didn’t bother me anymore. I didn’t hear it anymore – even though others did. The chirping was a warning that the alarm would not work correctly and to function in the manner it was built for, unless its battery was changed. What is it that Holy Spirit is showing you about yourself that needs changing? Are you ignoring His promptings? I pray that this story ministers to you in the way Holy Spirit has meant it to minister. There is a reason why He brought this to my attention to write about today… It’s time to stop the chirping, remove whatever needs to be removed and go forward in God’s calling on your life so that you can be an effective vessel for Him. – There is SUCH peace in that – peace that ONLY comes from obeying Him. \0/ \0/ \0/
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