– By Ann Noble

 

At my last Kroger Author Program assignment, I put into practice two things the Bible talks about. And they both worked! (Yes, the Bible works beautifully.)

 

I want to tell you about both of them, but that would be too long for this post, so I’ll share one now and one the next time I’m the guest blogger on Anchoring Hope’s website.

 

(By the way, I hope you have signed up for those Anchoring Hope encouraging words to regularly come into your email box. I receive them and, trust me, you don’t want to miss them.)

 

As I said, the Bible works – but only if you put what you read into action. Sometimes we want to do that, but we just don’t know how.

 

My last blog shared where we find out the HOW part . . . how we put it into action. We learned that it’s through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

To know WHAT we have to put into action, we actually have to read the Word. That is the renewing of the mind part of all this – something we need to do daily – reading the Word of God.

 

Now to my Kroger story.

 

This was another typical Kroger Author Assignment day. I went into the store and asked the manager where they would like me to set up my table. This manager gave me a choice of either by the front door or at the end of the aisle where the books are. I chose the latter, because I’ve found that if I set up by the front door, people tend to be in a hurry. (Image via Pixabay)

 

It seems like the front would be a great place to set up, but it really isn’t when it comes to books – which they have to check out with their groceries. They have either already checked out, or they have just stepped into the store and are trying to focus on their list – which they inevitably left at home.

 

So, I chose the end of the book aisle, which at this Kroger grocery store was by the fresh meat section. It was chilly there, so I was glad I had brought a sweater. It seemed silly for me to do that as I left the house, because it was 104 degrees outside in Dallas that day. But, prompted by the Lord, I had it with me.

 

It seemed this would be a great spot . . . people in this area were in the browse mode . . . looking at books, reading greeting cards, and checking out the meats.

 

Then why weren’t they looking at me? I felt invisible. No one saw me at all.

 

Well, that wasn’t going so well. Kroger didn’t invite me to come sit, but to allow them to sell my books to their shoppers.

 

I texted my friend Leslie and she texted back, “Worship anyway.”

 

Of course!

 

For the last couple of days . . . since Sunday Worship at our church . . . I had been singing our worship songs in my spirit . . . over and over in my head. I love when that happens. I decided I would focus on those worship songs instead of focusing on the fact that I was being continually passed by. Who needs a “poor little ol’ me party” going on in their head? Not me!

 

I immediately realized those worships songs were still there, still playing . . . just like they had since Sunday. I sat there, listening to them play in my head, and soon I noticed I was happy and content, because these songs were refreshing my soul.

 

Suddenly the atmosphere changed.

 

I was focused on the songs, and then I glanced up and realized that the people, ALL the shoppers passing by, were smiling at me. They had gone from sour looking busy people to happy shoppers, really glad to see each other, and really glad to see me! (Image via Pixabay)

 

Then they began to stop and ask, “What do you have going on here?”

 

And then I could tell them about this great move of God that I talk about in my books.

 

I promise I wasn’t singing the songs out loud, but just hearing them playing in my head changed the atmosphere all around me.

 

Then a new song started playing in my mind, “Light of the world shining down in the darkness….” Books were being signed and SO MUCH MORE WAS HAPPENING! But I’ll share about that in my next blog post.

 

This incident is proof that we can be the salt and the light of the world simply by letting our heart, mind, and soul focus on our Heavenly Father.

 

When we do that, even the atmosphere around us changes.

 

Don’t take my word for this. Do this on your own and watch the atmosphere change around you. It’s really quite amazing.

 

(Here is Ann’s next post where she shares . . . the rest of the story.)

 

 

This post was written by Ann Lynn Noble.

Ann is the author of Restore, Restore, Restore and More and Restore, Restore, Restore Devotional.