We were all ready to play at the park, then head to the grocery store. But when we went out, I discovered the van battery to be as dead as a door nail. So we improvised.

We went on a walk around the neighborhood.

I had things I could do around home, and I didn’t have anything urgent that couldn’t wait till the van is charged.

Thankfully, the girls had gotten on the bus and we weren’t stranded without a way to get them to school.

And we live in a time where Walmart’s online ordering is a reality, so I could have groceries ready for pickup later if I needed to.

I realized that the night before I had felt like I should check to make sure the van was locked, but I shrugged it off, thinking for sure I had locked it (I had). Nut if I’d looked out there, I would have seen the interior lights on and could have changed the way the morning played out.

The Holy Spirit’s kind reminders relate to real life

Sometimes I have known what I should do, but have let it slide. Over the summer, if I had paid attention to the nudge to change the baby while at the pool, I would not have had to clean baby poop out of a reusable swim diaper. Live and learn.

Other times, I have followed the seeming “wild goose chase,” and discovered it was not just an odd inkling, it was following the Holy Spirit.

Last week I had made plans and an outline of something I was going to write here. But I heard a song on the radio and caught a fire in my heart to write what spun off from that song. The blog post wasn’t published as originally planned, but I was asked 24 hours before our church’s ladies’ gathering if I would speak a message of encouragement to the women.

I said, as a matter of fact, I did have something to share. 

Had I stuck to my original plan, to hash out a blog post according to my plan, I probably would not have been ready to give a 15 minute message. He knew, and He led.

That is the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is more practical than I am

He isn’t all ethereal, shimmery glory; goosebumps and fairy dust. Yes, He is mysterious, wild, and like Aslan, He is not tame. But He’s with us, He’s real, and He’s very practical.

Jesus called Him “the Helper.” (John 14:16)

God rebuked his people by saying they were upside down; that they were like clay accusing the Potter of ineptitude. “He has no understanding.” (Isaiah 29:16)

We often say that the Holy Spirit is useless to us. 

Not in those words, of course. That would be disrespectful. But in our disposition, our frustration, our sighing.

We think He doesn’t understand.

He doesn’t know what’s on my schedule. He doesn’t know these kids. He doesn’t know our checking account. 

But He understands.

Do you know the practical Holy Spirit? He’s purposeful. Powerful. Kind. 

This help is not to make our life easier or to serve us, as though He were a Genie we summon out of a lamp to do our bidding. No, He helps us by being our Companion as we live out our calling. Our calling may include making sales calls, changing diapers, grading papers, or changing oil. We follow Jesus in the daily ins and outs, and His kingdom increases as we surrender more and more of ourselves and our dominion to Him. The Holy Spirit leads us in this process. 

He’s in every way God and entirely present. If we learn to live aware of Him every moment, and call on Him, how much more effective, purposeful, and powerful would our days be?

How much more will we see His everyday involvement?

How much more will we see His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven?

How much more will He give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?