I’ve often said that I’m an unlikely messenger. But I wonder, Are you, too? We never know why God places us in the situations he does, especially if at first it might seem like it’s not what you wanted. It’s easy to doubt and allow set-backs and disappointments to overwhelm us. Yesterday I was at a Christian book store and I ran into a young man I saw many times before working at the local Barnes and Noble.  Let’s call him John. My book 4 minutes to Happy came out March 20th of 2020.  Smack dab at the start of the pandemic. John and I had talked about doing a book signing at Barnes & Noble prior to the release of my book, but then when the quarantine hit and people were told to stay home except for essential work, we cancelled it. There were so many uncertainties that I made the decision not to reschedule last year. Why celebrate a book with the word “happy” in the title  when people were losing their jobs, kids weren’t attending school, churches were closed. (But liquor stores were open). Anyway, 2020 wasn’t a great year….

Yesterday I ran into John working at the Christian book store, and he was excited to tell me his story about how he got there.  Unfortunately, he was let go at Barnes and Noble and was obviously disappointed. He loves books and he didn’t know where he would go to find employment doing what he loved. He put in an application to work at Mardell Christian book store and they called in back almost immediately.  He went in for an interview and got the job.  Here’s the best part: He was offered more money than he was making at Barnes & Noble and he said everyone at Mardell welcomed him with open arms.  They said they were glad that God lead him to work there.

God places us in situations that ultimately benefit Him. So our job, which isn’t always easy, is to trust Him.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I was engaged to be married.  My fiancé and I had the church reserved, met with the pastor, the bridesmaids dresses were picked out, and we were happy.  Or so I thought.  My fiancé called off the wedding, saying that he just wanted one more summer with the guys.  I was completely devastated, and embarrassed. I cried every day for months.  Then, I got a job at a rock n roll radio station in Detroit as the traffic reporter.  That’s where I met my husband, Ted Nugent. (See where I’m going with this?) We met on October 3, 1988.  We were engaged two months later and married a month after that.

Have you ever been in a situation that, at the time, may not seem like it was the best thing for you, but eventually God opened up a different and better opportunity for you?

In the book of Esther in the Bible we learn about an unlikely messenger named Esther.  She lost both her parents and was adopted by her cousin, Mordecai.  Imagine how alone and scared she felt. But God had something amazing planned for her. Mordecai convinces Esther to enter what we would consider today a beauty pageant. The winner of the pageant becomes queen.  Well, guess who won?  The orphaned girl who was scared and lonely. But the story gets even better when Esther, now queen, is in the right place at the right time and has the opportunity to thwart a plot to kill her people.  In Esther 4:14 Mordecai says to her, “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

There may have been a time in your life when you felt scared and lonely.  You may feel like an unlikely messenger, but God has something amazing planned for you.  During these uncertain times, He is calling us to stand guard and be prepared.  We never know how or when He will need us, but you were made for just such a time as this

Stay healthy, my friends.  Fill your body with superfood nutrition, because you never know when God will call you to step into a new position. We need energy and strength to get through these trying times. And good sleep! Email [email protected] for info on the supplements I take.

I hope you’ve found something to buoy your spirits in the message.  I appreciate all correspondences on social media. Join me every Sunday at 5pm eastern on Facebook.com/Shemane.Nugent.
Have an amazing day!