Sometimes God sends us on assignment, even when we don’t know we are going.
Today I was sitting in the hall of an office building waiting to be called for an appointment. I was looking at emails on my phone.
I suddenly became aware of a lady standing next to me … close … too close for comfort. I instinctively held my purse and phone a little tighter.
She said, “I sure wish we could go back to those years before we had those things. But I see you are into technology.”
I agreed I do like some of our modern conveniences, but I also agreed there were times from long ago I missed.
I was ready to return to scrolling on my phone. I am rather introverted. I wasn’t wearing a mask nor was she. And she was close … uncomfortably close.
However, she persisted. She said, “Life sure has changed. All these things happening today. All the killing. But sometimes people can’t understand. When you have had enough … and you can’t fix anything … and … well, it has to come out.”
Now she had my attention. Was she getting ready to let something come out? I stood up and slowly moved to a position where I could attempt a quick exit if need be.
I agreed with her that things had happened recently that were very sad. She said yes and sad things had happened to her in life.
She then began telling me about her life, a roller coaster ride of happy and sad events. I began to see her in a different light. She needed to be seen, to be heard, to be validated, to be given hope to go on.
She needed a few moments to unpack her bag and leave some things behind and then repack others.
I simply listened, as I realized I had entered a Holy Space where Jesus desired to minister to her. I waited to see what He would say.
As she began to cry, recounting the things she had lost in life, she said, “Everything’s changed and I can’t get it back.”
Instantly I “heard” in my spirit, “I The Lord do not change. I am the same yesterday, today and forever.”
I repeated to her the message of God’s Unchanging Grace.
I “heard” “I am with you always.”
I repeated to her the message of God’s Eternal Presence.
She began to visibly brighten. She repeated to me God’s Word, as peace came to her.
I was called to the office. As I left her, I thanked her for sharing her story. And I told her, “Remember your story is not finished. There are good chapters yet to be written.”
She smiled.
We all want to defeat violence. We want to prevent suicide. Sometimes we ourselves feel depressed by the darkness of life. Even if we have light ourselves, somehow it does not seem enough.
And yet when we hold out The Light we do have, Jesus multiplies it, as He did the loaves and fishes.
Perhaps if we were all more willing to listen to each other’s stories and just repeat Jesus’ Words as He gives them, the world would be a better place.
Today was a special day because I saw, heard and felt Jesus minister to a lady who was a stranger to me, but not to Him. She was a precious child of God who He loved.
And so He sent His Word to her through another of His Children who He also loved. We were both blessed.
But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect.
1 Peter 3:15
I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.
John 12:49
