By Sandy Lee
The ridiculous traffic I deal with on Mondays makes my 12 minute drive easily turn into 25 minutes or more. So, because of the unexpected quick arrival to my destination I had time to stop in Starbucks.
In the abnormally short line in front of me was a young woman. I couldn’t tell if she was crying or had something in her eye since she was in front of me but she keep wiping at her eye. As I got my bold roast I headed to the station to add my sweetener and the woman turned away to face the wall as if she didn’t want me to see her.
I was compelled to ask her if she was ok because now I could see, clearly, she was crying. I excused myself for intruding but asked if she was ok and she said no, she wasn’t. I asked her name and if I could pray for her. As the barista delivered her coffee I ended my prayer and I gave her a hug. I let her go after giving her my number in case she had no one to talk to or wanted to know more about Jesus.
If I think about the events that morning it is so obvious that God wanted me there. He knew this woman needed me…for whatever His reasons were. Understand, I am not a person who regularly prays for a stranger. Each time in the past that I thought to do so scared me, so I wouldn’t be bold enough to do it. He loves to take me out of my comfort zone.
Psalm 34:17, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
Many times I have regretted not praying for a stranger in need. I can see the power in doing what God arranged for us today. Yes, I said us because of course I prayed for her, but God planted me there for His purpose for both of us.
I am not the most eloquent prayer warrior. Not by a long shot. Do I know what God puts in my heart and can I share that with a person in need even if it’s not perfect? Well, now, it seems I can.
I’ve thought of her and prayed about her and wonder if it was something serious she was crying about or just a moment in time. All I know is that somehow, once again, God put me in a place so that I could show someone who my Jesus is. I will never doubt my prayer abilities again because it doesn’t have to be perfect. It can’t be. But, it can be heartfelt, loving and compassionate and maybe, change someone’s day.
