There are some moments when you just know the Lord had you be somewhere exactly at that right specific time for His specific purpose.
This happened to me today! Glory!
There I was, standing in line at Billy Sims BBQ, with my family. I was actually on the phone with a sweet friend who is arranging airport pick ups for some of our new Cameron University international students.
My phone lost signal... (I should have taken this as my first sign that the Lord was up to something!)
A woman standing behind me asks me what the front of my shirt says. So, I turn around.
Today, I am wearing my "love others" shirt. She had read the back which has this verse:
"Learn to do good! Seek justice, rescue the oppressed. Defend the orphan, plead for the widow."
Isaiah 1:17
She asked me where she could get one of these shirts. She told me she really needed that encouragement today.
My phone rang. I told my friend I would have to call her back. It was craziness at Billy Sims. Plus, I had to chat with this woman!
I told this woman my shirt was a fundraiser for a friend of mine who is adopting a child from Africa. She immediately digs in her purse and hands me $5. Could you give them this? I would love to help contribute to such a good cause.
I cannot contain myself... I ask her name. She tells me and then says how she had been having such a rough day. She starts getting teary eyed.
"I just found out my Mom was diagnosed with cancer." She says.
OK, seriously!!! Lord, only You knew that I would happen to be in front of this beautiful woman at Billy Sims...
I share a bit of my story with her and we converse while holding up the line at Billy Sims. She tells me she had to leave her job today to get some stuff going for her Mom. I ask her about church. She goes to another local church and I tell her where I go and how my husband is the Student Pastor at Cameron Baptist. She starts to almost cry again and tells me she has 3 children of youth age that she has wanted to get plugged into church. And that her Dad's wife goes to our church.
Seriously!!!
I told her I would text message her where I got my shirt and that I would be praying for her. I also said I would send her some Scriptures and some books that I have read to hopefully encourage her. She starts to cry again.
The poor Billy Sims workers. They did not know what to do with the two crazy women who kept hugging and crying and laughing all at once.
Matt just laughed at me. No surprise to him that I would be chatting it up with a total stranger, hugging and exchanging phone numbers! He knows me so well.
This moment was such a simple reminder for me. What if my phone had not lost signal? I would have totally missed out on this divine appointment, this moment that led to a feeling of wonder and awe of my Lord.
How many opportunities do I miss?
This woman's $5 may not seem like much, but to me, it was a reminder of the Widow's mite. (See Luke 21:1-4) And she did not have to give me this $5. She doesn't know me...
I will be sending my friend, Shelley, this $5 with a prayer of blessing for God to multiply this special gift for their sweet family!
My God is so AMAZING!
