Friday, April 20, 2007

Divine appointments are all around us. I remember reading a long time ago that many eastern cultures often treat strangers as if they might be God. In Scripture, Hebrews 13:2, it says, "Be not forgetful of strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Today, while getting gas after Kerri picked me up I stepped out of the van thinking, almost feeling, someone was going to come up and talk to me. I saw no one, but was not surprised when an older African American man came up asking if he could pump my gas or wash the winshield on the van. I tend to wait until people act to gauge where they're coming from, so, I didn't think anything specific about him because he seemed to be nothing other than a man trying to help and possibly make a few dollars if he could. Unlike other people in this scenario I heard him talking to all sorts of pople, only, he started talking about scriptural truths. Part of mind began to think, okay, even satan knows scripture, but, it wasn't really a pressing notion. Instead I talked to him. I felt compelled to ask him about a dream, but just talked to him. As I was getting ready to he said, "Anything you can give." I said, "I can give you prayer." To a little surprise he was very receptive. I prayed for this guy, in the middle of 6pm Friday gas station traffic as fully as I would pray in church. Then he prayed over me. It was a very interesting encounter.

I was reminded of some of my other odd encounters and wonder how many people find themselves in the quirky places I seem to stumble into...mostly at gas stations. There was one time I got into a theological discussion with a satanist at a gas station on New Year's eve in Florida. Another time I met a druid who proceeded to hit on me (he was a man by the way) and who definitely had something supernatural going on with him. He was very much reading mail...I could tell by how he was fashioning his conversation. Lots of interesting, weird experiences at gas stations come to think of it. These always remind me of how much I like to pray. Thank God for giving me a passion for prayer. I feel that my desires for outreach are growing and my fear of going to streets are diminishing thanks to encounters like this. Lord, let your power fall that I may lead people to you through your grace and mercy.

1 comment:

steele family said...

i would have to say that gas station ministry is a little on the odd side of things, lol!