Today I read my friends blog (as I often do). She is an anointed writer, speaker, minister of the gospel and so dear. It touched that place where deep is calling to deep and I've asked if I could share with you. So here is Tony Robinson (http://wellwateredwoman.blogspot.com) with a word I believe you will relate to. The need to see beyond what is right in front of us and the testimony we find there.
“A voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make his paths straight.”
Mark 1:3
Last evening my son Jordan and I were blessed to meet a man and that encounter has left a mark that will never be erased.
We were walking to the market when we encountered him, he is a homeless man.
We live in a city with a high homeless population so it isn’t rare or unusual to run into a homeless person, but yesterday was different.
I had seen this man a few times over the past month or so, but because he appeared so bedraggled and scary looking I always attempted to avoid him, but again yesterday was different.
As we approached the corner to cross the street, we saw him standing on the median; he had bags galore at his feet. I was prepared to hear the words I’ve heard on more occasions than I can count, “do you have some spare change”, “I’m hungry can you help me out with some extra cash”, something along those lines. But yesterday was different.
This man wanted nothing from the people who walked past him, he wanted nothing from the cars that pulled up alongside the median, he was not looking to receive but only to give.
As we got closer to him he spoke, but it was so gentle we almost missed his words, I thought he said something but wasn't sure if I heard correctly. Taken aback at what I “thought” I heard, I said excuse me, and he repeated the very words that I thought I heard, he said: “free Christian flyers”.
Stunned, I said okay and approached him. He had a notebook/portfolio type folder crammed full with papers; he reached in and pulled one out.
My son Jordan and I took the paper, It was hand written with gentle yet strong and perfected penmanship.
As we looked at it, he told me all the words in quotations were direct scriptures, the words not in quotations; which were few; very few; were his expression and revelations of what the Lord had spoken to him. He spoke to us some things concerning the nation and American needing prayer, as he spoke I could fee the presence of God around this man.
This man, this one person that many have driven by, walked past and pressed hard to avoid as I too had done had such a gentle and kind spirit to him.
You could literally feel the love of God oozing off of him. His heart for souls, his concern for this nation was overwhelming. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt this man, this most unlikely subject had been with Jesus. As stood there my heart burst like a dam inside of me I wanted to run and find myself in the secret place, in my prayer closet crying out interceding for souls, for the nation like never before. To be truthful I wanted to lay prostrate in the median and weep before God.
I have heard stories of people the likes of Smith Wigglesworth, John Wesley and others. People who had spent so much time in the presence of God through their prayer lives that when engaging with people the power of God would overtake those around them and they would begin to weep and cry what must we do to be saved. I can only relate what my son and I experienced yesterday to an event like that. I felt the conviction of God to extend myself further than I’ve ever been extended before to be a witness and a light to the lost, to interceded and cry out for our leaders and nation.
As we parted ways and my son and I continued on our way to the store, I was still so shaken and moved, I called my husband and shared with him. He told me he had saw the man sleeping in a grassy area early that morning on his way to work and prayed for him as he walked past. My son then told me he had seen him the day before sitting in the grassy area reading his Bible.
As soon as I hung up with my husband I had to call several friends to share. Later last night my husband went out to ride the bicycle, about an hour later he called to say he saw the man in the same spot and stopped to talk to him. They held a lengthy conversation encouraging and edifying each other in the word of God. It really blessed my husband, especially when the man said he was just doing what he could to help share the good news of the gospel of Christ. He said he just wanted to help make people’s days better, amazing really amazing.
I’m not sure what happened in this mans life to bring him to the place of homelessness but I do know this, despite the state he found himself in he was determined to let his light shine.
He refused to be defined by his situation yet he chose to allow his situation to define and show forth the Christ in him.
Dear Well Watered Woman I charge you today to continue to let your light shine. Whatever the state you may find yourself in, God is still able and willing to use your life, your words, your heart, your voice to touch the lives of others. There may be days when you feel like the lone voice crying out in the wilderness but you are not alone He is with you. I implore you to take in the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:11, to learn to be content in whatever state you find yourself and to continue to press towards the mark for the prize of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus; Philippians 3:14.
Blessings until next time,
