A God Encounter at Wal-Mart

It was the Monday after Easter and I really wanted to check out the Easter clearance stuff at Wal-Mart. (Preview: I'm creating an "Easter in August" Godly Girls Camp this summer! Totally Excited!)   Anyways, the kids and I were sitting at breakfast and I shared with them my plan about getting out early and going shopping before we started school. They were actually looking forward to the outing.

So, we cleaned up breakfast and began the 'train' moving toward getting out the door. (It's a process to get the six children with teeth brushed, hair combed, 'pottied', shoes on the right feet...out the door). When I heard the call, "READY!" I gathered them around the kitchen table. (Something I'd not done before-we usually start heading right to the van).

We sat around the table. I told them that I believe there are hurting people everywhere. We may not see them or notice them, but they are there. I also said that many people don't know Jesus and some have never even heard His name before. They all nodded. "Okay," I said, "Then I'd like to take some time now and pray and ask God if there IS anyone He'd like us to pray for in the store today." We bowed our heads, closed our eyes and prayed for God to show us who needed a touch from Him today.

When we finished praying I asked the children did you see or hear anything from God. I shared that I saw the bottom half of a shopping cart with two little legs hanging down from the child seat of the cart. My assumption was that God wanted us to pray for a child. My daughter said she saw the number 7 and my son saw the color tan. We thought maybe we are to pray for a child wearing a tan shirt with the number 7 on it. With excitement we jumped up and drove to Wal-Mart.

We got to the Easter clearance aisle and looked around.  We looked. There was a little boy, but no seven. We shopped and looked- no one. We were in that section for at least twenty minutes when it hit me! I looked at the children and said, "Aisle 7!"  We began running. (Aisle 7 was on the complete opposite side of the store). We couldn't wait to find this child!  WE were all laughing and bubbling over to meet this family.

We arrived at aisle 7 and there was no one in the aisle EXCEPT for a mom and her two children. One of them  was in the front seat of the cart. As we entered the aisle she began leaving it! I called to her, "Ma'am!" "Ma'am!" (What we all looked like I don't know, but this poor woman turned around and saw me, my cart with two children in it and four other children running toward her all of us wearing big smiles). Anyway, she stopped and I said, "Can we pray for you?" She was a beautiful Hispanic woman who looked very tired. She said, "Yes." No questions asked, she looked a bit confused, but said yes. As I explained to her why we wanted to pray and what we believed the Lord told us, an African-American gentleman started to come into the aisle. He stood there and listened to me ramble, all the while with the most sweet and peaceful smile on his face.

The woman accepted our request and we all moved closer to lay hands on the little girl. I began praying for her health, and then felt to pray for her protection.  I prayed that angels would go with her throughout her life protecting her from harm and fear of night. I prayed for a good education that she would absorb all her lessons and go far in life. I prayed for her to know God in an intimate way. Then we prayed for her sister and finally for the mother.

When we said, "Amen" I opened my eyes and they were just at peace. There were no words. I said thank you to her and we said goodbye. She sort of stumbled out of the aisle while me and the kids were so happy that we, I think, kind of skipped out of the aisle.

We have pledged to pray before leaving to go anywhere for God to show us who He wants us to pray for. We're not missionaries, we're simply servants of the Lord bringing the Good News to all people around us. I heard recently, "Jesus didn't come to die on the cross just so we can do church." I have been so convicted by that. I want to do more than "just church." I want to share the hope and joy I have with reckless abandon. I want to be unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to be obedient to God my Savior.