"Praying for someone I don't even know."

I had mapped out the morning with the children: first we'd go to Wal-Mart (We really need a fish tank pump/filter thingy), then to Game Stop, and lastly to the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter's (CHKD) Thrift Store to unload the trunk of our van that was full of old and forgotten 'treasures.' The plan was set, baby bag packed, children excited and we were off. Only one thing, we had forgotten to pray for our Treasure Hunt or a God Encounter, as we call it.

We were driving along when I realized that although I couldn't pray with my eyes closed, the kids could! So I told them to close their eyes and wait for the Lord to show them someone or something that would guide us to who God wanted us to pray for.

With my eyes open and driving I began to pray. "Lord, show us the lost. Show us who needs a touch from you today. Set our hearts on fire for sharing the Good News where ever we are and where ever we go. Show us Lord. Give us a vision, a picture of the person who needs you."

We waited and then said, "Amen."

We all saw something:

I saw an African American woman who was wearing a navy-blue shirt and slightly large.

One son said, "I saw blue eyes."

One daughter said, "I saw pink pebbles and a ship with a flag."

One daughter said, "I saw a man wearing a hat."

My other son said, "I saw a yellow and black flashing light."

And my three year old said, "I saw a cart. Just one cart."

Okay, we saw alot and really couldn't make any sense of it. Were we going to pray for a crowd of people? Were we going to be praying for alot of individual people? It didn't matter to us- with expectant hearts we approached Wal-Mart and it's shoppers ready to pray.

We walked straight to the fish area/pet center of the store. I allowed the five younger ones to spy the fish in the tanks while my eldest and I went to try and figure out which pump we needed. As I turned into the aisle I saw endless pumps and no idea which one I needed. I started reading box upon box, but knew that my time was limited by how entertaining the fish were going to be for my five children. I looked around for a worker- there was no one. So, being the New Yorker that I am, I simply looked up at the ceiling, and called out into to the store, "Does anyone work in the pet center!" and "Can anyone help me in the fish aisle?"

(Okay, say it. I know you want to. Go ahead- say it. "She's a nut!")

Well, a few moments later a worker turned into the aisle. (Now you're thinkin'-huh? yelling out into the open does work and maybe I'll try next time ;) She was not a happy worker, but someone to help me. As she approached me I saw my vision. "An African American woman wearing a navy blue shirt and slightly large." I turned my face away from her to ask the Lord if she was the one and as my eyes landed on the shelf to my left I saw a bag of, "pink pebbles." I knew.

She walked up to me and asked me what exactly I needed, but as I started to tell her I couldn't get the awe of actually staring at a woman that I had seen before I ever walked into the store. I stopped my mouth from talking about fish pumps and said, "Can we not talk about fish pumps right now? I have to tell you and you may not believe this, but on our way out today we prayed for God to show us who He wanted to touch and I saw you." I then asked her if there was anything that my kids and I could pray for her? I no sooner asked her when she began pouring her need for financial help.

I asked her, her name, the kids gathered around and we began to pray. I prayed something like, "Dear Jesus I thank you for Jessica. I thank you that you created her and only you know the amount of hairs on her head and the desires of her heart. She didn't even have to pray for someone, a complete stranger, to pray for her because You knew her thoughts and what she needed. That is just how much you love Jessica. So, Lord, we ask for a financial blessing to fall on Jessica now. We pray that you would open up a new job or a substantial raise, but whatever it is however you want to bless her we pray that you would do it. We thank you Lord in advance for loving Jessica and taking care of her. Amen."

She looked at me and said, "You don't know how badly I needed that today."
I said, "That's right, I didn't, but God did." and smiled.

Then she scooped me up in her arms and hugged me. It was truly...I'm at a loss for words.

She wiped her eyes and then said, "Okay, how can I help you?"

END OF PART ONE

Well, we finished our Wal-Mart outing and headed for Game Stop, but we did not see anyone there to pray for. We got back in the car and hoped to find someone who needed prayer at CHKD. We went in, dropped off all our stuff and walk around looking for God's special someone. And like always I found a few things we needed so we headed toward the counter to check out. While standing in the line I noticed that just one person was ahead of me and thought of what my son had said, "I saw one cart. Just one cart." I wondered if she was the one we were to pray for. I watched her talking to the check-out girl and felt she was too busy to stop and ask if she would like us to pray for her.  Standing in line seemed like FOR-ever! The children were all buzzing around me and I really just couldn't wait to be mobile again. Then an older gentleman walked up to me and asked, "Do you babysit allll these children every day?" I said, "Yes, but I don't get paid." I explained how they were mine. He then smiled and walked back to the doorway of the store- I think he was just waiting for his wife to finish shopping so they could leave.

When I had been checked out I gathered the kids and looked up at the elderly man again and realized he was wearing a hat. I told the children and they all stood beside me as I approached him. I told him my name and told him our story. He then told us his name, Mr. Jones, and when I asked him if we could pray for him he immediately said yes. He told me he was eighty-two years old and wanted prayer for good health. We all bowed our heads and I began to pray. I prayed and thanked God for Mr. William Jones' life and for the many years that God had already given him. I then asked the Lord to bless him with many more years, more years to see his great-grandchildren all grow up. I also prayed for his wife, for her good health and long life. When we finished I opened my eyes and saw that his wife was standing and agreeing with us in prayer and this very same woman was the woman in line ahead of me with the 'one cart.'

We said goodbye and left. As we were walking to the van my son said to me, "Mommy, I feel so good praying for someone I don't even know."  I said, "Me too."

I am not a missionary. I do not travel to far away countries and share the gospel. I do not go to tribal nations and translate the Bible into their language. I am not an evangelist. I am, though a woman, a mommy, who loves Jesus and feels His love for others. He wants so many to know His love. He wants so many to know that they are not forgotten by Him and  I am so blessed to be a mere vessel.