Do You Ever Wonder?

Have you ever met someone?

What I mean is, have you ever gone out looking for people?

I mean.

Well.

I mean, have you ever...

Okay. I'm going to stop asking questions designed to help you relate to me, and just say what I'm thinking.

Several years ago - five or six, maybe even seven - I went out to a park with my church's evangelism team. It was the first time I'd ever "witnessed" on purpose, and I was petrified. I prayed that God would show me someone easy. A man and woman sitting in lawn chairs caught my eye. I felt compelled. I walked up, started a conversation. Asked about their lives. Had a great time getting to know them just a little. Then I remembered why I'd started the conversation in the first place. Asked about their relationship with Christ. They asked if I was from (insert the name of my church here). I smiled sheepishly and said yes. They said they figured, since they'd seen it in the announcements. Turns out that they pastor another local church and come to ours when they don't have a service at the same time. What an easy way to start off!

Next was a young lady. She was sitting down by the river, watching the water go by. Something about her just... caught my attention. Arrested and held it firmly, rather. She was so... peaceful. Thoughtful. Seemed like she was searching for something.

Started talking. Found out she'd just moved to our town. Had a husband. Two daughters. Sweet, sweet woman. Loved her God, loved her Jesus. Hadn't found a church home yet, but they were searching. Maybe that's what God wanted me to talk to her about? She and her husband, and her daughters came to our church a few times. I still don't know what God did with that encounter... turned out their church home was not to be the same as mine. They settled in somewhere else. And I've thought of and prayed for them fairly often ever since.

That's a lot of years to pray for someone when you don't actually know them. Or where they are. Or what they're doing.

I found out recently, though, that God's been doing awesome things in their lives. They now have five kids. Are on fire for their King. Established in their church. And I know it! What a blessing to find this out through a long, twisty, crazy way. Involving a total stranger, pictures of kids I've never met playing on a beach hours away from here, a sick baby, a blog I read frequently, and a friend who needs a wedding photographer.

Just a reminder that God... He is God everywhere. All the time. And when we pray - even if we don't know what to pray - He hears.