Obedience changes our hearts, not our circumstances

I went to the post office to mail small Valentines gifts to the grandkids. Of course, half of the county beat me there. In line in front of me stood a lady with the most amazing Mona Lisa smile. However, she wore a knitted cap hiding a bald head, a trach protruding from her throat and she was tethered to a portable oxygen tank.

Surely folks would let her move up in line. I waited. No one did. Should I jump up on the counter and rant a bit? Pound my cane on the floor? We stood. And stood. The line snailed ahead. My grumpiness increased. No one offered their place in line to this woman.

So while I thumped my cane, frowned my hardest and sent out hateful vibes, she stood serene and calm.

Out of my hateful mood came the “thought” to pray with her. What I wanted to do was kick some royal bottoms. Hesitantly I tapped her on the shoulder and asked her if I could pray for her. I held on to her (so I wouldn’t fall over) and prayed for healing and God’s will and acceptance. Short. To the point. She thanked me and we moved up six inches.

As I thought about this later at home, I wondered why God asked me to pray for a precious woman whose name I didn’t even know. To me it seemed obvious she was a Christian, and to me it seemed obvious she was dealing with her diagnosis better than I was at that moment. So why pray for her?

Was the prayer for her, or was it a test of my willingness to obey? Who needed prayer the most at that moment? Even though the line still snaked along, I had a new peace. She mailed her package and left. When I got outside, she was gone.

There isn’t a moral to this story. I just wanted to share it with you. God knows what we need when we need it. Sometimes His way of providing is just …strange.

I pray for a good week for you, for opportunities to allow God to use you in some way, even if it is to calm your own savage thoughts.

Regina