There was a spontaneous addition to this adventure
[Destination: Thessaloniki, Greece].
Before I begin writing you a glimpse of what Greece was for me, let me just start with this.
God has things He wants to show you & tell you & give you & comfort you with; I can’t believe I am just now [fully] letting him do just that.
I have always known about prayer and it’s “importance”. Prayer has been a stranger to me at times and even when it became familiar again, I never really enjoyed it or understood the power behind it.
Welp, my time in Greece destroyed that dull outlook I had on prayer.
I have always seen & loved God through nature. I feel him in the slightest of wind. I [subconsciously] drive to the mountains, travel to beaches, & wake up early for sunrises, just to see & hear Him.
I always knew there were countless ways to soak in His presence, simply because He is wherever you go.
[Let’s be real: Every space you walk into, He is already there waiting in excitement for your arrival]
Raw, authentic prayer is new to me. It isn’t fresh sea air or climbing a mountain. Prayer uses your heart. Prayer is vulnerable.
[Story time]
One day we decided to go on a prayer walk through the city of Thessaloniki. I had never been on a prayer walk before, but I expected it to be boring [too truthful?].
Oddly enough, from the beginning of the walk, I couldn’t stop praying. I didn’t get bored, I didn’t run out of words to say- I had more than enough to say. This city desperately needs love & I could pray all day for that [& I did].
I got to a statue in the middle of the city. It overlooked a main street that led to the ocean. I casually took off my shoes and made myself comfortable- I knew I would be there for a while, because I [surprisingly] had so much to pray for. I was praying for an awakening in the city, that a light of hope would beam through its walls. In that time a lady sat down right in front of me.
She became my prayer. She was a stranger and yet I loved praying for her, simply because my heart told me to. I was asking God to pour love over her and to show her the other side of life [the side where hope radiates].
I finally got up from my spot and walked down to where she was. I smiled and said, “I hope you have a beautiful day”, and walked away. That was comfortable for me. I did nothing I haven’t done before and God knew that.
He asked for more.
“Go back and sit with her”
& [crazy enough] I did.
All of a sudden I was sitting by Natasha. We were holding hands, laughing, and admiring the beauty around us. She had the most beautiful eyes and had such a gentle soul. She had so much to say and I had so much to hear.
To sit with a complete stranger is uncomfortable for me. It wasn’t my choice to sit with her. Looking back at it, I am shocked it happened. BUT God knew Natasha needed a friend.
I was asked to be his hands and feet. He used me. He used me to be love.
God’s love was shown that day. [I’ll never stop praying].
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