I’ll start by saying the concept of hearing from God is an adventure in itself. I can’t fully explain how it works, I’m still learning. But what I do know for sure is that he wants to talk to us. And he is, we just have to listen.
When we listen, we get to be a part of cultivating beautiful stories like Tiffany’s. (Not her real name but for the sake of this post…we’ll go with that.)
This month my full squad and leaders (40 of us) are living together in Thailand; which is sort of a backpacker hub for seeking spiritual enlightenment. Three days a week, my team is doing construction ministry for a future college. The rest of the week, we are devoting time to listening for God’s voice and obeying whatever we hear. The goal is to find more ministry partners while also being open to God leading us to speak to whomever he pleases. It’s sort of like a treasure hunt.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44
Tiffany was the gold.
One night during worship we were singing “Good, Good Father” and I asked God if there was anyone specific on his mind for me to meet. As I listened to the song, a thought popped in my mind that I knew it wasn’t from me so I wrote it in my notes verbatim:
“-There’s a girl who needs to know I’m a good good Father…because hers wasn’t. ‘Many searching for answers only you provide.’ (lyrics from the song)
– She’s gonna be so excited to hear the news. So excited. She might cry.”
Later that same night, me and my squad mates Theo and Ryan went out. We entered a crowded night market that was bustling with people, noises and smells. Amidst the noise, one sound stood out from an outdoor bar in the back of the market. I told Ryan that I had to follow the music so we parted ways and planned to meet up later.
Seconds after arriving at the bar, I met Tiffany.
I noticed her long golden braids and she simultaneously commented on my Wakanda-style hairdo. Instantly, we clicked.
The live singer stopped to welcome everyone at the bar. She paused and looked right at me and Tiffany as we stood in the back chatting,
Singer: “Welcome everyone! Especially you two ladies in the back. Come on in!”
We exchanged looks and shrugged, why not I guess. Turns out it was her birthday the next day so we got drinks and got to talking. She was a hilarious open book from LA. Within 15 minutes I knew more about her life then some of my good friends. I told her that I work at my church, and that’s when things got interesting.
Immediately, without me provoking it, she started talking about her views on God and why she was in Thailand. I’ve noticed a common theme here: many are searching. Tiffany was looking for answers to a laundry list of questions and expecting something crazy to happen on her spiritual quest. She had a ton of baggage and arguments against Christianity as a religion; but I could tell she hadn’t totally given up on Jesus. And that’s really all it takes.
At what seemed to be the perfect time, Theo and Ryan found us and joined. As we dug deeper, she opened up more.
Tiffany: “Okay, so to be completely honest, both of my parents committed suicide. Am I supposed to just be okay with believing they’re both in hell??”
She began talking about her father and as she spoke, I wondered if the message I received during worship earlier was specifically for her.
Tiffany: “I mean, my dad was a jackass so I don’t know why I even care.”
Me: “Wait, what did you just say?!”
Tiffany: *squints eyes* “My dad was a jackass?”
Me: *freaks out*
I read her the first message: There’s a girl who needs to know I’m a good good Father…because hers wasn’t. ‘Many searching for answers only you provide.’
Immediately, she started crying…saw that coming. So I read her the second part: She’s gonna be so excited to hear the news. So excited. She might cry.
Really God?? You’re so so good! I couldn’t believe how intentional he was with her and that he would use me to convey that!
For what was probably another 2 hours, we sat with Tiffany and did our best to love her well and answer her questions. But in reality, it was the love of Jesus that was so clearly wooing her into his arms. He was being so sweet and every detail that night was tailored specifically to her. Even down to the love songs that the band began playing as we explained the hope and love of Jesus that is revealed through the Gospel.
While every detail was mind blowing, I’ll spare the minor ones. But, I would be remiss not to mention the best part: Tiffany accepted Jesus that evening in a loud, unexpected bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Happy Birthday girl.
This is the beginning of a long, sticky, adventurous, amazing, wild, and freeing relationship with the God of the universe for Tiffany. A Gentleman who sought her out that night and fashioned together three randos from different parts of the U.S.–just to reveal his love for her.
The truth is, that’s what the Lord desires to do with all of his kids. He wants us to taste the beauty of his Kingdom here on this earth. To talk to us and meet us just where we are, hoping we respond to his voice.
I have no superpowers, I’m not a prophet, nor do I have a special gifting that enabled me to hear that message for Tiffany. I simply asked God to speak to me and listened. To be completely honest, I often ask and I don’t feel like I hear anything specific. It’s a process of learning how to discern his voice.
But, 1 Corinthians 2:16 puts it plainly, “…we have the mind of Christ.” He LITERALLY wants to give us his mind-his thoughts, his actions, his love. The closer we get to him, the more we learn his heart.
We might not always get it right. But when we do, love wins.
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Thank you for coming alongside on this journey. Please keep Tiffany in your prayers (God knows her real name). Pray that she would find a community of support as she begins her walk with Jesus.
Much love, always.
