I saw myself tonight. I was with a good friend enjoying dinner and great conversation. We were sitting outside listening to live music and people watching. Then we saw her. She had been drinking. I recognized those eyes. I knew that walk. That smile had been on my face. It wasn’t genuine, it was a mask. “I’m having fun.” I couldn’t watch her, it was too real. That was me. That could still be me. My heart hurt. I knew where she was at. Covering the hurt, the pain, the emptiness. Running from God, but actually wanting to be held in His arms.
Then she sits down at a nearby table.
Then she sits down at a nearby table.
“Go talk to her.”
“Really Lord?”
“Yes, you’ve been there. Go talk to her.”
“Yes, OK. I’ve got to go talk to her.”
This is all pretty new to me. I’m not good at talking to people I don’t know. I’m not outgoing. However, I knew that I was supposed to go and talk to this woman tonight. So I introduced myself to her and said that I knew that I was supposed to talk to her tonight. She told me what she had been up to and that she had a few drinks at one of the restaurants. She then asked me if I was a Christian. (Wow, cool God!) I told her that I was and that God had asked me to talk to her tonight.
She started to tell me that she was Baptist and that she goes to church and bible study. That she shouldn’t be wearing the dress that she’s wearing tonight or be drinking. I just listened. She then told me how she used to smoke cigarettes and a few years ago she was praying that God would take that from her. She wanted to quit. The next morning she took a few puffs and felt really sick. She stopped smoking that day. She knew that it was God who helped her quit.
I told her that I used to drink a lot and had often prayed that God would help me stop. I shared that He did just that and has transformed my life. She asked if I stopped drinking completely. I told her that God had removed the desire to drink and that it’s only because of Him that I’ve been able to stop. She says that she is drinking because there is a lot going on in her family right now. There are problems with her 27 year old son. Problems at work. Drinking helps numb it out.
The Lord then told me to tell her that she is beautiful. That He loves her. That He has a plan for her. That she has a purpose. That she is loved. That He sees her pain and cares for her. Tears started to fall from her face. (God is so good!)
She told me that God had sent me to her tonight. I totally agree! She got my phone number and I told her I would love to talk to her more and pray with her.
Praise the Lord! He is so powerful and has a purpose for each one of us. It is so amazing how He is at work behind the scenes and is working everything together to draw people near. Jesus saves! Chains CAN be broken, hearts CAN be healed, lives CAN be transformed. I wish there was a better word to use…but this experience was AWESOME!
My prayer is for my friend that I met tonight and for the redemption through Jesus Christ in her life. FREEDOM!!!
