It was day 2 of the Bill Swan imposed “phone fast” and right after dinner time. The fast only was for 2 days and so far I had adhered to it, despite my desire to want to communicate with my loved ones during free time. I left my dinner table right after eating, just wanting to get away from the constant roar of voices you hear with 300(ish) people in the same area.
It was damp, but not raining — finally, a reprieve from the rain. As I got my granola bar out of my daypack, I was thinking of also grabbing my phone. It wasn’t worship time or quiet time, and I had already fasted for a day and a half. Surely I had done enough of the phone fast, right?
No.
There was an internal catch that told me to leave the phone put up and turned off. So, I did just that and sought out a place to quietly sit and eat my granola bar. I saw a table outside of the worship center that was relatively secluded from the throngs of people, and I gravitated towards it. I was happy at the prospect of getting to simply be alone for a few minutes.
Upon coming to the table and plopping my daypack on its surface, I noticed a girl laying on the ground on her back, eyes covered. She didn’t speak, so neither did I. I simply sat in a chair at the table to munch on my granola bar.
A moment later she stirred (I will admit, I had been watching to make sure she was breathing…you never know!) and I asked a simple question, “Are you okay?” She sat up, still on the dirty ground, and her gaze met mine. I don’t remember her words, but her face gave me the response: no, she wasn’t.
I moved from my place at the table to sit on the ground beside my new friend. If you know me, you know that I hate being dirty, so for me to crawl down on the ground instead of persuade her to to a chair is a big deal for me. But Jesus taught me that when something is hurting or upsetting someone, you don’t tell them to get on your level — you get down on theirs.
The conversation that took place was almost exactly like every doubt and fear I had already brought before God about the Race. All those same fears and doubts that I had at previously about the Race, this sweet Racer was currently facing. She was confused and worried and discouraged and doubting. She was me in months past. Our trials are not our own, y’all. We all share in them together, as one body.
After talking a while, I asked this precious woman of God if I could pray for her. She happy said yes. I took her hands and prayed truth, peace, and love over her. Clarity was declared and boldness claimed.
The thing is, I don’t remember what words I prayed. It’s out-of-character for me to seek out someone to pray aloud over, given my extreme aversion to public speaking. It’s atypical of me to want to hold someone’s hands to pray over them, since I often times find it a little creepy when people touch me (shoulder, arm, hand, head, etc.) during prayer.
So….
I don’t think I prayed over that girl.
I think God simply used my feet to find her, my hands to hold hers, and my voice to speak to her soul.
And…it was one of the BEST feelings!
I hate being used by people, but I love being used by God. God rewarded my obedience to the “phone fast” by giving me an opportunity to be used for His glory.
Obedience brings blessings, simple as that.
