It was our squad leader administrative day or as we call it – “Admin Day.” We had come early to the coffee shop to enjoy bottomless coffee and endless wifi. There was work to be done. All six of us put our headphones in and got to it.
Little did we know how much the Holy Spirit was about to interrupt us.
Not even 24 hours earlier I had confessed to the team that I feel like I’ve been hitting a wall in some ways this month. I don’t always want to go for the “more” that God offers. I no longer feel the adrenaline of living uncomfortably, being creative about how many people you can fit in a room or how many different ways you can make a sandwich. I don’t see every moment as an opportunity to let people experience Jesus. I don’t always feel the motivation to do and say the hard, but necessary things. I was embarrassed to admit it, but I was met by others on the team who were feeling the same way.
We were going to make one quick stop by the hospital before heading back to the guesthouse. One of our friends on the squad was being admitted and we wanted to spend some time with her.
We had some trouble between the hospital and the insurance and it kept us there for a bit longer than we hoped. We were hungry and began discussing how we wanted to handle dinner. While a couple of our people kept working with the insurance, the rest of us walked to KFC to get a big bucket of chicken and all the mashed potatoes! Our night was looking up.
With each step, we grew in excitement. We began pretending we were hunters and gatherers, searching for food late at night. We needed to dodge other “hunters” and get to KFC safely and quickly.
Once inside we ordered enough chicken to feed a small army, or 7 world racers, and grabbed a seat to wait.
We were in Durban, South Africa, sitting outside the 2nd largest mall in the southern hemisphere. It had proven to be a place full of homeless people who would approach you, sometimes quite boldly, asking for food or money.
Tonight, we had already been stopped by a man who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. He had been more assertive than most and it had caused us to harden our hearts towards the entire homeless population.
We sat at KFC and developed a plan. We pretended we were a unit with a mission. Get the package (food) to the hospital without any “interruptions.” We knew our formation and we each knew our role. It was fun and lighthearted. The competitive side of me loved the idea of it being a game.
But right as our food was about to come out, a young woman of Indian decent walks in. She’s wearing jeans and a dark purple sweater. She’s my height. Her skin is dark, almost black, and her hair is pulled back.
She cautiously approaches our table, barely making eye contact, and hands us a note.
“My apologies for the disturbance. My name is Katherine. I’m 18 years old. I’m homeless and an orphan. Every day I need to make money so I can afford to stay at the shelter. Cost is 315 rand. Please help. God bless.”
Hayley looked up from the letter and I saw the look in her eyes. She had to do something. She told Katherine she couldn’t give her any money, but offered her some chicken. Katherine nodded and sat down with us to wait.
Hayley began to ask her questions. At first, Katherine was so quiet and timid it seemed like something was wrong with her voice.
Hayley complimented her sweater. “It’s very beautiful. Purple is the color of royalty. You look like a princess.” Katherine looked up and smiled. It spread to her eyes and shown more life in that sweet face than we had yet been able to see.
The more Hayley spoke, the more comfortable and confident Katherine became. She began to speak up. When Hayley asked about church, Katherine looked at her with excited eyes and a grin. “Yes, I have gone to church!” She hadn’t been to church in 2 months because she’s been working to get money, but she seemed excited enough about it that I believe and hope she felt love and acceptance there.
Hayley asked about her family. She told us about her sister who is in prison, but gets out in 2017. I asked if she was close to her sister and she perked up excitedly. “Oh yes!”
The chicken came out and as the boys went to retrieve it from the counter, Hayley asked Katherine if we could pray for her. She nodded. Taking her hand, Hayley prayed. She thanked God for Katherine, her beauty and gentle spirit, her royalty…she is a daughter of the King of Kings. She prayed for provision and protection and thanked God so much for letting us meet Katherine that night. When she finished, Katherine looked up and her eyes were filled with tears. We met her gaze and began crying as well. We hugged one another and said goodbye.
Before we knew it we were outside walking back towards the hospital. We were no longer in a hurry. Our “plan” was now a sobering reminder of how far we let ourselves stray away from the heart of the Father. We walked quietly, taking it in and letting the Holy Spirit humble us more deeply.
Sometimes moments need to linger. This was one of those moments.
