I meant to write this blog a month ago right after i returned from training camp, but better late than never!
I want to share a divine appointment. His name is Ray.
We met Ray as we were driving home from Training Camp Sunday morning. It was definitely not my intention for us to stop and meet Ray, but God had something different in mind.
Tabby, Liz, Sammie Jo, Katie, and I stopped at a gas station on the way out of Georgia. One of the girls saw a man sitting on the curb with his dog. She said we should all go talk to him. I thought to myself, "We really should go talk to this man, but we have like a 9 hour drive home, i am tired, i need a shower, and i don't really feel like ministering to this man." Selfish I know, but I am being honest! One of us even mentioned, "I cannot even look at him, because if I look then I will have to talk to him."
We ended up getting out of the car and walked over to him sitting on the curb. He told us that he grew up in a Baptist church and that he was a Christian. He had an alcohol addiction and had fallen away from the Lord. One of the first questions he asked us was, "Am I still going to Heaven?"
He shared about how long he had been homeless and how he had tried a number of rehab facilities, but at the end of the day no matter how much he tried he had fallen back into alcohol over and over again.
We prayed with Ray. We spoke truth into his life. The Holy Spirit was pouring words out of our mouths. We gave him a bible and wrote down scripture and prayers to encourage him. We sang "How He Loves" together. We had church with Ray that morning. But most of all, we LOVED Ray. Like Jesus loves Ray.
As we sat on the curb with Ray and his dog, a woman drove by honking and yelling out the window, "get out of the middle of the road." My heart broke as I wondered how many times Ray had been yelled at since he has been homeless. I will never forget what Ray told us after that. He said, "Sometimes people come up and give me food or money which is nice. There have been times whenever people come up to me with dog food and tell me they don't care if I eat but I need to feed my dog. And there are people who drive by without even looking at me because they know if they look at me they will have to talk to me."
Conviction hit me. Thanks Holy Spirit, but this sucks! I have been that person. I am ashamed to say that if it weren't for my girls I may have been that person that day. How many times am I too busy to see someone in need? I just pass them by without even a glance because if I do look, I will feel guilted into something. I wonder how many people drive past people like Ray, without even a smile, with Jesus fish stickers on the back of their cars.
God spoke to me through Ray that day. I do not have to wait for The Race to make time to love and pray with people. We still made the 9 hour drive home just fine with plenty of time to rest up for the following week. Losing one hour to spend fellowshipping with Ray was worth it for him and for me.
I do not want to be too busy for God’s divine appointments.
This is Ray with his new bible! 🙂 One of the girls from our squad had left it at camp and Katie picked it up! It was meant for Ray! Thanks Beka! 🙂
If you read this blog, please say a prayer for Ray right now. Pray that he is walking freely in Christ!
