Toward the end of my college days I was the pastor of Hachita Baptist Church, a small country church in the boothill of New Mexico. (1987 – 1990) The church was 120 miles from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces where I attended school. Often I would travel there on Fridays and spend Saturdays visiting people, than on Sundays I would travel back to school in the late afternoon or evenings.
One day about 4:30 pm when I was in a hurry to get back to Las Cruces to see a young lady, I noticed a car with people standing next to it on the other side of the interstate just as I was pulling onto the road. As soon as I saw these people I felt a tug in me to go help these people – I might have even heard a voice . . . But there was this young lady in Las Cruces and these people were going the other direction and surely someone going that way would stop and help them out. So began my arguments.
The further I traveled away from these people the more I felt that I should go back and help them. Yet the further away I got the more reason I had for not going back. After all, someone else would help them, so why should I? As I neared Deming, about forty miles from these people, my heart began to physically hurt me. I knew that I had to turn back. I believe that I could not have gone further away from these people even if I had tried to. I surrendered to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
When I arrived at the scene, they were still there. It was a mother and her son. It was a hot day – not unusual in the desert of Southwestern New Mexico. The mother looked dejected, parched, and devoid of emotion. I learned that the husband had started walking towards the next town in order to hire some help about an hour ago. I offered to carry them into Lordsburg and pick up her husband on the way.
As we traveled in my little Toyota pickup truck to Lordsburg, they began to tell me their story. The lady told me that they had been there all day and no one had stopped to help them even when they tried to wave someone down. The lady looked at her son and said, “see son - I told you if we just prayed that God would send someone to help us. We should have prayed this morning.”
The boy looked at his watch and than said to his mother, rather sarcastically, “mother we prayed at 4:30 - over an hour ago – when dad was still here. This has nothing to do with God. We just finally found a nice person”
I’m not sure the boy believed me when I shared my story with him but his mother was praising God, looking refreshed and excited - so was I. What a huge transformation in this mother. It reminded me of the familiar verse of scripture: “Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40:31 God is amazing!
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2 comments:
Thanks for sharing. I benefited from reading this.
I recently found the church site and subsequently this blog site.
I am encouraged by this post and the others on this site. Please continue to share what God is doing with you and all you know.
I have been fortunate to have also had similar opportunities to obey God's hand of direction in my life. Most often, I have obeyed and yielded to God's call.
Occasionally, I have turned the other way. Much to my regret.
Most recently, on the way to Wal- Mart, I prayed to the Father and once again gave all that I have to Him; my money, my time, my desires, my fears, my problems....my life. I asked Him to intercede and resolve the HUGE problems that I face at this time. I meant it. He is the only one who can. I wanted freedom from the worry and fear to focus only on His kingdom.
I completed my small purchase and was walking out of Wal-Mart as I noticed a large lady standing in the parking lot with a basket of groceries.
As I glanced briefly at her, she called out to me and asked if I were going downtown (that was exactly where I was going)or anywhere near. I avoided her for a moment and she called out again. I thought of everyone waiting for me to return and the inconvenience of giving this lady a ride. I answered her and said "No, I am going the other way" - I had lied.
As I walked another thirty feet to my car, It dawned on me that God had just given me an opportunity to join Him in meeting a need and walking in obedience of my re-committed life. I then changed my mind and decided to obey, but it was too late....the lady was gone; vanished. There were no cars driving away nor any sign of this lady in the parking lot. Just me, and my lost opportunity. To trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
A. Friend.
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