March 21, 2006, The Day It Happened
Prayer Changes Things……And People… And Me!
I was eating in Chick-fil-A just after Life Group. I could hear two men behind me talking about their jobs. They worked for different airlines but both were equally bothered about upcoming changes. One was especially negative. They voiced concerns over family responsibilities, benefits and retirement. One even said, “I’m trying to plan for the worst.” Doom and gloom was all over their conversation. I had visions of the old TV show Hee Haw and the hillbillies singing, “If it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all!” I wondered if the song writers had been listening to these two men!
The restaurant manager eased from table to table asking if everything was alright. I nodded and said, “I couldn’t be better!” As she smiled and walked off I thought, “I’ve just been diagnosed with possible diabetes and I said I couldn’t be better? Where did that come from?”
With clarity and courage I cleared my table and turned to the two men who had been sitting behind me. “Guys,” I softly began. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I did hear some of your conversation and I just wanted to remind you….prayer changes things.”
One man looked completely startled; the other one lightened up and nodded,
“That’s right. I’m living that right now. Thank you for reminding me.”
Having their full attention now, as awkward as it seemed, I continued. “You know God is still on the throne. Now when He leaves the throne we all need to worry….but until then maybe instead of looking at the things that change we need to look at the one thing that doesn’t change – and that’s God!” Then I shared with them how we’d been in similar situations and how prayer and encouragement from others brought us through. And then I ended my Holy Spirit prompted conversation with these gentlemen with a smile and said…
“Sermon over and I’m not even going to take up a collection!”
We laughed, and parted on great terms. It was just a few moments of my day. That’s sometimes all we need to change our thoughts and hearts direction. Could just a small interruption in a conversation change so much? Yes, I believe that it can. Just like prayer is a conversation with God – it can change things, change people and most of all change ME… if we let Him.
I had my own battles to face and eventually win that day. I understood those men and how fear can get us looking in the wrong direction. I knew God spoke to me because I was listening for Him. Daily I ask Him to renew a right spirit in me so I won’t miss His ordered steps in my life even when they don’t seem to make much sense at the time. Those men needed to be reminded that prayer changes things and so did I.
After all, God is still on the throne. That hasn’t changed and never will.
I would also like to note that the Lord didn’t require my life to be in perfect in order for Him to prompt me to share His reminder with these guys. You know, if we’re simply open to hear and receive His prompting, He gently and kindly meets us where we are and uses us to remind and encourage one another and in the process, the blessing rolls back on me like a ripple I sent out coming back toward me.
“Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
