Sarah

It was October 21, 2008 when I first saw her in the entrance of a busy strip center in Jackson, TN where I was about to meet a friend at Starbucks for coffee. She was standing next to a grocery shopping cart full to the brim and overflowing with plastic grocery sacks tied to the sides and stuff hanging over each edge. She wore a hat similar to Gilligan of Gilligan’s Island fame and appeared to be waiting….but for what? For a ride? Perhaps she had walked across the busy street from Wal-Mart to wait for her ride to come pick her up and take her home and in my mind….done. Finished. Over. On to meet my friend.

Approximately one hour later (or longer!! I think we had a lot to catch up on!!) I am leaving Starbucks and driving out of the parking lot and I notice that she is still standing in the same place. Had her ride not come? Or was she homeless?

I was in a hurry and I had someplace to be. The traffic was horrendous. I was exhausted when I heard the unsaid whisper of the Holy Spirit say “Stop”. “What?” I respond as I look both ways to find a car who will let me in to turn out of the parking lot so I can get far away from her. “Stop and talk to her.” that pesky voice says. Seriously? I am pulling out into very heavy traffic and I can easily turn right and get into my lane and head home….and there it is….an open lane!! It must be from God!! Surely it is a ‘sign’ that I really don’t ‘have’ to stop and talk to her. “Stop.” I hear it again.

Just a few hours earlier I had been talking to God about how I really, really wanted/needed to hear from Him. I desperately longed/needed/wanted for Him to speak to me. He gently reminded me of my recent request and so I have a decision to make!!! Obey or continue on to do the next thing on my agenda.

I rationalize all sorts of reasons why I should not stop. “I can’t help every homeless person” I argue. He responds, “I am not asking you to help every homeless person, but I am asking you to help this one!” Of course, by this time, since I did not obey immediately, I would have to go through all kinds of traffic at the busiest intersections in Jackson and make all kinds of turns in order to even make my way back to her.

Finally, I make the determined decision to obey. Amazing!! So many times I am prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something and I excuse it away. Oh, how I want to do what we are teaching our grandchildren to do--obey right away, all the way, with a happy heart!! After eventually making my way back to her (all of the way hoping she will be gone by the time I get there!!) I roll down my window (I don’t dare get too close) and ask, “Do you need some help?”

“I have been standing here for a while waiting for some assistance”, she replies. Assistance? Me? Am I her assistance? Has she been waiting there all this time for me? I park the car. I talk to her and then and there begin a relationship I cherish and will never forget.

Her name is Sarah. She lives on the streets. I tell her she is special and loved and over the next several months God gave me such a love for her that remains even though I have not seen her since I moved to Indiana. She so appreciated each provision God gave her through me from gift cards to Steak N Shake to books she wanted to read to blankets and hats and gloves to protect her from the cold winter....but rejected the Gospel each time I shared it with her.

I longed to take her to a place where she would be warm and fed and cared for. I longed for her to know my Jesus. But she was content with where she was….and I needed to love her in that place.

Oh, friend…..I wonder how often God is offering to you and to me shelter and provision and care and we ‘think’ we are fine. Doing ‘OK’. When He has so much more for us…more spiritual food and spiritual places we cannot even fathom. Are we spiritually destitute and not even know it?

I love Sarah. I pray for her. I miss her. I worry about her. I wonder where she is and how she is doing. Father, I ask that You continue to provide for Sarah, enable her to see You, run to You and love You with her whole heart. I ask that You would show each minister's wife your Truth about where we are spiritually. That we would long for more of You. That we would recognize our need for You. Thank you, Father, that we are not homeless. You have prepared a home for us...a mansion!! We love you and wait for You. In Jesus' name. Amen!