So tonight I went to the mall to do a little shopping (which I love, so don’t hate) and thought I would pray for God to give me an opportunity to share Jesus with someone. During my drive I felt like I was supposed to look for someone wearing a purple hat. I thought this was funny because that is such a specific thing to look for. Not many people wearing completely purple hats walking around the mall these days. I was shopping the mall a couple of hours with people all around me and no one wearing a purple hat. The mall I went to is a mile long circle where the chances of passing people more than once is fairly high. Plus, it was a Saturday so there were A LOT of people out and about. I went into my last store to make a purchase and as I was starting to walk out I thought to myself, “well, maybe God told me to connect with that “purple hat person” just so that I would be obedient to look for them but not actually connect with them.” Sometimes as a follower of Christ, it is important to realize that when God asks about something it may not be for the direct outcome that one expects. This, however, did not happen to be one of those days. As I walked out of the store and towards my car, I spotted a guy wearing a completely purple hat!! I thought, “Holy crap. Are you kidding me?” I don’t know why it surprised me but all of the sudden I got a knot in my stomach. This was the put my “Spiritual money where my mouth is” moment. I decided I didn’t want to have the conversation with God on the drive home about not following through with something that I ASKED for so I did it. I walked up to him and said, “can I ask you a question? I was praying when I was driving to the mall and I was supposed to pray with/connect with someone wearing a purple hat.” He just looked at me, not even surprised at what I said so I kept talking to him. I said, “is there anything that I can pray with you about?” He said no so I asked him, “do you have any preachers in your family?”He said, “probably.” I said, “do you go to church?” He said no but he used to. I told him, “well I am supposed to tell you that God still loves you and misses you.” He accepted what I said, shook my hand, thanked me and we went our separate ways. There were no tears, no earthquakes, no hugs and confessions of sins in that mall but it was an opportunity for a seed to be planted in that guys life. I walked out to my car with successful purchases that I found this evening and a heart full of appreciation that I could do something for God in a tangible way. That may sound weird that I would even mention the things I bought, but the God I serve is not separate from me purchasing things or talking to a total stranger about His love. Too many times we divide the “spiritual and the non-spiritual” in life. Am I saying that my purchases were spiritual? No, but I did get some screamin’ deals tonight including a brick red designer jacket that you will see me in when it gets colder! Haha I am saying that my “flesh action” of going to the mall to goof off and have fun directly correlated with me sharing Jesus. I want my life to be a perfect blend of fun enjoying life and enjoying doing God’s will. If they are separate then we will always think we have to choose between the two when we never have to. A perfect blend of enjoying life while considering eternity (which is also my vision statement, by the way, with my job in Christian TV)
There are a couple of reasons why I shared this story with you. Our prayer every day of our lives should be for the Holy Spirit to interrupt us with his will. I was not only put on this earth to only love people myself but to intersect other lives with the truth, healing and love of Jesus. If we are not asking God for opportunities to reach out to people in this world then it probably won’t happen. If I am going to be telling people in my private (and soon to be TV life/program) that they need to reach out to the world around them with God’s love, then I better dang well be doing it myself! I never want people that I come in contact with or who know me to think that I am just a good “teller of others” on how to live a Godly life. I want to be at the tip of the spear myself asking for God to work and do things through me.
I want to challenge you to pray similar prayers and listen to what the Holy Spirit says. God is ALWAYS speaking and sometimes those words need to come through followers who, even though they are enjoying their time buying a sweet jacket for a great price, are willing to listen to the Holy Spirit and plant a seed in someone’s life that can grow into something amazing. Anyone who says following Jesus is boring doesn’t know what the crap they are talking about. Start asking God to give you people to connect with and let the fun begin!!
Holy Crap 