This morning, I got up earlier than I have been, prayed, made my daily TikTok (@eli_lowry), ate breakfast, brushed my teeth, and took all my meds. Yay proper self-care!
I went to the gas station closest to my house, paid, and started pumping. A few minutes in, I realized that no gas was pumping even though the pump had clicked and locked as if it was pumping. So, I decided that I would go after work and before a student orientation thing I was speaking at. I leave work late, nothing new, so I go straight to school. After the event ends, I hang around, arbitrarily, to help clean up. I get caught in side conversations. Long story short, I leave later than I had expected to. On my way out, the McDonald's app gets my attention for a free item from my points. I check. It's a large mocha frappe. So, of course, I stop by a McDonald's on my way home to claim it. A few blocks from my house, I remember... I need gas! So I stop at a gas station. The closest one. The one from earlier. The one with the broken pump. And I choose a different pump. And I get my gas.
But here's where the story gets really good! As I'm getting back in my car, I look over and see an SUV at the broken pump. He looks frustrated and I'm thinking, "yeah, I know man. The pump doesn't work." But apparently, I can't move with purpose and think at the same time because he catches me with eye contact. (And everybody who knows me knows that I don't let go of eye contact first. I have to assert dominance. Or something like that. I don't really know haha.) And then, he starts to speak. Before he can say anything, I try to duck and weave, to get in my car and drive away before he can ask for money. But God said, "stop, it will work."
"Stop" was self-explanatory. Stop avoiding. And listen. Now, most people wouldn't stop. Most people would continue avoiding. It could be an uncomfortable situation. It could be... this. It could be... that. It could be... whatever. But if there's one thing God has shown me over the past year or so, it's that when you move when and where God moves, and stop when God stops, amazing things can and will happen. "Coincidences" can turn into miracles, and I've seen too many to ignore. So I listened. And I stopped.
"It will work" was different though. I had no idea what that meant. What would work? My car? It better work, I just put gas in... He would work? I hope so. Is that why he didn't have gas? Because he doesn't work? I just want to go home... It's cold out here... etc.
By the time I got done with my internal micro complaints, he had already finished asking me the question: can you help me with some gas? I hesitated. God took that as an invitation (I've told God to take my hesitations as silent prayers for this reason) and spoke, saying that he was safe and good to bless. So, I ask how much. The man says "$20... or... whatever you can help with" so I internally roll my eyes and go pay for the gas. After all, I am blessed beyond measure* in order to be a blessing to others.
*It is definitely measurable. After all, I am a college student... But it's a saying that I tell myself every single day. Because I want to live a life that says, "God, everything I have is Yours anyway, so if YOU say..."
(And for everybody who will inevitably wonder: I was safe. I locked my car before I walked away. I only had my card on me, no wallet, no cash. I had a knife with me. And I was keeping my eyes and ears open)
I talk to the man and he looks like he's tearing up. Allergies? Cold weather?? Really that happy to be blessed with some gas??? So I ask what's going on. And what he tells me I was clearly not ready for: his daughter was caught in gang-related crossfire in Chicago and he was trying to get down there to see her. "Oh no, is she going to be okay? (or whatever I said)" and he starts crying. Multiple bullets had grazed her head, and one may have gotten lodged in brain tissue. He finished telling me. And he starts to regain composure
And then Holy Spirit says, "ask to pray for him." Now, no matter how many times I've been told to (and actually done it) it never gets more comfortable. For some reason, it feels awkward af every single time, "Hey, can I, um, can I pray for you?" But I asked anyway. And he's shocked. And he says yes. So we pray. And not some weak church prayer. I prayed with power, guided by the Holy Spirit, speaking exactly what was on my mind, thanking God for life and breath, for the coincidences of and at the pumps, asking God to be with the daughter, for not only her health but a full recovery without brain damage. We prayed for a few minutes. I finished with a moment of silence, respecting the gravity of the situation. And when we were done, he was crying and grabbed me for a big hug. (At first, I was shocked, unsure of my safety because a strange man was grabbing me, but very quickly, I hugged back.)
I think Robert said he's 54. He joined a church 30 years ago and now dutifully serves as a Deacon. He starts and ends every day with a prayer of gratitude for his life and for God's faithfulness. He said that God has saved his life countless times, that he has seen bullets whiz past his face when they clearly should have hit him, and that once he gave his life to God, everything changed. He works in a youth ministry of sorts. I'm not exactly sure what he does, but he helps troubled teens get out of some of the same situations that he was faced with when he was a teen. And, most importantly, as he put it, "I have boots older than you are."
Because I listened to a few words from God in that single moment, the Faith of two men, two strangers, was deepened, and blessings were able to be poured into the Earth. I encourage you not to ignore your coincidences, or those "gut feelings" you have when Holy Spirit is speaking into you. It may not come as words. For me, it usually doesn't. But it's those feelings that you know are from beyond yourself. It's those special moments you should pay special attention to.
"Stop, it will work." I stopped. The broken pump worked. And I think that's a sign of what's to come for Robert's daughter. It will work. The prayers will work
Please pray for Robert and his family as they traverse what will probably be an intense recovery process. I may never see Robert again. And I'll probably never get to know the outcome for his daughter, but I know that God is with both them no matter what. The same way that God is with me. And the same way that God is with you. Even in our pain and our brokenness, God is still good and God can still provide
Even When It Hurts (Praise Song) (Hillsong Worship): https://youtu.be/hrSJwO5dJXg
If you're at a loss for a prayer, maybe pray something like this to start and then let God guide the rest:
God, we thank you for today. We thank you for our breath and our life, even when it feels like life isn't worth living. Even in the midst of our pain, we know you're still there. And we know that You Love us, beyond measure. It's with an attitude of remembrance for everything that you've already done that we are praying, expectantly, for what you will do both in our own lives and in the life and restoration of Robert's daughter. We pray that you'd be with Robert and his family, as you are with us, providing the sense of peace and joy that can only come from you. We love you. We thank you. And it's in Jesus' name, and under the power and authority of his blood on the cross, that we pray. Amen!
And remember... A little kindness and a quick prayer can change the world, one simple moment at a time
This was truly amazing and made my heart warm 💓 love