Annel – 0; Man in park – 1!! Who needs a little encouragement??

A while – actually a very long while – ago I drove past a park in our street.  There on the see-saw I saw a lady sitting with her back to the road.  Immediately I thought to myself (or listened to ‘that small little voice’) that I need to turn around and go and talk to her, for some encouragement.

We all know the saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” – but boy oh boy do we make that same mistake, over and over again…

At first – like we usually do – I thought “no”, I’m late already, I’m just going to pass on this one… and then I found myself making that U-turn! (Because I know that IF I don’t, the ‘little voice’ will nag and nag and make me feel guilty for at least the next two weeks or so…)

As I approached “her”, I realised that it’s actually a “him”… and my (South African Paranoid) head told me NO TURN AROUND! …but the ‘little voice’ said GO!

In my own little mind I was telling myself “Myself, you need to go and hear how you can help this poor homeless man sitting there all by himself.  Maybe pray for him, encourage him with a verse or two, give him some money…”

Scared but determined I approached him, and as I got closer I saw that he has a guitar with him.  And a book – a Christian book.  He was homeless yes, and dirty and probably hungry, but that day he didn’t need my help, I needed his.  And I didn’t realise it until I started to speak to him.

He (politely) turned down the help I offered and told me that the Lord sent me to him so that HE can minister to ME.  He was waiting for me.

That day he read a piece out of that old, dirty book with some verses out of the Bible – EXACTLY the words and encouragement I needed that day.  And he played his guitar and started to praise and worship – just there in the park.  The book cover I judged….

It was a Divine Appointment, and I’m so glad that I made that U-turn…

So, when you hear that ‘little voice’,  make sure that you listen 🙂