Nov 30, 2008

Prayer Request Sunday-something to share!


Hi friends! Welcome to Prayer Request Sunday at Over the Moon with Joy!
I'd love to pray for you today, is there something you'd like or need prayer for? Leave me a comment or send me an email; kimmie28@gmail.com -because I believe in prayer and the Power of God manifest when He moves among us.
I had planned on sharing part 2 of Being an Encourager from last week's post, but God put something else on my heart, that I feel led to share.
Yesterday we ventured out to get our Christmas tree. For the past 5 years we have gone back to the tree farm that I went to as a girl with my parents,
The Sugarplum Gift Shop and Tree Farm.
We met up with some friends and began the search for the perfect trees (one for us and one for them). It was a lovely warm day for plodding all over the hilly terrain where the trees grew, waiting for our arrival. Within an hour we had all located our chosen beauties. We were fortunate to have a pretty red cart to help us down the mountain with our trees, but as we got to the bottom I realized something was different.
The old man who always commended us on the fine tree we chose and thanked us for coming to his little farm, wasn't there beside his awesome red tree wrapping machine. Instead was a tall man, who looked so much like the man, despite him being 30 years younger. He wrapped our tree and smiled, but it wasn't the same.
You see his dad had been there every year I had ever come. I'd buy one of his beautiful handmade wreaths and he'd give me the rundown of how to care for it. He told me the story of how he still had one from years ago that looked as good as the day he made it. I'm not sure how
this could have been, but this man obviously had a gift from God *that pine tree branches refused to die in his presence.* This year only two wreaths hung on the little shed, both had lost their life and had turned a rusty brown, I wondered where the sweet old man , Fred, could be.
We went into the gift shop and one of us heard that they were having to sell off the inventory, so they could close the Christmas Shop part of the business. I asked for more details, but she said she only heard that much and didn't want to be nosey.
We all looked at each other, I couldn't drive away without knowing if this was our last time coming here, an end to our Christmas tradition for both of our families. Now I am not a very bold girl, but something pushed me to go and ask inside.
I walked into the winter wonderland shop, that sparkled with every type of Christmas decoration that you could imagine, truly a feast for the eyes to behold and one that I looked forward to drinking in every year, post our throwing the tree on the roof of our car.
This year I marched back in and walked up to the old woman behind the register. I asked her if they were closing the business. She began to tell me her story. It turns out that this was Fred's wife Barbara. She said Fred died over the summer and without help she would have to close at least the Christmas shop part of their business. Her 2 sons lived to far to help her keep it going. She spoke of Fred's last days in the hospital and how even the nurses cried when he died. He was that kind of a person, the kind that works their way into your heart, deeply. She took a few steps back and said she didn't want to talk about it anymore. She began weeping.
I apologized and hadn't wanted to make her cry. What was I thinking! I coaxed her out from behind the register area and asked her if I could hug her. I told her how sorry I was that she lost her dear husband. I then asked her if she would let me pray for her. Right there, in the middle of her shop, standing right before the door where everyone would see what we were doing.
She said yes. I leaned close to her, holding her tight in a hug, I prayed as God led me. When I had finished she stepped back and said, "That was beautiful. Are you a minister? "
To which I said, "No, I was just a Christian."
It makes my heart heavy that the world thinks you have to be a Pastor, Reverend, Priest or a professional to pray.
The reason I am sharing this, is not to puff myself up. It is to encourage you to step out and do the same. My words sounded beautiful to her not because I am articulate or gifted in prayer, but because they were given especially for her from God himself.
There are hurting people all around you, every single day you breath. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you, submit to Him and He will tell you what to pray and how to minister to them. Don't be afraid of rejection, they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting Him. Maybe next time they will say "YES!"
I am going to send Barbara a card and remind her that I am praying for her. I think I will invite her to our Christmas Cantata, maybe she will come? Maybe she will meet Jesus too, I don't know if she knows Him.
This morning in church God told me to talk to two young women sitting behind me. I asked both after service, if they wanted to go up for prayer. They both had come alone. One said no, the other said yes. The one that said yes, well her name is Julianna and you can pray for her, because when we got up there, I asked her if she knew Jesus. If she had invited Him to be her Lord and Savior. She said no. I said, "Please don't leave here without doing that today." I told her it was easy. I told her I'd help her. She said "Yes!" We prayed together. Rachel, one of the prayer ministers gave her a new Believer's packet and a Bible of her own. We hugged her, she smiled and thanked us...all 22 years of her.
How awesome is our God, and how sweet that He let me be a tiny part of it.
I'm not bragging, it isn't about me, it never is. I am encouraging you to ask God to use your life to touch others, to step out and not be afraid. They are people just like you, with hurts and pains just like you. People who don't know Him. They need God, just like us. I'd love to hear that you want to do Kingdom Business too. I'd love to hear what God does in your life and who he lets you minister His love and life to. Please come back and share...I'll be waiting!
Remember when they ask, to tell them that you are
*just a Christian* doing your Father's business.

7 comments:

javamamma said...

Beautiful story. And a great reminder to us all to LIVE our faith, not just keep it to ourselves.

Diana said...

God is great. What awesome testimonies.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! Won't it be wonderful to see what lives that one act touched this side of Heaven? I have heard from the Lord so much today ~ and for that I am praising God. Our pastor gave the most beautiful sermon, a sermon about Simeon (see Luke 2:25 for those who want to know where to find the story)... His main points were...

"God's Spirit put a comforting blanket on Simeon while he waited to hear from God. God's waiting is a faith incubator. Waiting doesn't diminish us any less than time diminishes a pregnant woman. There is always a purpose to waiting. He comes upon us and grows our faith while waiting. Don't let waiting stop you from growing. Be *pregnant* with the purposes of God while you wait on Him. Ask God to come upon you with His Spirit. Wait with others, never alone. Give God permission to birth a new HOPE in you as you wait expectantly for His answer!"

God bless you as you wait for your Little Beauty, Kimmie and family!
KH

Julie said...

What a wonderful reminder of all God can accomplish if we just listen to his whispers in our ears.

Wonderful post Kimmie.

Julie

Lindsay-ann said...

Hi Kimmie
Thank you for this encouraging post. You have touched many lives this weekend through your actions and also through sharing what you did with your fellow bloggers.
Lindsay

Amy said...

I'm so glad I could stop by today Kimmie! The Lord has prompted me on numerous occassions to get out of my comfort zone and reach out to strangers. Be BOLD! Many of these "strangers" that come into church are there seeking something so why do I find it hard to approach them and be encouraging to them?

I will pray for all these ladies. I pray that the young women keep coming back to church! And I pray for the dear woman who lost her husband. Holidays are hard.

Thank you for sharing this and encouraging us to be brave and take a leap of faith!

Tammy said...

It was so wonderful to read about your tree farm experience as our family had gone to one for years and it brought back pleasant memories. They, too, closed a couple of years ago. Somehow it seems like something is missing now. And thank you, too, for sharing "the rest of the story" of your tree farm experience. So many people need the love of Jesus and we are often so hesitant to step out in faith and share. Thank you for the encouragement to be Jesus with skin on to the hurting world around us!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

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