I was wondering what I was going to write about today since it seemed like an epic fail, well…maybe not the “epic” part.  I met someone today who has shoulder issues that are bad.  I know this person so it was familiar.  And for a brief second I entertained the idea of praying for her but the thought quickly vanished.  Later I realized I think that this was the still, small, very small voice of the Lord I had ignored.  And why did I ignore it?  I don’t know.  Maybe it’s because for me her issues were so familiar.  So unchanging.  So in a situation that surely is going to remain.  It’s easy to forgot the whole point–that the reason I’m praying for sick people is to see them healed.  Do I really believe God can do so?  Doesn’t matter, God commanded that I “heal the sick.”  Believe or not, I must obey.

So after I realized it was the Lord, I apologized to Him and asked for another opportunity, but where?  After work I hit the grocery store as I did need to buy some things.  On the way to the store I thought of maybe asking the cashier if she needed prayer, but then again, maybe I could phone a friend who I know is fresh out of the hospital.  That was it!  I couldn’t “lay hands on the sick” but I could sure ask Jesus to do so and pray for my friend over the phone.  Maybe it was a cop-out though.  But is it?  I felt a kind of “peace” from the Lord so I wasn’t sure.

Anyway, I got to Dillons and  scanned the store.  NOBODY.  Seriously folks, where are all you limping people hiding?!  I know you’re out there!  I scanned arms, legs, hands, etc…   I couldn’t find a single one.  And as I got to the cash-register and toyed with the idea of asking her if she needed prayer, it just didn’t seem right.  It was busy and while no one was behind me, I just wasn’t feel the situation lent itself to a “spiritual” moment.

When I got home I tried twice to call my friend who was fresh from the hospital.  No answer.  That’s when I decided today’s post would have “fail” somewhere in the title.  Somehow I had just lost my opportunity with the woman this morning.  And I was just too tired to go “shopping” at the mall on the other side of town.  But then I decided to go to Wal-Mart.  I was trying a new recipe and had forgotten to get some taco seasoning.  At first I thought it was a cop-out again for not reaching my friend on the phone but regardless, I needed taco seasoning.

I walked into Wal-Mart past the fruit section and BINGO, limping man with cane on the main aisle shopping for Triscuits.  But how do I approach him.  “Hey dude, nice cane, can I pray?”  “You have a cane, I have God, can I pray for you?”  “Hi sir, shopping for Triscuits I see?”  The more I thought about it, the less I had confidence in approaching this man.  I thought of going to stand beside him to buy some Triscuits or following him until we waited in line together at the check-out aisle, but none of it seemed to resonate.  I followed him for a little while and then decided to abandon ship.  It just wasn’t going to happen today.  Go to the check-out and head home.   Maybe yesterday’s surprise beginning was more me and not God, but I really felt God ‘highlight’ them to me to pray for.   Learning God’s way is definitely process.

As I resigned that the day was going to be unproductive, I pulled in the driveway at home and noticed the neighbor’s lawn being tended to by a father and three children.  Sadly she is newly widowed.  But then I saw it, the man had a wrap around his leg!  Gotta go see if I can pray for this man.  I went over and chatted with my neighbor and although this man was only a mere 3 feet away, there was no greeting or socializing.  Finally I asked, “What did you do to your leg?”  He didn’t answer.  The neighbor got his attention.  “What did you do to your leg?” I asked again.

“I hurt it awhile back ago,” he said, “but I haven’t done anything with it.  Costs too much.”  I agreed.

We chatted a bit more and it became apparent he was not overly eager to talk.  So I just asked him if I could pray for his knee.  He consented although I think he did so more out of not wanting to offend me or my neighbor.  I knelt down and asked the little 4 year-old girl to join me.  This whole thing was strange to her and she didn’t want any part of it.  I may be wrong but it appeared that this was not a praying family–a good family but not a praying family.  Trying to be sensitive to the situation I just kept my prayer brief, chatted casually with no religious speak, and then headed back to the house.  I don’t know if He was touched by the Lord as I didn’t ask.  The lesson from Day #1 just didn’t seem to apply to this situation.

Overall score one for God.   When I thought I’d lost my opportunity(s), God brought someone literally right next door.  At this point it feels more of a miracle that He brought someone for me to pray over than whether or not they were healed or not.  Granted it is only Day #2.  Hopefully I’ll mature.

Learning moment of the day:  When you think you hear the still small voice, listen to it.  And when you think all is lost, remember that God is more concerned for hurting people than you.  

Confession from Day #2:  I’m concerned about finding people to pray for each day.  I’ve got a few in my pocket–the sick people at church on Sundays, my friend in a wheel chair this weekend, etc… but finding people and approaching them is a concern. 

Another confession from Day #2:  I haven’t told anyone I’m doing this or advertised this experiment on Facebook as I’m honestly a little bit scared about trying to find trusting God to bring to me 38 more days of people.  Yikes!  But it was seriously God today…again.   If it wasn’t for Him, the title here may just have stopped at “failed.”  Thanks God!  (And would you please do it again?)