Eyes wide open

   I wonder how often the Lord puts people, so bluntly into our lives, wanting to use us as tools to help bring healing and restoration or even salvation and we are too busy to see them?
   About 2 months ago, I was third in line waiting to be checked out at our local Family Dollar Store. You couldn't help but notice that the lady that was checking out was out of her mind a little, it seemed like she was over medicated. She was just making it to her car when I finished checking out and I then noticed that I knew her. I didn't stop though, I hurried to my jeep, to get back to my busy life, after all, I was on the way to youth group, ya know?
   The lady at the store, was Kelly(using a fake name for privacy sake), a lady that I worked in management with for about 2yrs during the time that I was pregnant with my 1st child. We worked very close to each other so we knew everything about each others lives. Kelly has always battle with depression and with the trials in life that she has been dealt, I am sure that she handled it all the best that she could. She was an overworked-hard working lady that did everything for her family. She was a hoot to be around, funny as they come.
   God started putting Kelly into my life in the next two months, so much, that I would have to be blind to ignore it. The week or so after I saw Kelly at the store, the kids & I were on our morning walk when her daughter stopped her car to talk to me. This daughter hadn't seen me in 15yrs but remembered me. We talked for a few minutes, she told me that Kelly lives in my area and she would tell her where I lived so that we could get together sometime. I guess a week or so after this conversation, I was in Walmart with a girl from my youth group named Rebekah Straut and I looked up & saw Kelly checking out. She looked like she was having a hard time getting the groceries out of her buggy & onto the register, so we went over to help her. She had no idea who I was even though we have seen each other in passing, many times over the years and I knew there was no way that she could have forgotten me. I tried to recall where we had worked and names of people that we worked with but she just looked at me with a very dazed look in her eyes and again she seemed over medicated. I finished helping her and was on my way. I was really in shock, how on the Earth could she be in this shape, it just wasn't the Kelly that I had always known.
  I will tell you about the other occasions in a moment but I can't leave out the word that the Lord has been speaking to me during this time.  It seems like for the last 2 months, I have heard over and over, to go out, reach people, to BE THERE for people, to be bold. I have heard this from different Pastors, from devotionals and God speaking this to me through his word as well. To be intentional in reaching out, to realize that, that is why we are here.
   A few weeks ago, I saw Kelly's daughter again, I could have taken the time to say more than hi to her in passing, I could have asked why Kelly was in that shape but I didn't, I just didn't have time for this in my life, it was far bigger than what I could handle. The very next week, I saw Kelly walking down the road, she was on the other side of the hwy but I didn't go back to check on her, after all, she lives in the area and her daughter had mentioned before that Kelly likes to walk.
 Last Sunday, Josh Quick spoke at Church about the mission trip that he he been on, the trip to get to the village itself seemed far more than most would have been willing to endure, much less what he faced when he got there. Larry rapped up the service with encouraging us to go out, to reach others, to stop & look for ways that the Lord wanted us to reach out. This message had me fired up because I had already planned to go that afternoon to a downtown Ministry to help serve.
   Sunday afternoon, I was hurrying in my jeep, trying to be on time, I hate being late and I had to pick up a few people too. Well, God didn't care about my schedule at all!! As I am on the hwy I see Kelly. What in the world is she doing walking this busy hwy again and at 3pm in the Mississippi heat? I passed her but God said, you know what you have to do Betty. After getting turned around and back to her, I got out,  with cars swooping passing me like race cars and I tried talking to Kelly. She again didn't know who I was. I tried recalling how I knew her but that didn't work again either and again, she seemed over medicated and was pouring sweat. She wouldn't take a ride from me, she said that she needed to walk for her health. I did something that was very out of my box, I boldly said, Kelly I really feel that God wants to use me, to help heal you, he keeps placing you in my life. I invited her to our next Church service, gave her my card and asked her to call me so I could get directions to her house and was on  my way downtown to go serve but wish I had gotten directions to her house. I was so excited because Rebekah, the youth that was with me when I saw Kelly at Walmart could hear about what just took place and about how God kept placing her in my life.
   Yesterday, the kids and I were on our way to a funeral. We were about to pass the place that I had seen Kelly walking on Sunday and I said a silent prayer. I prayed that the Lord would put Kelly back in front of me, even if it was right then, while I was hurrying to the funeral, I said, I will stop even if its right now. As I am about to pass this diesel, if i hadn't glanced over & slowed down instantly, I would have passed Kelly up. If I was driving like normal, hurrying and multitasking, I would have missed her but God stepped in, he answered my prayer, it was Kelly. I pulled over, stopped & walked to her. She was walking with her head in a book reading & had earphones on listening to K-Love. I began our conversation like the other 2 that I had before with her, trying to get her to recall that she knew me from the past. She again couldn't recall me but this day, she seemed more alert and able to grasp what I was saying better. I asked her if she remembered me talking to her on Sunday and if she still had my card and she did. I prayed for her, right there on the hwy  with cars zooming pass us and asked if I could get directions to her house so that I could come over & give her more details about Church. She gave them to me but said that we couldn't sit on her porch because she has wasp really bad and then showed me a swollen hand from bee stings. Thankfully I was able to tell her that we have a Pastor at our Church that would be happy to come over and take care of the wasp free of charge. I left her with saying boldly, Kelly, this is serious, God keeps placing you in front of me for a reason, he loves you and he wants to heal you.
   One of the many fruits that will sprout from what God is doing to Kelly & I is that my children will witness this. When I got back into my jeep, I told them how I had just prayed for God to put her back in front of me and he did it literally. Nick was also in the jeep with me on the previous Sunday too. I am so grateful that God has equipped me to step out boldly in ways that I have never really been able to do to this degree. Not only has he been speaking of it during the last two months but he has me surrounded by bold people and one is our youth pastor, that my son is constantly learning from. God Great and I am grateful beyond measure!!
Matthew 25:35-40
35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’