Can you do a small thing for Me?

As I was leaving Wal-Mart this morning, I walked past a man sitting in a wheelchair, obviously waiting for someone. He looked haggard and my heart went out to him. I stepped into the parking lot, and a thought came into my mind. "Go back and talk to the man."

"Well, I said to the thought, "I can't just turn around. What if somebody sees me and thinks I am silly turning around and walking back?" So I kept walking. The thought came again. "Go back."

"I know it is you, Lord," I said, "but I really don't want to turn around. Or... well, maybe I can I pretend I forgot something, and just walk back in there, but when I do, what shall I say?

All this time I kept walking. But suddenly I had the tightest feeling in my stomach, so I stopped and just stood there in the parking lot, halfway to my car. "OK, Lord, I will do this little thing for you. After all, if I can't walk up to a harmless old man in a wheelchair, how could I ever march through a jungle if you asked me to?"

I bet everybody has things we'd rather do than the simple minute-by-minute calls of God. Like, stop eating now, or turn off the computer and go to bed, or, go and ask that man if he is ok.

Even hard things. I know I could endure the battle involved in rescuing our boys from the clutches of a dark orphanage in Ukraine, but ask me to work in the concession booth at school and make change? I'd rather go to Ukraine.

Anyway, I turned and walked back to the man and asked if he was ok. He said, He'd just been released from the hospital and had part of his stomach removed.

I opened my mouth, and out came, "I believe God wants me to tell you how dearly he loves you. May I pray for you?"

He slowly raised his head and looked up at me, his face unshaven, but his eyes as clear as a blue sky. "Thank yew, ma'am," he said, "Thank yew for comin' back. Please pray for me."

So I did, Jesus and I, we laid hands on the man in Wal-Mart, and prayed that God would heal him quickly so he could get on with the call of God on his life.