We are all significant in our sphere of influence.
One tiny “random” act of kindness has the power to change worlds.
Some time last year we decided to head up to our local pizza place for dinner. Outside was a gentle broken man, who was clearly drunk and homeless … he asked us for some money …
Instead of giving money we took him into the pizza place and bought him a take-away meal. While there we were told by the owners that people would often buy him food there.
As we waited for his food to cook both my husband and I prayed for him, releasing healing and freedom upon him, we prayed that He would know the love of God, and feel accepted. As we prayed we knew we needed to take him shopping, and so, exchanging glances, I took the children to order our meals and my husband took the man to the supermarket next door to buy some supplies, to meet his needs, at least for the next few days …
The shopping excursion seemed to take an exceptionally long time, and I got quite restless, questioning why it was taking so long, but eventually my husband returned from the shopping excursion and recounted the following to us as we ate our meal …
The man was homeless, but often stayed in a shelter in St Kilda, a local suburb of Melbourne. My husband took him round the shelves of the supermarket and asked him what he needed, and then my husband asked him what he wanted …
They bought toiletries, razors, soap etc, and some basic items of food … bread, butter, fruit, vegetables. My husband then suggested they buy meat … and the man excitedly said how great that would be and so they went and got some good cuts of meat and as they did the man said he would go back to the shelter where there was a BBQ close by and he would BBQ up a fine feast …
My husband then asked what else he would like and the man looked at him and quietly said with tears “I love peanut butter” … and so they bought peanut butter … not because this man needed peanut butter, but because this man liked peanut butter …
As they shopped the man kept saying how unworthy he felt of accepting the items and my husband kept responding that that was not how God saw him … the man wept each time my husband confirmed that he was accepted and worthy …
At the end of their shopping, before they said their goodbyes, my husband prayed with the man again … praying that he would find permanent accommodation, that God would heal him with respect to his feeling unworthy, unloved … and he prayed worth, acceptance and love … again there was much weeping from the man …
We have not seen this man again … he headed off into the night with his dinner and his supplies …
We trust he felt the love of God, not just hearing the prayers prayed, not just receiving the money spent, and not just eating the take-away meal … but through the time spent together – my husband and him, shopping together to buy items needed and items wanted … that he felt loved and accepted and worthy …
I trust the man felt loved … for a while at least … who knows the experience has done for him … but I trust the prayers have been answered …
Apparently the man left my husband joyfully planning his meat BBQ … he went into the night headed for a shelter with his supplies and with his beloved peanut butter in hand …
I recount this story, not to blow our trumpet, but to ask, who is in your sphere of influence? Will you stop for the one?
This story is told in response to a beautiful movie clip that I found on a blog site that belongs to someone who visited my blog site recently …
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you …” (Acts 3:6)
The clip (click here to view) runs for 10 minutes … but it is a 10 minutes that is worth your time, and may change your life. I believe it captures the heart of God as demonstrated through a homeless man who sits and receives … and then gives what little he has away … impacting others in his sphere of influence … regardless of what little he has …
It reminds me that we must sit and wait to receive from the Father … to then take what we have received (whether we think it little or big), and give it away as we go … to you the pennies or the prayers may be meaningless, but to another they change destinies …
God may be calling you to give away money, or to take a homeless person shopping … he may be asking you to stop and smile at the sales clerk … or to pray for the woman in the store where you are that clearly has a broken arm … He may just be wanting you to stop, and spend some time with Him … just because …
There is power in one … with God … no matter our sphere of influence we can change the world … one “random” act of kindness at a time … so why not “pay it forward” and give what God has given you away … and in doing so you will release a power that changes lives for the better because …
God is Good!
Love to hear about your stories how you touch them abd the love of GOD! God Bless U:)
Hi Poeticjourney. Thank you for your encouragement, and thank you for taking the time to read and comment … it is special that you would do so. Blessings, God is Good
This is heart wrenching to read. How may walk around us that we (me) don’t notice? That don’t know how truly great God’s live is towards them and how much worth they have in His sight?
So much food for thought here. “Lord, I want to touch lives around me. Help me to see as You see and to know as You know.”
Hi Jessie. I don’t notice at times … and even when I do, sometimes I am lost for what to do, especially for the so very obviously needy people … but I know that Heidi and Rolland Baker teach in stopping for the one, it is our job to leave them feeling loved, honoured, valued … God does the rest, because God is Good! Blessings!