Running errands can easily be close to the top of my ‘things I don’t like to do’ list. I would rather clean my whole house from top to bottom than run errands. But as with housework, errands also need to be tackled. And this day, I had run many and had finally reached my last stop. I was tired, hungry and spent…in more ways than one! Not an excuse for what you will soon read…just setting the stage.

Parking Lot Pride: I pulled into the Walmart parking lot, found a good parking space and stopped my car. As I was putting a comb through my hair (knowing how perfect I must look to enter Walmart), out of the corner my eye I spotted two young men going from one person to another, apparently begging for money. My first awful thought was in the form of a very selfish prayer, “Oh Lord, please don’t let them spot me!” But soon one of the young men stood at my driver’s-side-window yelling, “You look great, your hair looks beautiful!” You got it, they spotted me…selfish, prideful, soon-to-be-humbled me!

Parking Lot Praise: So I got out of my car to find that these two young men were wearing matching T-shirts from a ministry in a nearby town. They quickly shared their stories of how the Lord Jesus Christ had come into their lives, how HE had straightened them out and cleaned them up. Now they were in a discipleship program and were working to raise funds in order to support others needing the program as well. The Lord spoke through them so mightily…and I was deeply humbled, especially for wanting to avoid this encounter in the first place.

Praise God, when I am weak HE is strong! We ended up having wonderful fellowship, right there in the parking lot. They allowed me (yes, I know I didn’t deserve it) to share how the Lord had delivered me too, how He had pulled me out of a miry pit and set my feet upon a rock. I shared a story about the cross I have hanging in my office… It is made out of a shattered china plate, and it is more beautiful now than the original china plate had ever been. I encouraged them to continue to let the Lord put the broken pieces of their lives together again. And that they too…more beautiful than every before…will exemplify Christ Himself as He shines through them. These two young men certainly shined on my life this day!

Parking Lot Preaching: One of them had tears in his eyes. I asked him if he had a lot of regret (I do too, I know what it feels like…and what it looks like). He nodded yes as more tears flowed. It’s not too often that I am thankful for my past and the things I regret, but as I shared with him the ways God has brought healing to me, I was truly thankful this day! I shared the verse my first pastor recited to me right after I accepted Jesus… “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17) …And I told him the same thing my first pastor told me, “It is all under the blood!” I encouraged him to fix his eyes on the prize, forgetting what is behind…to focus fully on Jesus and what He wants to do now. Don’t let the enemy use problems, people, your past or anything else to get you down and render you useless for the cause of Jesus Christ. You are no longer a victim; you are a victor in HIM! I apologized for preaching…and they said, “Oh no, thank you!” Wow, I didn’t deserve that either!

Parking Lot Prayer: I was thankful that at one point I did put some money in their bucket, but I was even more thankful that the Lord did not answer my original prayer the way I wanted Him to. I was tremendously blessed by this encounter with these two precious young souls. Before we parted, we prayed together, praised the Lord together for this ‘Holy Spirit ordained parking lot fellowship’ and we hugged goodbye.

My next prayer was quite different than my first. This time I confessed my pride and thanked the Lord for His love, mercy and grace on my life! I thanked Him, and I thank Him still, for the privilege of meeting these two young men. Their names are Timothy and Juanito and I hope you will hold them up in prayer as well. I will never forget them and this lesson learned in a Walmart parking lot. And next time I see someone approaching me or my car out of the corner of my eye…no matter how tired or spent I am…I sincerely hope and pray I will have a better attitude. Will you maybe say a prayer for me too? 🙏☺️