January 24, 2013.
As I was looking over some old documents, I stumbled upon this story of
a day that was full of surprises.
A day of Holy Spirit
Surprises!
This story started on a beautiful Saturday morning , April
10, 2010. Joey and I were set up at our
local Farmers Market, doing our usual ministry with music. We have a tent/shelter and a table with
information and products on it. We
usually stand behind this long table to keep ourselves in the most shaded
spot. It is not uncommon for people to
stop and share stories, sing along, ask questions, or listen a bit and thank us
for our ministry. There is a lady in the
tent next to ours, who is a beekeeper (yes, I said beekeeper) and she sells
fresh honey. We have gotten to know her
pretty well over the last couple of years.
Her name is Amanda. She is a big
supporter of ours and we enjoy fellowshipping with her each week. We always feel blessed that the overseer of
this Market, placed us by Amanda.
On this beautiful Saturday, Joey (my ministry partner) was
feeling down. His 16-year-old cat had
died that week and his 84-year-old father was quickly dying of cancer. Joey was very much in pain. He couldn’t seem
to think because he was so sad. We had
been singing for over an hour. We were considering what to sing next and he
decided that he wanted us to sing a song that we wrote called, Hold Me Up. The song is a healing song for us (that is
another story) and usually melds us with the Holy Spirit, but this time it fell
flat for both of us. Joey was lower than
ever. Joey really wanted to stop for the
day and go home but I encouraged him to keep singing a while longer. Shortly, a
breeze kicked up… it was refreshing. The
trees rustled, I felt something in the air.
I looked up and a lady had stopped at our booth and stood and listened
to us sing for two or three songs. She
said her name was Cathy. Two or three
songs feels a long time when someone is two feet away. Having a person stare as
you sing is a bit awkward. She didn’t
want to talk, just listen. I finally
asked if there was a specific song she would like to hear. She said, “please
play something healing.” I told Joey
that I felt we should play Hold Me Up.
He quietly reminded me that we had just played that song earlier (before
Cathy showed up), and it didn’t go well!
He wondered why I would want to do it again. I said, “I feel strongly that we need to play
it again.” He reluctantly agreed but was
so consumed with sadness. As we started
to sing something was happening. By the
second chorus, the Holy Spirit consumed
the air and Cathy started to tremble, she was weeping, ……I felt that I needed
to step around the table and go to her but I also felt we needed to keep
singing. In that split second, out of
the corner of my eye, I saw Amanda (the beekeeper lady) bolt out of her booth
and go into the street and grab onto Cathy.
Both of them were weeping and embracing.
Amanda was caught up in the Holy Spirit and had no hesitation to embrace
this stranger. It felt as though we were
the only four on the street at that moment, but really a crowd had gathered and
others were impacted. As the song
closed, we circled and prayed…and prayed.
When it was over and Cathy was gone, our beekeeper friend, Amanda had to
sit down. She was overwhelmed. Joey said, “I don’t understand why the first
time we sang it – that song fell flat and when we sang it this time – it was
amazing.” I told him, “Joey, the first time
you sang it for yourself, the second time you gave it away and we were all
blessed beyond measure!” What a treasure
we experienced because we gave it away!
We packed up shortly afterward and were heading to Georgia
for a rehearsal with the band. We had a large event upcoming and we needed to
get prepared. The band members are from
various towns and we opted to meet at Burger King to caravan to the rehearsal
site. Joey and I arrived a bit early,
still floating on our Holy Spirit ride and decided to go inside and eat. As we got to the area at the end of the
counter, where we would pick up our food, we noticed a cardboard box filled
with wooden crosses threaded with red yarn (to make a necklace). The box had written on it, “free, take one”,
so we did. I thought how cool it was
that Burger King was handing out crosses.
We sat down to eat and Joey was starting to get sad again. Anticipating his Dad passing was constantly
on his mind. He started saying a
blessing, over the food, and all of a sudden he didn’t sound like himself….he
was speaking in a different tone. I
looked up and he was staring straight ahead and speaking randomly and then
said, “I will be your grief”……then he started to cry and he seemed himself
again. It was if the Spirit spoke through
him. He said, “what was that?” “what
just happened?” he said “something took over me.” When I told him what I saw and heard he wrote
it down and was consumed with comfort…he said that he knew God would carry him
in his grief. He cried… “God just said
he will be my grief!” ……the story continues….
Joey and I were again overwhelmed and we started to talk about all that had
happened the preceding hours and then started talking about the crosses at the
counter and thought we would like to find out if we could get the supplier to
make some for us to hand out at the farmers market. The girl at the register said a man makes
them as a ministry. I asked if I could
give her my card and have him call me about making some for us. She was agreeable and I headed to my car to
get a business card. Just as I got to
the door an old man was slowly limping across the parking lot. I am embarrassed to say, My first thought was that I could get to my
car and back and still be there to hold the door for him, as he was moving very
slowly. But….. I thought, “no, I’m going
to honor him and wait on him.” As he
approached I said hello and chatted a bit.
He told me he was slow and I told him I had no place to hurry off to and
I’d like nothing better than to wait for him.
He said, “I’m having my knee replaced next week.” I responded, “indeed….you will be dancing
again.” I told him I would pray for his
knee surgery. He smiled and finally got
in the door. I ran out, got my business
card and gave it to the girl at the counter.
……..
……as Joey finished his meal, I felt an internal nudge ……no,
really more of a shove to talk to that old man…..he was sitting across the
restaurant. Finally I yelled across the
room, “did you pick up your free cross?”
He said, “no, I didn’t see them.”
Joey said he was going to the car and I told him I wanted to get the
man’s name so I could pray for his surgery.
I walked over to the old man’s table…..he was alone…..and I held up the
wooden cross and said, “you really ought to have one of these.” He said, “Jesus ain’t on that cross ya
know….” I said, “no sir He isn’t, He is
risen.” As soon as I got the words out
of my mouth and was about to ask him his name, he raised his hand and
forcefully started to pray over me. He
said, in a proclaiming voice, “From the top of your head, to the tip of your
toes, may you be covered in the blood of Jesus Christ…..may you go out in
boldness proclaiming HIS name with your mouth, with your music, with your
entire being……HE has called you into his service…..HE has claimed you…. Obey….
He expects you to act…… now go out..in his name!”
oh My ………OK……I almost passed out…. I was weak in the knees, crying, he
was crying…………right in Burger King!
Goodness….wow… …. I just could not believe this was happening. I told him, “I came over to your table to
bless you but I got blessed, so blessed!”
He smiled and said to me, “Mam, you are right…. I will dance
again!” Without him saying it, I know
that he was placed there for me, and he knew it too. I hugged him and thanked him and as I was
leaving, Joey was outside wondering what was taking me so long. I told him, “I tried to give away a blessing
but I was blessed instead!” I told Joey
what had happed when we got to my car……..and I said, “Joey, I never told him I
am a music minister, but yet he prayed that blessing…..he knew me without
knowing me.” Was that a prophetic
prayer?….……..was he an angel ?…..I don’t know…
I haven’t learned enough yet to know what that was…….I just know it was
real.
