I am not saying that you should
share all of your business. That would not be wise, as I don’t share all of my
business. However, for those Christians who are always blessed and highly
favored and are never beset with problems, it would be refreshing if they
stopped lying to themselves and others and admit that they, too, have been in
the valley, have struggled or felt discouraged or both, at some
time in their lives. It would be useful if they stopped perpetrating so
that they can help somebody else while freeing themselves in the process. Being
a Christian doesn’t mean that you are not human. Acknowledging that you are
struggling doesn’t make you a nonbeliever who lacks faith. It just makes you
human.
When it comes to being
approachable, I’ll be honest and admit that there have been times when I was
uncomfortable with strangers pouring their hearts out to me by sharing painful
things that either they or someone close to them were experiencing at the time.
As I have matured, both as a woman and in Christ, I am now thankful when these
moments occur and no longer question God when they do. I just call each
experience a “God Moment”-- moments that have always stayed with me. I often
wonder what happened to the people that I encounter during such moments.
For example, at a book signing
years ago, a woman walked up to my table perusing my books. After a few
minutes, she expressed a desire to buy my book Grip the Rope: Prayers for Single
Mothers but she did not have
the money to do so, yet she remained at my table desiring to engage me in
conversation. Within a few minutes she was pouring her heart out and shared
that one of her daughters had been raped. In the meantime, others were coming
to my table inquiring about my books. I knew this was a “God Moment,” so I did
not interrupt the woman. I listened and shared some words of encouragement and
was led to give her a book for free. She thanked me and walked away. I could
tell that she felt less burdened after our conversation.
Another “God Moment” occurred
at an event where I was the guest speaker and I was selling books after the
event was over. A lady approached my table. We chit chatted for a few minutes,
and then she left. The next thing I knew she returned, saying, “I don’t know
why I am talking to you.” I figured it was another “God Moment,” so I listened
and offered her words of encouragement. She shared that her son had been
incarcerated for twenty years, and I could tell that she had been in a lot of
emotional pain because of it. She bought a copy of my book to read for herself.
A few days later, she contacted
me via email and asked if I could send her son a copy of the book. She said
that he did not have any kids, but that she felt my book would encourage him. I
sent him a copy. About a week later, I received a letter at my post office box
from the woman’s son. He thanked me for sending him the book and acknowledged
that it had encouraged him. He also shared some things that he had gone through
in prison, how he felt about being incarcerated, as well as the fact that he
had an additional seven years to serve on his sentence. While I have never
heard from him again, I have heard from his mother a few times via email.
The next “God Moment” that
stuck with me occurred when my friend's former husband called and left me a
message at work to call him. It was odd, so I immediately asked if she knew
what her husband wanted to speak with me about. She had no clue. I returned his
call. He shared that he had a childhood friend serving a 25-year prison
sentence for killing her own sister out of a jealous rage and he felt that my
book could encourage her, even though she was not a single mother. He asked me
if I would send her a copy. I returned to my friend’s desk and told her about
the conversation, and she filled me in about the woman and the tragedy that had
occurred. This brutal murder had torn the family apart. I later got the address
and sent the book to her.
Earlier this year, another “God
Moment” occurred while I was attending a training session. A lady sat next to
me, and we introduced ourselves. During our conversations over the next few
days, she shared that she was going through a bad divorce and recently found
out that her husband had been sexually molesting their daughter, who was a
teenager. It was a very painful time in her life. It is one thing to be going
through a divorce, but another to find out that your husband had been molesting
your child. I was led to send this woman a quick email to say “hello” and to
ask how she has been doing.
The bottom line is that we
never know what others are going through, and, as a Christians, people from all
walks of life should feel comfortable approaching us for words of
encouragement, inspiration, and hope. While we may not always have the right
words to say or scriptures to quote, we can listen without judging and
demonstrate that we genuinely care about their well-being. We can pray for
them, or lead them to Christ, or both. In addition, we can invite them to
church or direct them to someone who can assist them further. After all, God is
not always going to allow us to minister to people whom we are most comfortable
with because He wants us to grow, and it is in these uncomfortable situations
that our growth most often occurs.
Overall, I’m thankful for each
“God Moment” and all of the others that I have encountered over the years
because, in each situation, God has used me as one of His vessels to encourage,
inspire, and give hope to others. That is indeed a blessing!
As always, feel free to leave your
comments and to share this post with others if you’d like. You can leave your
comments here or on my Facebook page.
© Carla J. Curtis, August 2014
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