A Mixed Up Day

Sandy said she was going through chemo. Roy was diagnosed with lung cancer. Thomas had problems with his prostate. Carroll had trouble with his sight. Marjorie had Crohn's disease. Ernest was withdrawing and didn't want to talk to people much. Edie was a nanny who waitress-ed on the side. Jettye and Becky were on their way to exercise class and stopped because they were just curious and Barbara had Lupus...yet... when I asked them, everyone said "Yes" without even hesitating.

Everyone one of us has a need.
Everyone of us has a need for someone to care about us.
The best way to care...not the only way...but the best way...is prayer.
So when I asked, "Is there anything I can pray for you about?" The answer is always "Yes"

Now later that day we had a need. We arrived in St. Francisville, LA and had walked about 11 miles when it started to rain. As the day passed the rain increased and we needed a safe place to park our RV. We spotted a large church parking lot at a Church right on route 61 and decided to ask if we could stay there for the night. The lady at the church called an elder who lived around the corner. He'd be over in five minutes. It was pouring out and I couldn't understand why he had to come over but everyone has their own way of doing things.

We heard a knock on the door and invited him in out of the rain. He told us that the church had been taken advantage of by some folks in the past and so they made a church policy that no campers could stay in their parking lot overnight. We weren't so much disappointed as we were stunned. We thanked him for his time and left

We looked across some road construction and saw a grocery store and spent the night in their parking lot. Now I'd like to tell you I didn't mutter about this but I did. Then God whispered in my ear..."Pray for them." "What! They weren't very nice and..." Once again the whisper came "Pray for them."

Then I began to understand. It's not about them or me...it's about being like Jesus. He tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate you.. I started to think. They have a right to do what they feel is right. It is their property. They are not my enemy, we just disagree on this one issue. It's taken me awhile but I have managed to ask God to bless them in whatever way is needed.

I pray for our land and our people everyday and yet when there's a little glitch in my life...would you do me a favor? Pray for me to have a softer heart and to love people more... especially those who think different than I do.