Who Knows? {with Victoria}
Posted by Victoria Bierman Jenkins on August 5th, 2010 in Blog | 29 Comments
I’ve never quite been able to reconcile the “me” inside with the version other people see. Sometimes shy, others outgoing, there’s just no telling what impression I might leave. When asked point blank, I finally put a name to the dichotomy—I am a closet extrovert.
Oh, I’d love to take you by the hand as we chat and laugh the time away, I’m just too chicken to chance looking like a fool and giving away too much of myself in the process. God is wooing me out of my closet and into the life He’s called me to live—one I’m perfectly content to look a bit foolish living if it makes Him a tiny bit more famous.
Having only just discovered the Lord’s movement to break down the barrier I’d been hiding behind, I wasn’t expecting the prompting He placed on my heart. I certainly wasn’t looking for something so profound, but there it was, and it happened at Wal-Mart!
In fairness, I practically live at Wal-Mart, so where else was it going to happen?
With the madness of back to school shopping, the place was swamped. I made my way toward the checkout lanes with a sigh as I equipped myself to take it all in stride. There ahead, a woman wrapped up her payment and I dashed toward the empty conveyor belt. Stopping to snag my sweetie an orange Fanta from the cooler, I thanked God for giving me some small way to tell my husband he is loved.
Once the cashier had finished with the customer ahead of me, she greeted me that same small greeting you’re sure everyone is trained to deliver though so few actually do. I extended the same courtesy she had shown me, and replied. She looked me square in the eye and thanked me for talking to her.
The way she said it said so much.
Then it happened.
That look-like-a-weirdo moment I’d always wished for and away all at one time—God told me to ask if I could pray for her. Right then. Right there. Ask her, this total stranger just trying to do her job, if I could pray for her.
The weirdest part? I didn’t even hesitate! I can’t say enough how not like me this was.
Please know that it is God alone that made me woman enough to “man up” to the task!
Naturally, the cashier was surprised by my question, but she didn’t skip a beat in answering. After simply saying, “Yes,” she paused for a moment as we stood looking at one another.
We both knew there was more to follow, though I don’t think either of us expected what she’d say next.
“Yes. My daughter just died two years ago; you can pray for me.”
There just aren’t words to fit the emotion in her eyes. All I could do was take her by both hands, look straight into her sweet face and let her know beyond all doubt that I would be praying for her.
On my way home, the Lord gave me such a vivid illustration to go along with the lesson He had began teaching me in that checkout lane. As one car after another slowed down in effort to look out for a gnarly, mangy old stray dog weaving his way in and out of traffic, I couldn’t help but wonder why we never slow down that way for the woman at the post office, the guy ahead of us in line at the bookstore, or even the cashier at Wal-Mart.
Who knows how many stray people we zip past in our daily lives?
God does, that’s exactly why He prompts us to do the seemingly strangest things!
It’s a beautiful burden our Heavenly Father has placed on us, to care for one another!
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This is beyond a shadow of a doubt the best thing you have ever written, Victoria. And you’ve written some mighty powerful posts, but THIS…. just… WOW.
Each one of us come in contact with countless people on a weekly basis, but we are usually to wrapped up in ourselves to see beyond our own problems and stress to remember that each of us have a story, a burden, a need. Often times the best way to improve our lives is simply by taking the time to encourage and enrich the lives of those around us. Yes, even the strangers at WalMart. They, after all, are God’s children too.
Thank you for this powerful lesson on being filled with His spirit, as well as the courage and obedience to act upon His leading.
You’re such a wonderful encourager, Christy, thank you! The moment was profound. Usually it’s my kids that reduce me to tears at Wal-Mart-I don’t think I’ll ever walk into that place in quite the same way again.
Beautiful, Victoria! What a great reminder to follow those promptings, as akward as they may seem at the time.
Thank you, Chrystie! I’ll tell you, all I can think is that I’d never have been available for God to use without obeying Him by getting to She Speaks. Something changed there and I had nothing to do with it!
Thanks for this great reminder, Victoria. We must slow down in order to hear the instructions God gives us daily to be His true disciples.
You’re so right! Slowing is such a huge part of being able to hear from the Lord!
YES, YES, YES. Love this…and to always obey when He prompts us to do something, say something, to be ever sensitive to that still, small voice. Like you said, “Why not Wal-mart?” Thank you for sharing your God experience with us and being so transparent in the first couple of paragraphs. I believe I’m a closet extrovert too!!!
A fellow closet extrovert! Let’s get outta our comfort zones, Sister!
Wonderful experience. Make sure that you are ready for the next time that the Lord asks you to pray for someone at Walmart, AT Walmart. If that doesn’t get you out of your shell, I’m not sure what will. Once I got over the “Oh my, what will people think?” it was easy. But, I had to be ready for the next time; I had opened a portal for Him to use me anywhere. The next time it was Arby’s; what a testimony to those around us. My kids were thrilled to lay hands on that man and make a difference in his sister’s lives.
If we are to BE the church, why not now?
Susan E…another YES! I have prayed many, many times in the aisle of Walmart - powerful testimony to those shuffling by!!! Thank you for the comment!
You know, I’ve been thanking God for taking me one tiny step at a time-praying right there on the spot would have killed me! I can’t even pray aloud in front of my husband! Yet! I’m getting ready! =)
I want to live a life where I’m humbly on the lookout for who Jesus called “the least of these.” Beautiful post. Thanks for putting your heart out there for us to see.
It really all comes down to being present. Not thinking of where we’re heading next or what we’ll make for dinner…just living in the now…who knew it’d be so hard as adults? All I ever did as a kid and adolescent was in the now! =P
Well since we are having such a great dialog on here…allow me to share. The summer of 1998 I was cashiering at a local big chain grocery store, evening shift. This lady comes to my lane with a few groceries and begins to tell me about her illness. Holy Spirit said, “Lay hands on her and pray for her healing.” The 35 second battle began “Lord, I’m at work. Lord, there are people behind her. Lord….” But I leaned forward and asked her if I could lay my hands on her shoulders and pray. She said YES. I did. Six months later I got word that Ruby had been miraculously healed of liver cancer and was looking for me to thank me for praying. Holy Spirit gets ALL the credit and Dr. Jesus was awesome in this situation! YES, LORD!
That’s what I’m talking about! It’s like Lysa Terkeurst said at the She Speaks conference last weekend, “Your reaction determines your reach. God-honoring reactions will give you a God-sized reach.” That’s when God really shows up and really shows off!
Beautiful and inspiring. Oh, to be obedient in such places.
Powerful.
Our God is mighty to move!
I’m just now able to respond Victoria but this is just incredible and so inspiring and from the responses everyone agrees! I’m with Ginger…POWERFUL!
Thank you, Angelia! It really struck me and I’m so grateful God gave me a way to convey the moment in a way that would really stick with us!
Victoria,
Thanks for writing a beautiful post that deeply touched my heart.
Thank you so much for that sweet encouragement, Angela!
Wow!! What a powerful and tremendous moment right there in Wal-Mart! Praise God for your obedience to Him! As a fellow “closet extrovert”, this challenges me and inspires me to obey my God without hesitation and without thought to my own personal discomfort. I love what you wrote about noticing “the strays”, about slowing down and treating them with care!! This is His heart. So full of love and grace!!
Thanks so much, Joye, it’s challenging me, too! I just got home from Wal-Mart-seriously, I live there-and the whole time all I could think about was stray people! God’s up to something!
Victoria this post is beautiful, humbling and empowering all at the same time! God is so amazing… thank you for sharing!
Elisse, thank you so much! You’re so right-God is amazing!
Victoria…this is one of the most beautiful posts I’ve read in a long time. We don’t stop and look at people. Lord, give us hearts that see people.
http://holycamp09.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/look-up/
I’m one of the worst people-over-lookers, so you know God is up to some good!
I love this post, Victoria. Those “look like a weirdo” moments are hard…but so worth it.
I’m learning to live like the weirdo I am-it’s a lot harder to hold that much weird in! =P