As I was rushing towards the Douglas Store to buy some skincare products, I walked past a man sitting on the sidewalk with a photo of a young boy and a sign asking for money.  Previously, I gave money blindly to people asking for money, simply out of guilt, thinking we have so much and they have so little, until my husband wisely cautioned me to be more discerning in giving. Reportedly, there were several syndicates operating in the city to scam people for money.  Apparently, these guys wouldn’t hesitate to use people with physical disabilities to wring compassion out of passers-by.

Just as I was about to step into the store, I thought I heard a whisper in my ear - ‘Stop and talk to him’.  Mildly irritated wouldn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling at that moment.  I pulled myself together and approached the man on the sidewalk, asking him who that was in the photo.  He spoke in fluent German and told me it was an old photo of his 6 year old son from his second marriage.  He was touched that I reached out to him and told me his life story right away.  He was Hungarian and used to work in Germany more than a decade ago.  One day, he had an auto accident that wrecked his body and took away his ability to make a living.  His attorney did a terrible job of representing him that left him him not only with a broken back, but also financially 

broke.  His first marriage disintegrated soon after.  In recent years he met his second wife.  He didn’t expect to become a father again at the age of 60 but he did.  As much as he was so happy to have a baby this late in life, he didn’t have the means to financially support his child.  He was telling me how musically talented his little boy was, but he didn't have the money for his boy to go to music school.  His wife was a teacher and was doing her best to take care of their child and pay the bills at home.  He lied to his wife about getting work in Germany because he was too ashamed to tell her he was unemployable and that begging was his only means to get some cash back to his family.  Some nights he would crash at a fellow Hungarian’s place, other nights he would crash in the subway station below ground.   

As I listened to him, I felt my heart welled up with compassion.  I asked if I could pray for him.  He said yes and started telling me he kinda believed in God, but his wife does the praying everyday.  I told him that I was going to lay my hand on his back (where he sustained injuries from the accident) and pray for his healing.  After I commanded the pain to go and his back to heal, I asked him what he felt.  He said he felt good and didn’t feel any pain in his back like he usually would. He was also surprised by the outcome.  I then told him how God changed my life and my family, and that growing up, I watched how my dad wrecked the family, but God still turned him around at the age of 79 and he gave his life to Jesus.  He listened intently and started laughing as he saw the video clip where my dad got baptized at the age of 82.           

I told him it is not too late to give his life to Jesus and expect God to turn things around for him just like He did for my dad.  By then, this man was ready.  Somehow in all of our interaction, his heart was softened by the Holy Spirit and was wanting to know Jesus Christ as His personal Lord and Savior.  As I prayed the salvation prayer with him with several onlookers staring at us curiously, why I was spending this much time with this man sitting on the sidewalk.  After the prayer, his face was flushed and said he felt warmth and joy in his heart.   

We connected a few times after that.  He even visited my local church and my husband and I took him out for lunch after service one Sunday.  Each time I saw him he would tell me that many positive things have happened since we first met and attributed that to having God in his life. 

Teaching Point: 

Don’t Ignore the whispers of the Holy Spirit in the midst of your Daily Busy-ness!  Obey and follow that small still voice.  He might have a delightful assignment for you .. to connect with another human being and change his destiny forever.  

1 Kings 19:11-12

.. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.