The Kind Words of a Stranger

As my friends and I were walking through the school parking lot one afternoon, a young man stopped us and told us, “Hey, I don’t mean to bother you guys, but The Holy Spirit was convicting my heart to speak to you all and tell you that Jesus loves you”. Me, of course with my “stranger-danger” mentality, I thanked him and told him that he just so happened to be talking to Christ followers. Almost as if to say, “You are wasting your time my friend! Tell that to someone who doesn’t know Jesus and really needs to hear it”. Then he said something that made my day! “Well, the Spirit confirmed with me that He wanted me to speak to you guys. He wanted me to tell you that understanding is on the way”. With just a few simple words, this young man almost floored me! As cliché as that may seem, The Lord knew I needed to hear those words. As we got to talking some more, I felt the anointing and the presence of the Holy Spirit on this young man. He then proceeded to pray for us, even as cars were passing us by (probably thinking we were nuts). I remember leaving that conversation on such a spiritual high and feeling like I was on cloud nine! That was one of the most spiritual encounters I have had in a long time! It’s important to note that the conversation with this young man did not take away all my problems (trust me, the struggle is still very real), but it reminded me that no matter what I may be going through, no matter how difficult or frustrating my situation may be, God is always there! He sees my frustrations, and He cares enough to send me people like that who are going to remind me to keep pressing forward! 

With that being said, I wanted to encourage some of you who may be feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually frustrated, low, and/or stressed. I know it may not seem like it and this may not be what you want to hear right now, but I believe that through our trials, we discover our strength and develop the most as a person. James writes, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2-4 NLT). It may seem ridiculous to read the words “troubles” and “great joy” in the same sentence, but the key word here is “endurance”. Sometimes, the healing process could be just as painful as the wound because you are taking something that was once broken, and making it whole again. As hard as it may seem, God just wants you to TRUST HIM! I know for a fact this is a lot easier said than done! As stubborn and impatient as I can be, I have struggled with perseverance myself. However, it is because I have experienced the results of perseverance in my own life that I am able to sit here today and tell you that it will be worth it, you just may not see the big picture at this very moment. There is a saying that says, “God gives the hardest battles to His strongest soldiers”. So if your situation seems impossible, I encourage you to think of it this way: God thought you were so STRONG, He gave you the hardest battle because He knew you could get through it with Him! The CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE believes in you that much! I promise you, with faith, you WILL see your situation come to pass! Stay Strong! 

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him (James 1:12 NLT).