Recently I had the opportunity to pray with a homeless man. He’d been witnessed to before – that was obvious. We had a very lengthy, interesting conversation. I asked him if he wanted to pray, and give his life to the Lord, and he said yes. He said he finally felt like he should do that. But then he became a little upset and said he didn’t remember any of the prayers he’d memorized as a child. I told him to speak from his heart. Nobody wants to be spoken to from a script, ESPECIALLY God. In fact, it’s our hearts God wants us to surrender, and its FROM our hearts that He wants those prayers to come – with whatever honest words we have in us at that rock bottom moment to express our deep need for him.
And so my homeless friend began to pray.
His eyes were closed. My eyes were closed.
“Dear God, I’m sorry I’ve been such a dickhead.”
GASP!!!!!!!!!!!!
His eyes opened. My eyes opened. “Is that okay? Is it okay that I told God that?” he asked.
I honestly think I had to pause for a moment and realize what was happening here. “Of course it is,” I told him. Of course it is.
I have to admit, his choice of words kind of caught me off guard. But I really believe he was speaking from his heart, and deep down inside, he knew just how unworthy he truly was.
So am I. And so are you.
We talked a little while afterwards. I learned something from this guy. The moment I opened my eyes in horror over his choice of words I realized that I had forgotten something that I am certain God never wants me to forget. God never wants me to forget from where He rescued me. I too, was one of those ___________.
God doesn’t ask us to meet Him where He is. Nope. Our Father comes to where WE are, and meets us right there, right at our very rock bottom, at our very worst, and He takes us just the way we are.
So if you’re taken back at the language above, just like I was – I hope after you pick your jaw up off the floor that you just thank God that He met you too, right where you were at. He is awesome, isn’t He?
I think sometimes I forget just how merciful God’s been to me. I certainly learn a lot from the most unlikely of people, and won’t soon forget this gentleman – and maybe that’s the whole point. Maybe, just maybe God wanted to remind me from where He rescued ME!
He really does come and get us from right where we are, just as we are.
“I’m living proof that there’s a Savior. He found me lying in my grave. One word, just one word – I heard redemption call my name………. He saved my soul, did a miracle in me. He said “Dead man come alive. He opened up my eyes.” (From Jeremy Camp’s song “Tell The Whole World”)
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