You Never Know

Today is my day for leading worship at the Parkview Retirement Community. Among other things, it means it's a day I wear a clerical collar. It feels a bit strange since its only twice a month when it used to be almost every day. Just as it felt strange to not wear it when I retired after so many years of doing so. But that's not what this blog is about.

When worship and conversation were over and I started home, I decided to grab a burger at Wendy's. I ordered and rolled up to the window to pay and get my food. Completely uneventful. Behind the person at the window was another woman. She saw me and said, "The Lord sent you to me. I need a prayer!" I first thought she was joking, but realized her expression said, "This is real." She came over to the window and she said, "I need a prayer." I asked, "Can you tell me what you need to pray for?" "My mother. My mother's just a mess."

I asked her name and her mother's name, reached out my hand and took hers and said a prayer for Lisa and her mom. "Did the other girl already get your money," Lisa asked? "I'm going to give this to you free." I'd already paid. "Then how about a drink? I can give you a drink." I said, "No thank you; I'm on the way home. Besides, God doesn't charge for hearing prayers."

It was a strange and moving moment. In the "old days" of collar wearing, things like this happened now and then. Always caught me off guard. But always reminded me of how much pain there is in the world and how hungry people are to be in touch with God. It reminded me, too, of how much clergy were once viewed pretty widely: having a hot line to God. Maybe there is still more of that than I believe. I don't know. I do know this, Lisa and I connected over the gulf of our genders, age, race and occupation. God brought us together for that minute or so and I want to believe she and I will always be a little bit different because of it.

You never know.

Peace,

Jerry+