Today I had an errand to run on my lunch break. I had to go to the post office to mail a small package. As I pulled into a parking space, I noticed a man lingering by the font door. I saw him drop something and I thought, "I hope he knows he dropped something." I was too far away to even tell what it was. As I got out of my car, I saw him stop and pick it up. He still kind of lingered - nothing out of the ordinary but him hanging around the front door was enough for me to notice him. He went into the post office. Another man with two boxes walked past my car as I was getting out and I followed the second man into the post office.
When I entered the post office, there was a line. The man with two boxes (let's call him Two Boxes from here on out) was immediately in front of me. The man who dropped something by the front door should have been immediately in front of him. There were two women at the head of the line. I was the last one in line.
Two postal workers were each at their stations behind the counter and they each were helping a customer. I saw the man who had lingered by the front door bypass the entire line and get in line directly behind a woman that was being helped at the counter. I have been to the post office enough times to know that if you wait in line and need a form when you get to the counter, most postal workers will tell you to step aside to fill out the form, but when you are done, don't get back in the main line. They usually let you come right back up to the counter. However, this man who cut the line had been outside, so I didn't think he had a form and had been instructed to skip the line.
I heard the postal worker say something to him and then say, "That is the main line back there. You have to wait there." Immediately the line-skipper was agitated. He started mumbling under his breath, his shoulders slumped, and he turned around. There was a gap of space between Two Boxes and the lady ahead of him. I think he had anticipated that the man was going to stop there, in the proper place in line, so he had not moved up yet. The line-skipper turned and started to get into the space where he should have been standing in line. The postal worker said, "No, the back of the line." I saw a flash in the line-skippers eyes and immediately I felt uneasy. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Line-skipper was not happy. A few choice cuss words came out of his mouth. He turned to step out of line and get behind me and I said, "That's okay. You can stand in front of me. You walked in ahead of me." Two Boxes didn't say a word and didn't move. Line-Skipper said, "No I'll go to the back of the line." Except he added a couple of more cuss words.
I don't know if it was because I had spoken to him, or what, but he started to talk to me. He said, "I don't want to wait in line. I'm having a bad day. I just need to change my address because I'm going to jail tomorrow. I'm having a really bad day. I'm having a bad life." It was becoming clear to me that this man may have some sort of mental illness because of his demeanor. That was the impression I was getting. I said, "They can help you at the counter. They will have the right form." He again repeated, "I can't do this. I'm having a bad day." That's when my heart started to pound. Immediately I felt a prompting, "Pray for him. Right now. With him. Out loud." I didn't want to. That's how I knew it was God telling me what to do! Usually He prompts me to do something I don't want to and I resist. But I thought, "No. Obey. Do what you're told." So I turned to the man and said, "Do you want me to pray for you right now?" A look of relief washed over his face and he nodded yes. I said, "What's your name?" He said, "Daniel." I wanted to make sure I heard him right so I said, "Daniel?" And he said, "Daniel Matthew..."and I couldn't catch his last name because he started sobbing. So I bowed my head right there in the post office line and prayed out loud for Daniel while he cried. I said just a few sentences. Something like, "Father, Daniel is having a tough time and we thank you that you are with him. Help him to get done what he needs to get done today. We know that you are here with us right now, in this post office. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Oh my mercy, you guys. My heart was POUNDING out of my chest. I had never prayed for a stranger, with that stranger before! But I knew it was the thing I was put in that line to do. I was there to help Daniel stay calm. Emotions were running a bit high, so as I had prayed, I was trying not to get too choked up.
As soon as I was done praying, I felt like I needed to reassure Daniel to keep him calm. I said, "We'll get you the right form. Look, there's forms right here." I stepped out of line and looked at the forms. I felt as though I was helping a small child who was lost from his mother. I kept repeating, "It's going to be alright. Don't you worry." I couldn't find the dumb address change form. Finally Two Boxes turned around and spoke up and said, "I think that's it right there." (I knew he had heard every word we had said.) I said, "Oh, look! Right in front of me!" Then Two Boxes said, "Or maybe it's just a flyer about doing it online." To which Daniel said, "I don't have internet." With two swear words thrown in for good measure. And he was still crying. I got back in line and said, "Don't worry. The postal workers will get you what you need." It was about this time the line started to move and another woman got behind Daniel in line.
He asked me, "Do you think they'll arrest me if I go up to the counter, crying?" I said, "Nope. It will all be okay." Daniel turned to the woman behind him and started talking to her. I heard him say that he struggles with alcohol, that tomorrow he was going to a workhouse for 105 days, that the cops had beat him up, that he had broken his tailbone and three toes, and that he had a crappy life. Um, that's me really cleaning up what he actually said.
When I got to the front of the line the postal worker said, "Did I hear you say you need an address change form?" I said no, the gentleman behind me needs it. He handed it to the other postal worker, who handed it to Daniel as he approached the counter for his turn. He kind of chuckled that he didn't even need to ask - what he needed was handed right to him. They had him move to the side to fill out his form, so when I left, I stopped beside him and said, "Daniel, God bless you. I will continue to pray for you." Again, my heart was pounding because all of this was out of my comfort zone. He nodded and said, "Thank you," and that was that. The whole thing from start to finish took about three minutes but a lot happened in that three minutes!
I'm not writing about this so that I can say, "Look what I did." Because really, I didn't do much. But rather, I'm writing this to encourage someone today to listen to that inner voice. Whether you believe it's your "inner voice" or God telling you something, I encourage you to obey. Especially when it's a thought that you are maybe a little scared to take action on. I'm trying to be better at obeying the Holy Spirit when He asks me to do something spur of the moment. It's too easy to ignore it, or rationalize and think, "Oh that's silly. I don't need to do that." Or even, "Why would I do that?" How easy would it have been for me to think, "I'm not going to pray for this stranger," and just turn my back on Daniel? What if I had asked him if I could pray and he became more upset, cussing even more? But he needed someone to talk to and he needed some understanding. And it cost me nothing to give him a little encouragement.
Chances are I'll never see Daniel again or know his story. But if you think of it, could you say a prayer for him? It was so obvious that he is a hurting man who needs hope.
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
