Today at lunch, I visited the mall for another solo treasure hunt. Before leaving, I got a good crop of words. But, as I explain below, none of them seemed to pan out.
On the way in, I was met by a teenage panhandler whose inadequate dental hygiene suggested that he is not part of a caring home environment. He was asking passersby for $1 for "bus fare." I didn't feel good about him and so passed him by without comment or acknoweldgement.
Once I'd entered the mall, I seemed to hear God ask if I was serious about giving to anyone who asks. So, I went back outside and engaged the young man in conversation, hoping to find an opportunity for ministry. I quickly developed the impression that he was seriously oppressed and that he could not be trusted to properly use any money given him. Nevertheless, I gave him $20 and a blessing, which was way more than the mere $3 bus fare he claimed to need.
As I looked for treasure within the mall, I prayed about the young man. As I prayed, God seemed to give me a name. When I eventually gave up my hunt due to exhaustion and exited the mall, the young man was still outside. I would imagine that he'd collected $50-100 in the time I was in the mall.
I asked him his name, which turned out not to be the name I'd gotten. I asked if the name I'd gotten meant anything to him. He denied that it did and I felt no reason to doubt him. I blessed him again and returned home.
This was a discouraging outing for me. I'm accustomed to getting accurate words more often than not when serving as part of my church's healing prayer team. Ministry outside the church's walls seems much more difficult, so far.
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