What do you do when at a restaurant you perceive that the waitress’ future involves a very specific field of work? I mean, when you know what she wants to do instead of working in a restaurant, and you have not gained this knowledge from something she said.
On my way home from Klamath Falls yesterday, while I waited for my to go order, suddenly I knew the career dream that’s been in my waitresses heart.
I see myself as the mail carrier, bringing love letters from the Lord to individuals. This sort of thing happens to me a lot, sometimes in situations that aren’t suitable for ministry, more often while I’m serving the Lord at churches and special events, and on occasion in settings like the one I’m telling you about here–where it’s much easier to encourage a total stranger with a “love letter” from the Lord.
When I gave the waitress the word, it was in the context of her just saying that an employee had called in sick. So, you can see that chiming in about a whole new career path was totally out there.
This is how I handled it…
“You’re not in college?” I said. “But you want to go to Beauty School. You would be really good in that field.”
She responded by sharing with me her dream of going to Cosmetology school and working in the beauty industry. I learned that she’s wanted to be a hair stylist for a long time, but significant changes in her current situation need to happen first. She described exactly what she wants to specialize in, because (I learned from her) there are all sorts of specialized areas within that field.
So how did I know that in her heart was a dream of going to Cosmetology school? The answer is in 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians 14 where Paul teaches about the ministry of God’s Holy Spirit. Through what he called “words of knowledge,” individuals are encouraged, comforted, and edified. Additionally, all of the gifts of the Spirit reveal God’s Presence and His loving care.
The waitress asked me what I was doing in Klamath? I explained that I was on my way home after ministering at a couple of churches. This was a good opening to then mention briefly that the Lord is the One who revealed to me her career dream. I have no idea where she’s at in faith, but I could tell by her smile that my words were well received.
I’m grateful that I’m learning how “to be supernatural naturally,” as my friend Jean Krisle Balsi puts it.
How do we receive love letters from the Father for the people along our paths?
It’s as simple as what Corrie Ten Boom said,
“The glove can do nothing. Oh, but if my hand is in the glove, it can do many things…cook, play the piano, write. Well, you say that is not the glove, but the hand in the glove that does it. Yes, that is so. I tell you that we are nothing but gloves. The hand in the glove is the Holy Spirit of God. Can the glove do something if it is very near the hand? No! The glove must be filled with the hand to do the work. That is exactly the same for us: We must be filled with the Holy Spirit to do the work God has for us to do.”
It’s just like that, you know.
Love on someone today and let them know that God cares deeply about them.