Arriving at the main downtown library, I glanced at the “Library Hours” sign. I’d goofed. I had guessed wrong and was early by an hour.*

I pulled in the nearly empty parking lot, thinking a quick turn around and I’d be on my way to my favorite coffee shop. A medium hazelnut with sugar and extra cream sounded perfect. Waste an hour, and I’d be back.

Then I felt that tug.

Not so fast. Not time to leave.

He wanted me to pray.

I pulled into a parking space, thinking maybe I’d heard wrong, since the parking lot didn’t feel very safe, all alone without the usual library patrons coming and going. I turned the car off anyway, and felt His peace surround me.

“More Walk, Less Talk”, danced across my mind.

As I was driving to the library, the car in front of me had that on a bumper sticker. It was just then, at a red light, I looked over and saw a homeless man.

“More walk, less talk.”

As I sat at the intersection, I felt something well up in me.

Soon, the light changed to green and off we drove, but the feeling in my heart came with me.

Minutes later, sitting in the lot, I saw who I was to pray for. A group of homeless men and women were gathered on the steps of the library.

Pray.

God had connected the dots.

Sometimes God takes us into unfamiliar territory, all for His work to be done. I don’t know how prayer works, nor do I think God had to have me pray that day, after all, like Psalms 50:10 says, He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills.”

He is sovereign.

I left that day feeling lighter. I wonder what my prayers could have possibly done to help their situations … prayer is powerful though, so I trust in that.

God used that feeling of walking through fear and partnering with Him to teach me yet another lesson. I look back now and think, “How ridiculous that I was even afraid!” but at the time, fear of sitting alone in that parking lot, fear of the unknown, felt very real.

What do you do when God takes you out of your comfort zone? Do you walk though it? Ignore the call (I’ve done this many times!)? Put it off?

“... for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” —Psalms 50:10, NIV

 

*This article was originally written/published by the author under the title “God’s Small Calls.”