More Insight

Insight

(Dragonfly Ministries President, Mary Hamrick)

March 2003

Do you trust me?

Have you ever heard those words from anyone?  If you have, how did you respond?  It’s hard to trust another with our deepest thoughts and desires, isn’t it?  We have to know someone intimately in order to share the deepest recesses of our hearts with him or her.

Last month, my family took a trip to North Carolina for spring break and to visit “the” N.C. grandparents, Grandma Ty and Granddaddy Phil.  We were excited about making the trip because that’s our home, and we grow homesick.

When we boarded the airplane, my husband, Andy, and the boys sat in one section and I sat on the opposite side of the aisle, by the window, beside a beautiful Hispanic woman.  As I crossed over her to get to my seat, she smiled and said hello. I knew right away that she didn’t speak much English, and was relieved because I wanted a nice, peaceful flight to the Carolinas without a lot of chit chat along the way – sometimes I just need quiet, and I was so looking forward to the quiet time I would have on the 2 hour flight.

As the airplane took off, I closed my eyes and relaxed, thankful that Andy had agreed to sit with our two sons across the aisle.  During the first half of the trip, I sat with my eyes closed and rested.  When I opened my eyes, I noticed that the woman sitting beside me was reading a book, written in Spanish.  I don’t know much Spanish, but I was able to translate enough words to know that it was a prayer book, and I became very focused on trying to translate the prayer that she read over and over again. 

Suddenly, I heard a voice inside my heart that said, “Place your hand on her and pray.”  I ignored it, thinking it would go away.  I heard it again, “Place your hand on her and pray.”  I said, “But Lord, I don’t know her and she will think I am crazy. ”  Still, the words persisted.  So without really wanting to, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder – she looked at me and I smiled sheepishly, but didn’t remove my hand.  She turned back to her prayer book and I said a quick, brief prayer asking God to bless and keep her, and then I removed my hand and pretended to sleep again.  But sleep was not to come.  About 1.2 seconds after closing my eyes, I heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit again.  He said, “Place your hand on her and pray so that she knows what you’re doing.  Don’t be ashamed to do what I’m asking you to do.”  And I answered back (in my mind), “But Lord, she doesn’t know me, and she will think I’m nuts if she knows what I’m doing, and besides, what do I pray for?”  His answer was, “Do you trust Me?”  ”What kind of question is that, Lord?  You know I trust you.”  And all I heard in my heart was silence, like a great big question mark was staring me in the face. 

At that moment, I knew that if I didn’t obey the Lord, I would always regret it.  So here I was, stuck between the Spirit of God and a precious woman that needed prayer.  What was I to do?  I answered, “Lord, I trust you and I will do as you ask”.   I placed my arm through hers and said, “The Lord wants me to pray for you.”  She smiled.  So I started to pray silently.  As I prayed, she moved her ear closer to my mouth and I knew that she needed to hear the prayer.  So I prayed out loud so that she could hear the words.  I don’t remember what I prayed for  - the Lord gave me the words to pray.  But during the prayer, she wept.  And after the prayer, she wept.  And since there was a language barrier, we didn’t talk.  I don’t know why the Lord asked me to pray for her - that’s between Him and her  – but I sensed that she was going through a difficult and sorrowful time.  I do know that she needed to hear that prayer on that day and at that time.  The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, wanted her to know that He loved her and that He was in control, and He allowed me to share that with her on the airplane from Dallas, Texas to North Carolina.  And I praise Him that He used me to do that.

One day, when she and I meet in Heaven, she will tell me what that prayer meant to her, and I will understand why the Lord instructed me to pray for her.  But for now, I rejoice in the fact that I was able to reach out to one of God’s children and give them a glimpse of His love, language barrier and all, and that she was able to see His love, 30,000 feet from the ground!

As I told this story to my friend, Martha, she said, “Mary, don’t you understand?  God doesn’t want us to please other people. He wants us to please Him.”  That pretty much summed it up for me.  Don’t get me wrong – serving the Lord frightens me because I never know when and where He will ask me to “Trust Him”- but I am committed to serve Him for all my days, whether that means I am uncomfortable or not.  God doesn’t ask that we please anyone except Him.  Who are you living to please, God or man? 

“Lord, make me an instrument for You.  Take away the fear that I face each day that others will judge and condemn me for who I am in You.   Place my hope and my trust solely in You, and let the things of this day and time pass away.  Hold me strong and firm in Your grace, Your ways and Your will. “

As Martha says, “His grace is sufficient for me.”  II Corinthians 12:9 

Mary H.