Day 111: 'I'm good'

He was emptying trash cans outside Kwik Shop, a young guy with a goatee, glasses and a ball cap. A cigarette was hanging out of his mouth. He was moving quickly because it was cold. I'd just filled up with gas, and so I walked into the store, stopping just outside the door next to him to ask him my question. He didn't stop working, and it was hard at first to understand his response. But his facial expression changed almost instantly so I knew what he was trying to say. This guy wasn't a believer. 

It's hard to explain the feeling, but I knew in my bones this guy wanted nothing to do with me or the message. As he was reaching down to pick up the big black trash bag on the sidewalk in front of him, I thought I heard the response I expected. "Is that a no?" I asked, to clarify. He looked me in the eye just then for the first time. "Yeah. I'm good," he said, and he was already moving by me to the next trash can. So I went into the store.

I thought a lot about his response on the way home. Maybe I read him wrong? But I feel confident I didn't. I also felt unable to control the urge to pray for him anyway, even though he declared he didn't need a prayer. The radio station was playing Christmas music, and I thought of how beautiful this time of year is, and how sad it is for those who take no part in recognizing why we celebrate. So I prayed that God would put someone else -- many other people -- in this guy's path to bring his attention to God. Maybe someday his heart will soften.

Ironically, I ran into two other people today who I've prayed for. Immediately after walking into Kwik Shop, I grabbed some gum (for Sam) and walked to the counter, where I recognized the clerk as someone  who I'd prayed for a couple weeks ago. She was friendly. And earlier, we stopped at Sonic, where the young woman who brought us our food was the same that I'd seen stalled out in the middle of the street about a week ago. I asked her about her car. A broken axle. She can't afford the $800 bill. So we'll keep praying for her.