Day 350: Alyce in Walmart

She was standing alone at her register, which was an odd sight. I had been cruising past all the registers only to find all of them with lines of people in them. Except for Alyce's. I took it as a sign from God.

So before I even had lugged my milk up on the conveyor belt, I asked her my question. She thought about that for a moment, and said that I could pray for her. Anybody could pray for her, she said. Then she asked what church I went to. So I gave her my credentials. That satisfied her, apparently. She didn't have time for me to pray for her right there, though. I told her I would pray for her later.

Her name badge said Alyce. And she was 60-something years old and told me about her shift. Some days, she works from 4 p.m. to midnight. There's more people in Walmart than you would think at midnight, she said, but many of them are very nice people.

Day 349: Marital problems

As I was headed to the gas station this evening -- my semi-usual trip -- the sky was lit up by the setting sun. The clouds were pink and purple, just an awesome sight.

I stopped at QuikTrip to get gas and pulled in next to a guy driving a silver, four-door sedan. He had dark hair with a few hints of gray, and a beard. I asked him my question. He paused, and then smiled and said it would be OK. So I prayed for him on the spot. Then we went back about our business -- but only for a moment.

The guy then stuck his head back around the gas pump and said, "I just wanted you to know that I'm at a place in my life where I'm in need of prayer." That caught my attention. I asked if he had anything in particular he wanted me to pray about. He told me he was having marital problems. His name was John. I told him I would keep him in my prayers.

This project will come to an end in a couple of weeks. But days like today make me think twice about that. Here was a guy who needed prayer, and maybe he has no one to pray for him. And he's not alone. There are tons of people out there in the same boat. They may not tell a stranger about their prayer needs -- like John did -- but some of them will. Things can get that bad.

So I prayed again for John and for reconciliation in his marriage -- and that maybe he would be drawn closer to God in all of this.

Day 348: Wichita PD

There was a cop sitting in our parking lot this morning. I saw him as I drove in and wondered about him. He was backed into a space, just sitting there. But his window was rolled down, enjoying what little non-blazing air he could for the day. It was a good opportunity for me, so I walked over to him.

He was pleasant but, as police officers tend to be, a little tense when I approached him. He greeted me. He probably gets lots of complaints and concerns and some element of danger during his days, so when I asked him my question, his face lit up like you wouldn't believe. It surprised me.

"Absolutely!" he said. "I would really like that." I told him about my project, and he nodded, saying I could pray for him right there. "I can use all the prayers I can get," he said. So I prayed a prayer of protection and guidance for him. Then we shook hands, and I headed into the office. That was a good one, I thought to myself.

Later, I discovered why he was sitting there. He was waiting for someone. In the afternoon, a group of police officers -- there must have been more like him stationed around Old Town -- pulled over a white BMW and arrested the driver on the spot. Then they spent a long time searching his car. This happened right outside our office. I don't know whether the police officer I prayed for was among those who stopped the guy.

Day 347: All white

Everything about him was white. He had the whitest hair possible. I thought maybe he was from Norway or Sweden. He was that blond. The guy was probably 45 years old. I found him standing in front of the Hotel at Old Town. It was in the early evening, and he was on the shaded side, which was good because it was more than 100 degrees outside.

Besides his hair, he was wearing a white shirt, white pants and white shoes. His skin was very pale, too. He was standing there with a bag waiting for someone. I stopped to ask him my question. He looked at me with a questioning look, and I thought for a minute maybe he didn't speak English. Maybe he really was from Sweden!

But finally he said "yes." It was so soft I could barely hear him. But I just ducked my head and prayed. Afterward, he gave me the quietest "thank you" possible. Then I left.

Day 346: A reluctant Jayhawk

He didn't want to. Oh, he really didn't want to. He wanted to get into his car and drive away and not look back. But he didn't. That, to me, is the miraculous part. After I'd asked the guy my question -- he was a tall young guy with a KU t-shirt -- he looked away. He also was leaning away. I actually looked down at his feet to see whether he was shuffling away, too. He really just wanted to leave.

We stood there in that suspended state for a few moments, and then I told him about my project. "It'll just take 10 seconds," I said, as sweetly I could. Finally, he seemed to let the air go out of him. "Oh, OK," he said, and he stepped over toward me. It wasn't much of a prayer. But I believe, for some reason with this guy more than most, that it will make a difference. It wasn't much of a prayer, but God can use anything to reach people. I pray he will use this one.

Day 345: Yay God

He was an older guy with a bald head, driving a car with a Johnson County license plate. So, my first thought was that he was well off. Aren't all people well-to-do in Johnson County? That, of course, isn't true, but that was my knee-jerk generalization.

He said I could pray for him. "Absolutely. As long as I can pray for you, too," he said with enthusiasm. He was a very happy guy. So I said a prayer. Then he put his hands up and said, "God's blessings on you." And then he said, "Yay God." I'd not heard that before. Maybe there was a question on my face, so he explained. "That's just something I like to say," he said. "I had a pastor one time who would say that. It says it all -- that we are putting God first."

Yay God.

Day 344: Close-out sale

Mary and I went shopping at Borders. That company is bankrupt, and it's closing its stores. We found some decent deals. Mary bought a lot of books. Not really wanting to see exactly how many she bought -- she's really a reader -- I went outside to stand in the heat to wait while she paid.

I held the door open for an elderly lady, who went and sat on a bench. It was hot there next to the building, even as the sun was going down. I asked the woman my question, and she quickly said "yes." So I prayed a prayer of blessing, and she thanked me and shook my hand. Then we chatted a few minutes about the weather. She told me her air conditioner was working just fine, thankfully.

Then Mary came out with her bag of books -- a few of mine were in there, too -- and we left.

Day 343: Bugs

It was raining bugs. I was at the gas station filling up Mary's van. It was after dark, and the bugs were flying around all over the place. Mostly what I noticed, though, was where they were landing. On me. Not that it was terrible, but you couldn't stand for very long without getting a visitor -- who then would fly away.

The guy I prayed for was young and tall and freckled. He was driving a green pick-up truck with a large VC logo on the back window. So I'm guessing he was still in high school or close to it. He was wearing a ball cap and had the look of a farm kid. He was smashing bugs on the ground when I asked him my question. He looked at me skeptically. "Why?" So I told him about my project. "Yeah, sure, go ahead," he said as he started to get into his truck. But I stopped him and told him I wanted to pray for him right there. 

He let me, reluctantly -- still looking at me a bit strangely. I thanked him afterward, and he left.

Day 342: Chiefs fan

He was driving a little red SUV -- a Saturn, I think. He didn't really fit the car. It was modern and cool looking. He was kind of scruffy, with a white beard and a Kansas City Chiefs ball cap. I asked him my question, and he just paused and then chuckled at me. "Sure you can," he said, turning away from me. "Sure you can," he said again, as he walked around his car to leave.

So I prayed for him on my own.

Day 341: Tough one

It was another tough night in finding someone to pray for. But I finally came across a guy filling up a white car with gas. I think he was Hispanic, but I'm not sure. I do know his English was rough. The guy himself was rough-looking. He was short and stout, maybe 35 years old. He cleaned all the windows of his car and then popped the hood, to check the oil, I think.

I asked him my question just as he was about to get into his car. He looked at me kind of funny, trying to understand. "Pray," I said, putting my hands together and closing my eyes. The light started to dawn. "To who?" he asked. "To God," I said, and then (to make sure he understood this wasn't just any god), "To Jesus."

He got on board with that and told me I could pray for him right then and there. So I did. During that prayer, the guy bowed his head and quietly mumbled his own prayer in his own language. Then he thanked me, and we shook hands. "God bless you," he said.

So that was that. By the way, Happy Birthday Sam!

Day 340: Courage

God gave me a revelation today. Actually, it was a new twist on an old revelation.

It started when I really struggled tonight to find someone to pray for. I spent a lot of time looking. A lot. But there wasn't a good opportunity. Really, I just lacked courage. But I finally found a guy who was filling up a white car with gas. He had a ball cap and really large, black eyes. He was friendly and let me pray for him, shaking my hand afterward.

The revelation was this: I'm a chicken. I've been doing this for 340 days! Our pastor told me at the beginning of this project that the fear of approaching someone never would go away. I didn't really believe him. Surely, I would get used to it.

To a certain degree, I have. There are times when I just come right out and ask someone -- no worry, no adrenaline, no fear. But other times, I just lack the courage. I hesitate. Tonight was one of those nights. I suppose some Christians are just more outgoing, more naturally wired to do this kind of thing -- to go up to strangers and strike up a conversation about God. That's not me.

So God showed me again tonight that every day of this project, every time I talked to someone, was a result of him giving me the courage to do it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it past Day 1. When I needed to open my mouth, to walk up to someone, God supplied the energy. He supplied the words. He overcame the fear -- not me.

Day 339: Monte Carlo

He was driving a black, older model Monte Carlo. He filled up with gas through the back of the car, by the license plate. On a side window was a big No. 3 -- for Dale Earnhardt. The guy himself was in his 40s, probably, with black hair and a mustache.

I asked to pray for him, and he leaned in to hear me better. Then he kind of looked at me strangely and said, with much hesitation, that I could pray for him. So I did. Then he surprised me by striking up a conversation about the weather. It was something like 104 degrees today, and it was poised to stay that way for the foreseeable future. "It's best just to stay inside, or go to a pool and just soak," he said. I agreed.

Day 338: Birthday dinner

It was my birthday, and we were eating at Applebee's. The waitress, named Emma, wasn't particularly happy. She kind of rushed us into ordering, something that's not going to be a very successful effort with four kids sitting at the table. They really had to mull over their options.

So that was the service that night. Curt. Abrupt. Not unfriendly, but not social either. That changed dramatically when I asked her my question. A huge smile came across her face. Absolutely, I could pray for her, she said. So I did. "Can you keep praying for me tonight? I need more of that," she said. I told her we would.

Day 337: Air conditioning

I went to the gas station on my way home from work, but before I stepped out, I just sat there and let the cool air blow through the vents in the car. It's been ridiculously hot. But there was a guy standing next to a white SUV filling up with gas, and I needed to finish my project for the day. I only have four weeks left!

He was probably in his 50s and was balding. His vehicle had the name of his company, some kind of equipment distributor I think, on the side. The guy looked at me like I was a little nuts -- like it was a silly thing to ask. But he said, really hesitatingly and without looking a me while he pulled his receipt from the gas pump, that I could pray for him. So I did. It was a short prayer. Perhaps pleased by that, he stuck out his hand and shook mine. He thanked me.

Day 336: Cherry limeade

I was in a big hurry. I'm doing some graduate school work and had a research paper due by midnight. I hadn't prayed for anyone yet, and it was 9:30 p.m. The paper was in decent shape -- not perfect -- so I left the house to go look for someone. I found myself at Sonic. Quick and easy, and a good chance at least to get a response from someone.

The girl who brought out the cherry limeade -- I mistakenly thought that was Mary's favorite drink -- was young, probably no older than 20. She smiled when I asked my question, almost like she was expecting it. Maybe she gets all sorts of comments from her customers. Anyway, she let me pray for her. So I did. She thanked me, and then she fulfilled her obligation with a smile, asking whether I needed anything else to go along with my drink. I didn't.

When I got home, I gave Mary the limeade and finished the paper.

Day 335: Pro-life

He was a young guy, standing next to a little white car, at the Park City QuikTrip. He immediately said I could pray for him. Then he asked about my project. He said it was fitting that we should meet like that because he'd had a strange night. He was supposed to hang out with a girl that night, but it didn't work out. So he found himself walking alone and praying. That turned out to be a good thing. And then I showed up.

The guy's name was John. And as it turns out, he's in ministry with a pro-life group in Wichita. We talked for quite a while about his organization -- Justice for All -- and how it operates. Basically, he says, it trains pro-lifers "how not to be weird" as they spread the word about their cause. I agree fully in the cause and was glad to hear about what they were doing.

John, himself, was a really engaging guy -- one of those who probably rarely holds things back. And he's a thinker. We talked about how he once witnessed to an atheist college professor who eventually became a Christian and how he's working on some other things in his life. I'm just glad to have met him. And I'll keep praying for him.

After 11 months ...

It is shocking to think it's been 11 months. It's all God. There's no way I could have done this on my own. It was his idea. His courage. His words. I am just lucky enough to be part of it.

I've been thinking about how best to sum up what this has been about. What's the big-picture lesson? Is it evangelism? Obedience? Discipline? Sacrifice? It's been all of those certainly. But that's not what this has been about at its very core. To me, it's been about God. Just God. We're to glorify Him in everything we do. As I see what he's done during this project -- all those people who I've been blessed to talk to, whether positive or negative -- I see his power and his guidance. And I can't help but praise him. He's the center. It all points to him and who he is -- loving, forgiving, all-powerful, creating, renewing.

I shouldn't try to write a sermon here. But the closer I get to the end of this project, the more amazed I am at God. He's awesome, and he makes dead things -- and tired things -- new.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Day 334: Gatorade, grapes

That's what I picked up at the store. It was like 110 degrees today, and Sophia had her swim meet in McPherson. She pretty much fainted at one point -- we think from heat -- and then threw up. The meet continues tomorrow, so when we got back home and finished VBS for the week (we aren't busy!), I went to the store to buy some stuff to keep her hydrated.

I stopped the guy in the soup aisle of Walmart to ask him my question. He was a big guy named Brian who was stocking shelves. It was late, about 10:30 p.m. He didn't hesitate much in saying I could pray for him. And contrary to other stockers at Walmart, he had time to let me pray for him. So I did. He didn't have much to say after that, so I thanked him and left.

Day 333: Don't need one

The first thing I noticed about his pickup was that it had seen better days. It was well used. A strip of duct tape was holding on one of the tail lights. In the back was a bunch of old equipment, but I couldn't tell what it was for.

The guy driving this beat up truck was in his late 40s or early 50s with a mustache and glasses. He squinted at me when I asked him my question, but he didn't fully turn to face me. That's usually a sign. He took one moment to think about it and then he said, "I don't need a prayer." He laughed at that moment through broken teeth. "Don't need one," he said again. And then he hopped into his truck and drove off.

I got back into my car and waited until he was out of sight. Then I prayed for him.

Day 332: Go ahead

It was a short exchange. He didn't want anything to do with me. The guy was probably in his 60s, driving a Honda SUV with Oklahoma plates. I asked him my question after he finished washing his windows. He just looked at me blankly and asked, "Why?" I told him about my project. This didn't satisfy him apparently, but he wanted to get rid of me. "Go ahead," he said, waving his hand at me with a straight face. He was moving away then. "Go ahead," he said again. And then he was gone, walking toward the QuikTrip. He looked back once, but I wasn't sure he was looking at me or his car.

Day 331: A lot of ice cream

He brought us our food at Sonic, and we jokingly gave him a hard time about just how much ice cream he brought us. Those were large cups for such little kids. But, we were the ones who decided to take them for ice cream at 10 o'clock at night. Sophia had just gotten done with her swim meet and we wanted to reward her.

Anyway, the carhop's name was Leo. I bet he still was in high school. He was very friendly. I asked him my question, and he gave me a questioning look. But he said "yes." "Give me a prayer," he said. Leo removed his ballcap, and I prayed for him. Then he thanked me and got back to work.

Day 330: My ministry

He was in his 40s with dark hair and a serious look on his face. He was a sharp guy who sized me up almost immediately -- and pretty accurately. I asked if I could pray for him and he looked at me questioningly. "Why?" I told him that I try to pray for one person every day.

"Well, I'm a believer," he said. "If you're after a conversion, you're not going to get it." I told him that wasn't necessarily what I was after. I just wanted to pray for him. He thought about this for only a moment. "Well," he said, "I see that's you ministry, so go ahead." So I prayed a prayer of blessing for the man.

Then we shook hands. "Thanks for your courage," he said, adding that he would remember me that night in his own prayers. And like that, he was gone.

Day 329: John Smith

He was perhaps the most engaging and interested person I've met during this project. We were at the QuikTrip in Park City. He was driving a maroon Buick, or something like that, and I asked if I could pray for him. "Certainly," he said. The guy was probably in his 50s, with a shock of white hair. I asked if he had 10 seconds for a quick prayer right then. That's when he surprised me: "That's a short prayer," he said.

I agreed, so I asked whether he had anything specific I could pray about for him. He thought about it for a moment and then said his Achilles had been bothering him. I'd seen him limping out of the convenience store earlier. He'd injured it playing tennis and it was visibly swollen. He wasn't sure what kind of treatment it would need. So we prayed about it.

Then we chatted for a few minutes. "I've never in all my life had anyone pray for me at a filling station before," he said. He told me about his church, a Pentecostal church down south. He said it offered some programs that he really liked. He asked about my project and why I decided to do it. I told him about the calling I'd received and the constant prompting of the Holy Spirit. "I think good things are going to happen to you on this project," he said. And then he asked me how long I'd been doing it -- "How many days?"

I told him 330 (I miscounted, obviously). (And I about choked those words out. It's so amazing to me how far God has brought me in this project.) He seemed surprised I'd been at it so long: "I bet some really incredible things have happened during that time." I agreed that they had. At the very least, I told him, God had moved me. He'd taught me what it means to be obedient and disciplined in serving him in a self-sacrificing way.

We parted then. But John Smith said that he believes all things happen for a reason, that our meeting had a purpose. Again, I couldn't agree more.

Day 328: The bread aisle

It was Saturday evening. I picked up two loaves of white and two loaves of wheat at Walmart. There was a guy standing there with a cart half full of groceries. He was mulling over whether to pick something off the shelf. I'm not sure what it was. The guy himself was maybe 60 years old, with short whitish hair.

As I was pushing my own cart out of the aisle, I stopped and asked him my question. He paused, and then said, "I don't care if you do." He said in a pleasant way, sort of. But there was a guy coming up the aisle, looking right at him, in one of those little scooters. So I figured they were together.

I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, so I just said I would pray for him once I left the store. He said he would appreciate that. So I thanked him and left.

Day 327: A blessed day

He was a tall young guy, probably in his 20s, driving a red Vibe. He had a beard and a hint of a mustache. He looked like he'd just gotten off work. I stopped to ask him my question after he came back to his car from QuikTrip. He didn't think about it long before giving me a yes. So I prayed. Then he shook my hand. "Have a great day," he said, and then, "Have a blessed day."

Day 326: Janice the greeter

She looked tired, both physically and mentally, standing there at the end of her shift at Walmart. I walked out and asked whether I could pray for her. She was a short woman and she leaned toward me to hear what I had to say. "Well certainly," she said. But she wasn't comfortable with me praying for her right there. She looked around kind of restlessly, looking for her replacement, who would be coming along any time. But she said I could pray for her after I left. And so I did.

Day 325: A prayer for a prayer

He was a tall guy with a beard, getting gas at the Park City QuikTrip. I asked to pray for him and he gave me a little smile. I explained my project and he still smiled. I could tell right away that he was a friendly guy.

"You sure can," he said. But he couldn't stop for a prayer just then. "I tell you what," he said, holding out his hand to shake mine. "My name's Ken, and you can pray for me as I'm out on the highway." Then he asked my name. "I'll say a prayer for you, too," he said. And then he was gone.

Day 324: UPS

He was the delivery guy, dressed as only he could be on a day where temperatures topped 100 degrees: brown shirt, brown shorts, brown socks. He must have just gotten off work, because I saw him standing next to a little car, which was cluttered on the inside.

The guy himself was probably close to 50 years old, with dark hair and a mustache. I asked to pray for him and got the dull, questioning stare. I told him about my project. "Well, sure," the guy said, standing with one foot in his car, ready to bolt at any moment. It wasn't an enthusiastic response, but he did let me bow and pray. So I did. Then he was gone.

Day 323: Not a happy holiday

That's the best way to describe her. She wasn't in a good mood, working at Walmart on the Fourth of July. "I don't want to be here today," she said as I asked how her day was going. Isabella and I were checking out then with some flour, ground beef and chocolate chips -- last-minute items for the 4th.

The cashier didn't smile at us or greet Isabella as she plopped the chocolate chips on the counter. I said that I hoped the woman's shift wouldn't be a long one today. She said that also was a problem. She got off at 2:30 p.m. So not only did she have to work July 4, she also didn't get to work that many hours. I took it that she figured that if she had to come in on a holiday, she wanted to work some real hours to make it worthwhile.

I never saw her smile. I also, at that moment, didn't say anything to her. There were a bunch of people in line by that point and the cashier's supervisor came over then, so I just took our bags and walked off with Isabella. But we didn't leave. After Isabella was buckled into her car seat and we were sitting there in the parking lot, we waited for a long five minutes while I just thought about that woman. It would be wrong to leave without saying something to someone who was having such an obvious bad day.

So I dreamed up something else to go purchase -- pop. We don't drink pop normally, but our rule is that the kids can have all they want on the Fourth of July. It's one perk of our freedom, if only for a day.

So Isabella and I went in, got some pop and got in the same line we were in before. The cashier's mood was worse than before, if anything. A guy in overalls was standing right next to me waiting his turn. But I had to say something. "Ma'am. I would like to pray for you today." She said that would be fine. "I'm really tired," she said. So I told her I would pray for her and wished her a good day. I didn't pray for her right then. There wasn't time, and it wouldn't have been appropriate.

When we got back to the van, Isabella and I did pray for her, asking God to give the woman more hours to work and more happiness in working them. Hopefully, God also will make himself known to her in some way today.

Day 322: Stretching

He was standing alone next to a minivan, filling it with gas at a Park City gas station. It was pretty late. No one else was at that station, besides me, and the convenience store itself was closed. I walked over to him and asked him my question.

He said I could pray for him. He was a stout guy, probably in his late 20s. I prayed for him, and then he asked what compelled me to do such a thing. So I told him about my project. He said he was a Christian and that he believed Jesus Christ died for his sins. He asked then how I came up with the idea for my project. I told him it really was something God set out for me to do. "To stretch you," he said then. That was exactly right. I told him that too often we Christians are afraid to say anything at all -- to anyone.

He asked what church I went to. He attends Faith Bible Baptist Church, also in Valley Center. In the end, we shook hands and went our own ways.

Day 321: 'Don't bother me'

He was a big guy with a bushy beard, and he just stared at me when I walked up to him. He had been filling his SUV with gas at the Kwik Shop in Maize when I asked him my question. He just gave me the normal pause, and then "No." He stepped back away from me and then stuck out his hand, again saying "No." Then he said, "Don't bother me," and he walked back around his vehicle.

I just turned and went to my car. The guy didn't want to be bothered, so I would honor that. My reaction to episodes like that one are almost always the same. On one hand, I'm annoyed that someone would be so rude and assume so much about me. That's my natural side. On the other, I just feel compelled to pray for the guy. I'm never sure exactly what I should pray, but just to ask God to be present for that man. That's the side of me that's not natural. It's the side that has absolutely nothing to do with me. And it's the side I want more of -- the side I want to feel first in cases like this one.

Day 320: Shopping carts

He was fumbling in the Walmart parking lot with a long line of shopping carts. It was his job to get them back into the store using one of those electric-powered buggies that pushes them along. He appeared to me to be struggling with it, however. When I saw him, I was walking out of the store with a few items to tide us over for the weekend. We'd just gotten back from Colorado about an hour earlier. (It's really hot here!)

At the sight of the cart pusher, I did all I could do: I took him my own shopping cart. That's kind of mean, I realize, but it gave me a chance to offer him a prayer. "Pray for me?" he said, smiling curiously. I told him about my project. The guy was probably no more than 20 years old. But he agreed to let me pray for him. "I could probably use all the prayers I can get," he said. So I bowed my head and prayed right then. The guy giggled, a little nervously, at that moment. But the prayer was over in a few seconds, and I shook his hand and thanked him. He went back to his cart work.  

Day 319: The coach

I can't say for sure that he was a coach. But he looked like one. He was wearing a windbreaker with the logo of the Buena Vista school on it. (They're the Demons, by the way). And he was a really big guy, with that black jacket, standing next to a big black truck. I figured him for a football coach. Or maybe baseball.

He was quick to give me a "yes" when I asked my question. "Let's do it," he said. So I bowed my head and prayed for him. We shook hands then. It was a nice response.

Day 318: A Messianic Jew

He was driving a very old, very beat up Honda. It was full of junk. There’s not much other way to describe it. I can’t say for sure the guy was living out of the car – he didn’t look like it – but there was enough stuff in there to live off of. The guy himself had gray hair and a beard, along with a wide-brimmed hat. He was wearing a collared shirt and shorts.

When I walked up to him, he turned around quickly and greeted me with a loud voice. I asked to pray for him and got the usual hesitation. I told him about my project and that it wasn’t for any reason that I wanted to pray for him in particular. (In other words, I wasn’t judging the car.)

He said I could pray for him, but then stopped me. "Who are we praying to?" he asked. I told him Jesus (which is what I tell people to make sure they’re clear that this would be a Christian prayer). This is where he got a little aggressive. "How about we pray to his Father?" I told him that would be great.

Then he stuck out his hand, I took it, and he prayed for me. It was a very Jewish-sounding prayer. After he finished, I prayed for him in Jesus’ name. I asked him then whether he was a Christian. He fumbled for a minute and then said he was a Messianic Jew. "I believe Yeshua is coming back. But not in a wimpy way. He’s coming in a big way," he said.

Day 317: From Utah

All I could discern was that they appeared to be from Utah (based on their license plate). And they were traveling with kids. The guy was filling up with gas in Buena Vista while his wife was cleaning the trash out of their Yukon Denali, washing its windows and dealing with the children in the back. So she was clearly more active than he was.

Before we pulled out of the gas station, I asked whether I could pray for him. He kind of chuckled uncomfortably. "Sure," he said. But he said I couldn’t pray for him right then. "We’re kind of in a hurry," he said. That was OK. I told him I would pray for him later. They pulled out of the gas station just after we did.

Day 316: Horses

We've got an annual tradition going horseback riding in Colorado during the summer. It's one of those activities that our three girls get very excited about. And Sam, after a few pre-ride jitters, did fine, too.

Our guide's name was Michael. He was in his early 20s from Lake George, Colorado, where he said his parents own a ranch. During the summer, the cattle are put out to summer pasture, and there's not much to do around the ranch. So his mom sent him to work at the M Lazy C ranch (where she knew the owners) for him to work as a trail guide. That was five summers ago. "I get paid to ride a horse, so that's a pretty good deal," he remarked. He was a good guide, very friendly, and he tried to get the kids to warm up to him.

After our ride, I tipped him and offered to pray for him. The tip kind of made him a captive audience, I realize. But he hesitatingly said yes. So I prayed a prayer of blessing in whatever he ended up doing with his life. He thanked me, and we left -- all of us saddle-sore.

Day 315: Running

He was a long skinny guy, probably in his 60s, standing next to a Honda minivan. It was a good opportunity. I stopped to get gas next to him. I asked him if I could pray for him. I had noticed a cross hanging from his rear-view mirror, so I figured he might say yes. I wasn’t looking for a yes, but it’s nice to know what to expect.

He told me I could pray for him -- "And I’ll pray for you, too," he said. But he was distracted. He immediately went back to trying to figure out the credit card reader, which was confusing him. I asked if I could help, and he let me. It took us a few minutes of both of us staring at it before the light dawned and a really simple problem was fixed. Then I asked again if I could pray for him, telling him about my project. He said I could, so I did. His head stayed bowed for a moment after I finished praying, his hands clasped in front of him. Then he looked up and thanked me.

Turns out, he was a talkative guy. We stood there talking about running. As it turns out, he had just retired the previous Friday from his job as a PE teacher in Illinois. Now he was in Colorado helping with the road races in Leadville. We talked about the super-endurance races – more than 20 miles per day – and about the 100-mile race coming up in August. This guy was extreme. He'd run more than 20 miles each of the past two days.

But he was kind. About his job, he noted that he’d made a million dollars during his career and he’d spent a million dollars. He’s single with no kids. He pointed to the minivan – "That’s all I came away with," he said. But, he said smiling, he felt like he'd never worked a day in his life and he’d touched a lot of lives.

Day 314: Tire gauge

We woke up this morning to a very flat tire. I’d had my eye on it during our trip out to Colorado and had almost convinced myself that it wasn’t losing pressure. I didn’t have a tire pressure gauge to check, however. It turns out that I was wrong, and it was flat.

The good thing was we found a place open on Saturday in Buena Vista to fix it. (We’re getting pretty good at solving car issues in Colorado, by the way.) Next door to the mechanic was a NAPA Auto Parts store. So after I put our repaired tire back on the van, I went in there and bought a tire gauge.

The store was deadly silent. Even the lights seemed like they were out. But the store was open. The guy behind the counter was round and friendly. I noted the emptiness of the store, and he said he was glad it wasn’t busy. Only he and another guy were working that day. He showed me the tire gauges, and I bought one. It cost $7.51.

When I asked to pray for him, he hesitated. But he did say "yes." Maybe he felt obligated because I was his only customer. But I got a prayer in for him, and I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you," he said.

Day 313: Colorado grunge

That’s the best way to describe him, and I don’t mean that in a negative way. We had pulled into Buena Vista, Colorado, just a few hours earlier for our vacation. It’s a mountain town. The people who come here want to hike and fish and camp and raft. They want to be outdoors.

And the people who live here, at least from what I’ve been able to tell, are the same way. They’re mostly bronze and fit and look like they just got off the water or down from the mountain. The guy I ran into at the gas station was about 40 years old. He was thin, had a funky beard and had blond dreadlocks streaming out the back of his ball cap. There was a kid, maybe 12 years old with a shaggy head of hair, in the passenger’s seat of his little blue Nissan pickup.

I was curious what the guy would say. So I asked him my question. He looked at me kind of funny, and so I told him about my project. A little smirk crossed his face, then he said, "Go for it," sticking out his hand in my direction – fending me off. Then he turned and walked away. I just thanked him as he went.

He didn’t want anything to do with me, I realize. That’s OK. I prayed for him. Maybe God will reveal himself to him in the mountains or on the river.