Tonight, I witnessed a stranger cry at the goodness of God.

I’m out of town currently in Panama City celebrating my cousin getting married soon. Since surrendering my heart to the Lord, I no longer drink alcohol and a lot of other things that will be happening on this trip, partying, bars, secular music, ect. But I wanted to join to celebrate her, so I prayed about this trip and decided to go. So here I am, 2:45 in the morning Panama time writing this blog with such a full heart and deep love for Jesus. Continue reading for the story of tonight that only happened because I obeyed the Lord and said “yes”.

I’ve been striving to truly obey God and say “yes” to him. Delayed obedience, is still disobedience-I heard that once and it stuck with me.

We were out for the big Friday night celebration. We all got dressed up in our black dresses and the bride in her white dress and went out for the evening. A beautiful dinner, followed by going to different bars. This is the first time I’ve been “bar hopping” since fully giving my life to Jesus, the decision that forever changed my life. So I went, the girl that doesn’t drink but I sure learned a lot about myself just in those few hours. From once being the girl that needed alcohol to have a good time or dance and be silly, did it tonight sober and free. I danced and had such a fun time and there were moments when I realized how far I’ve come since Jesus changed me. I no longer need anything but him to feel confident, happy, free, strong, silly, brave. Alcohol has no power over me, praise Jesus!

We went to the next place and while playing pool against this really good guy, I think we were down like 8 balls and he had just the black ball left. I think I blinked and he made them all in one turn. Must’ve been professional or something haha. Anyways, that guy was still going and I turned towards the fireplace there and this older gentleman was sitting down and he asked me something about the game I was in. I sat down next to him on the fireplace and told him how I thought that guy must be professional and how he was kicking our butts. He laughed and asked if I wanted him to play with us and help us beat him. Turns out, the man I was speaking to was professional! I turned him down, told him we were trying to keep our team the bridal party and just playing for fun. He then opened up and started talking about how he just moved here a few months ago. He opened up about the loss of his beautiful wife a couple years back to breast cancer and he smiled and asked if I wanted to see a picture of her. Of course, I said yes and he showed me many pictures of her. She was beautiful and so full of life. She was a nurse to, like me. She took care of premie babies, something I could never do. It takes a special kind of nurse to do that. They had a beautiful marriage but it wasn’t long enough and I could see the heartbreak in his eyes. I could hear the despair in his voice. My heart broke for him. I felt the Holy Spirit and knew he needed the Lord. So I obeyed.

I let him continue to share. It was my turn for pool, but I asked the girls to play without me so I could continue our conversation. Once the moment came, I smiled and asked him “Do you know the Lord?” A simple question, that led to something so wonderful.

He smiled and opened up about how he didn’t follow the Lord. I could sense the anger and frustration at God. I get it, valid emotions after losing the love of your life. We continued to talk about God and the very common thing reappeared-why would God take her away from him? He shared and stopped, and I told him, “okay, it’s my turn to share now?” He said yes.

I told him, “I won’t share all my story because there’s too much to get into, but my mother is scheduled for her mastectomy this week.” He supportively said he was sorry. I continued to talk, telling him about losing my dad when he was only 44 and planning his funeral and without the hope of Jesus Christ, I would’ve probably committed suicide after that. I told him how there’s only two forces at work all the time-good and evil. The Lord and Satan. I told him how I would spiral after my dad passed when I asked why. Why didn’t I go check his blood pressure the night before? Why did he have to go? All questions that led to my deep grief, alcohol use and thoughts of suicide. I told him if he stays there, angry at God, not following Christ-that ultimately Satan wins because that’s exactly where Satan wants him and that will lead to hell and not seeing her again. (Sometimes I tell it just how it is and people need to hear the truth). I asked him if he knew the gospel of Jesus, and then I shared it. How God gave his only son, a perfect man to die for our sins, he died and rose again 3 days later and now sits at the right hand of the father. And we now live in the promise and hope of spending forever with Him in Heaven if we believe. He smiled. He had so much pain, so much hurt. He would make comments about recently starting to feel like he needed God in his life and I told him, God sees him. Even in the most unlikely places-in the bar by the pool table God sends people and the Holy Spirit works through me to CONFIRM what he’s already been feeling in his heart and spirit. He smiled and tears started to flow. A grown man, in the bar wiping his eyes because the Holy Spirit met us there.

I then asked his name. His name is Daryl. I said Daryl, can I pray for you. He said of course and I took his hand.

I began to pray, with the boldness only the Holy Spirit could give me.

I started the prayer by thanking God for giving his only son for our sins. I thanked God for meeting us in the bar, I thanked him for Daryl and allowing us to meet and pray together. I prayed for peace, comfort, healing, for burdens to lift, for Godly company and friends to come into his life, for a sign that God is real to him so massive he couldn’t miss it or deny it. I thanked God for the promise of eternity and for his wife and her being pain free and happy, whole. He began to weep and I felt his fingers rub mine as we held hands. I thanked God that he sees Daryl, even in the mist of heartbreak and despair. I rebuked the despair and anger away in Jesus’ name. I prayed hard and I thank God for his Spirit and the boldness I have in Christ. Ending of course with amen, and I opened my eyes and he opened his. He thanked me over and over, telling me how he’ll never forget this moment and he knows God sent me there for this moment. I could feel the anger had lifted. He was much softer and peaceful. I then dove into the sinners prayer and told him how simple it truly is to rededicate, or to dedicate his life to the Lord. I will continue to pray for Daryl and I believe God has great things in store for life and his testimony. We hugged goodbye and I had to drive the girls back home.

One of the girls took that picture and said he got a picture of me “doing Gods work”.

First, I appreciate this picture and that she captured that moment. But wow, God is SO good.

God saw him right where he was. Broken in the bar and said tonight is the night a total stranger will pray over him and he’ll open his heart up to me.

Because I obeyed- a broken man opened his heart to Jesus.

Take aways from this encounter:

God sees you-right where you are. He knows our pain, our heartache, our anger. He knows it all. and STILL longs for us. Still sends us people to cross our paths and show the love of Jesus to. He will never forsake you.

Boldness in Christ, fueled by the Holy Spirit- makes the kingdom grow. Christians aren’t supposed to keep the gospel and good news to themselves. We’re supposed to be Spirit lead, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to SAVE souls.

As I finally get ready for bed, now 3:20 am, I’m in awe of Jesus. His love that never ends, his grace that never stops, his heart that breaks with us. I’m so thankful to serve a God that loves us, cares for us and never stops trying, no matter how hard we push him away, no matter how angry we are at his will.

We have to trust God THROUGH the painful times in our lives. We don’t see what he sees. We don’t have the big picture or big plan, but HE DOES. We have to remain faithful and trusting in every season. Good times, bad times, the worst times of our life.

Satan wants you to stay in your pain, anger and hurt and blame God. The further we are from God, the happier satan is. The most disconnected, the better. If we aren’t obeying, walking the narrow road, Satan wins. and what does he win? our soul.

shew. no small thing right.

But GOD.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this encounter, this evening and for Daryl. Thank you for saving me from the low of my life, changing my heart so that I could be strong enough to enter the bar and share your word, the gospel and pray out loud publicly for this man. Thank you for your Holy Spirit and speaking to me. Thank you for your grace, your love and never forsaking us. God, be with Daryl tonight and continue to show yourself to him, continue to send people his way to confirm that he is in fact a child of God and that he’s loved by the one and only God. I love you. Amen.

Thank you for reading, supporting the blog. I pray God touches you and you are blessed.

xoxo

Kiersten