It's pretty weird. For the last three months, every time I have a fleeting thought about a person with whom I've not been in contact for some time (in some rare cases, years!) within a couple days, I hear from them, be it by phone, by e-mail, by letter, or in person!!! This is freaking me out.
A week ago I was thinking about some people I knew from Long Island who worked at the Starbucks, and for some reason I thought about this one guy who I knew moved into New York City, and on Sunday, I ran into him at a restaurant he works at!!!
So I asked him about one of the Starbucks workers who had AIDS. He was openly homosexual, a fallen-away Protestant, although his illness had led him to actually seek God again. Anyway, last I had seen him, he was gravely ill and then I ended up losing all contact with the "Starbucks crew" so I had no idea whatever happened to him.
So I asked the guy if he knew if the man with AIDS died, and he thought that indeed the guy had. This saddened me. About 7 months ago (it's been over 3 years since I've seen these people) I kept thinking about the guy with AIDS (he was such a kind, funny, genuinely nice person) and was praying fervently for him, if he were still alive. Hearing he may have died really bummed me out but it was to be expected.
Then, last night... the Lord gave me an answer. Turns out that my call to prayer 7 months ago was part of my "gift" (which manifested itself so strongly when I was in the friary) where the Holy Spirit delivers to me the prayer needs of people I know or even don't know and I lift those prayers back up to the Lord.
As many of you know, I am a fanatic about working out and go to the gym 6 times per week. My times at the gym are always interesting... either I get cruised by homosexual men (some very perverse, others are just very "nice" guys who happen to have good taste
and want to get to know me), or have women ask for me to "spot them" and shove their cleavage in my face, or I have people come to me out of the woodwork to pray for them or to ask me spiritual guidance (God leads them to me because half the time I don't even know these people and how they know I am a servant of God can only be from the Spirit of God Himself!).
So last night this one guy could not stop checking me out while I was doing cardio (my "cross-training" during which I recite a Rosary). It was a bit obnoxious. And when he would talk to me it was obvious that he was interested in more than a few "work out tips" -- but I turn away no one, I look at it as if someone I don't know comes up to me like that, I know God has brought them to me for a reason, and I can be used as an instrument of God's will.
Anyway, kind as always, I withstood the compliments (this guy was not a jerk) and conversed politely, and discovered he knows the Starbucks guy with AIDS because they went to High School together! The guy is not dead; he had been on the verge of death for some time, until about seven months ago, he was released from the hospital, cured (not of AIDS) of his ailments!
No wonder I felt the tug to pray for Him.
So God had led this guy to work out in my gym last night (when normally he works out in another of the NY Sports Club gyms) so that I could have an answer to what had been on my mind: was this guy OK and alive.
Now that I know, and know that he's living in Delaware now, I'm going to look him up and tell him how much I've been praying for him... and maybe plant a few seeds.
I'm avoiding using names here, but keep these people in your prayers. And remember: God may unusual situations to reveal His Divine Will to unbelievers, and bring salvation and hope to them!!! Stay alert, pray always, and follow the Holy Spirit's guiding hand!!!
In Christ,
TIM
A week ago I was thinking about some people I knew from Long Island who worked at the Starbucks, and for some reason I thought about this one guy who I knew moved into New York City, and on Sunday, I ran into him at a restaurant he works at!!!
So I asked him about one of the Starbucks workers who had AIDS. He was openly homosexual, a fallen-away Protestant, although his illness had led him to actually seek God again. Anyway, last I had seen him, he was gravely ill and then I ended up losing all contact with the "Starbucks crew" so I had no idea whatever happened to him.
So I asked the guy if he knew if the man with AIDS died, and he thought that indeed the guy had. This saddened me. About 7 months ago (it's been over 3 years since I've seen these people) I kept thinking about the guy with AIDS (he was such a kind, funny, genuinely nice person) and was praying fervently for him, if he were still alive. Hearing he may have died really bummed me out but it was to be expected.
Then, last night... the Lord gave me an answer. Turns out that my call to prayer 7 months ago was part of my "gift" (which manifested itself so strongly when I was in the friary) where the Holy Spirit delivers to me the prayer needs of people I know or even don't know and I lift those prayers back up to the Lord.
As many of you know, I am a fanatic about working out and go to the gym 6 times per week. My times at the gym are always interesting... either I get cruised by homosexual men (some very perverse, others are just very "nice" guys who happen to have good taste
and want to get to know me), or have women ask for me to "spot them" and shove their cleavage in my face, or I have people come to me out of the woodwork to pray for them or to ask me spiritual guidance (God leads them to me because half the time I don't even know these people and how they know I am a servant of God can only be from the Spirit of God Himself!). So last night this one guy could not stop checking me out while I was doing cardio (my "cross-training" during which I recite a Rosary). It was a bit obnoxious. And when he would talk to me it was obvious that he was interested in more than a few "work out tips" -- but I turn away no one, I look at it as if someone I don't know comes up to me like that, I know God has brought them to me for a reason, and I can be used as an instrument of God's will.
Anyway, kind as always, I withstood the compliments (this guy was not a jerk) and conversed politely, and discovered he knows the Starbucks guy with AIDS because they went to High School together! The guy is not dead; he had been on the verge of death for some time, until about seven months ago, he was released from the hospital, cured (not of AIDS) of his ailments!
No wonder I felt the tug to pray for Him.
So God had led this guy to work out in my gym last night (when normally he works out in another of the NY Sports Club gyms) so that I could have an answer to what had been on my mind: was this guy OK and alive.
Now that I know, and know that he's living in Delaware now, I'm going to look him up and tell him how much I've been praying for him... and maybe plant a few seeds.
I'm avoiding using names here, but keep these people in your prayers. And remember: God may unusual situations to reveal His Divine Will to unbelievers, and bring salvation and hope to them!!! Stay alert, pray always, and follow the Holy Spirit's guiding hand!!!
In Christ,
TIM
