Christ Incarnate in a Mall

Six hours ago I posted this to twitter:

“Ft Worth today, Houston this evening: God send me into your world today so I may love the people around me in Christ. Life after #urbana09”

I’m now sat in Dallas Love Field airport waiting to catch a flight to Houston where I will meet someone I first and last saw 18yrs ago: he was a customer where I was a waiter BUT this post isn’t about that!

On the way here Jordan, the friend I’ve been visiting here in Dallas, and I went via a mall. We wondered into an exclusive men’s shirt shop – not to buy, just to look.  As we walked in the lady said “Hi” I responded in kind, “is that a British accent?”

“yes, but now I live in New Zealand”

Her face changed, she look more than suprised – more shocked - “oh, how, how is New Zealand?”

Something (someone!) in my heart acknowledged that this was going to be a different conversation than the normal ‘wow that’s far’

“New Zealand is beautiful” I replied.

She talked about her best friend in all the world who had always wanted to go to New Zealand but had just ‘passed’ on.  As she spoke her heart opened and her eyes filled. “I’d better stop – otherwise I will cry.” The professional store owner stepped up to front of stage, the tears receded, she administered her hospitality smile to her face. “Are you looking for something in particular?”

I said we were just looking, but wouldn’t be buying “Oh look around, you’ll like those shirts over there – he’s an American designer who manufactures in India”.

Immediately my mind went to images of workers under paid and under resourced producing these amazing shirts selling here for USD$250 each.  But now was not the time for a cleansing of the temple.

I looked around and the someone in my heart and mind was prompting me to pray with Nina.  Holy space had been created in our brief conversation.

As I left the store she broke her conversation with the shop assistant and came to say goodbye.  I asked her name and said I would like to pray with her.

She told me her name is Nina and told more of her story. Her friend who had died had been her first love who did not marry her when she was younger.  They had remained friends and their bond of friendship was deep – her eyes spoke of her love for him – and then she said he had died in October of cancer.

“May I pray for you right now?” I asked. “sure” she said and bowed her head – right there in the shop entrance.

I prayed no puny prayer – Krishner would have been pleased.  I prayed that she would know the love of God for her and that in the loss and the pain she would come to know that Jesus Christ as her great comforter and foundation for eternal life.  Her eyes were once again bright with tears as we said goodbye.

I’m praying that Jesus will turn this woman around and bring LIFE into her life.  I’m asking that just as at that well in Samaria when Jesus turned up and a woman who came for water left with eternal life inside her that Nina will know that same spring and that I will meet her again before the throne of the lamb.

I walked away – not sure that I would have taken the time to listen, the time to pray if I had not attended Urbana and responded to the call to incarnate Christ in the midst of the mundane as well as the extraordinary.

As i opened my laptop at Dallas Love Field looking for wireless access (and finding none) I saw my own tweet – I’d forgotten that I’d written it.

And in my heart the Sovereign God whispered in the quiet nudging of the Holy Spirit.

“I DID THIS”