Two Sundays ago, our pastor asked the launch team to join him and his wife at their former church. There, the church were going to commission us at the end of the service after he preached as a guest that morning. We didn’t know who all would be able to attend, but we felt sure several would be in attendance.
Our pastor preached on the prodigal son, but he focused on how the father ran! While his son was returning, he ran to him! At the end of the sermon, he showed a brief video of a son calling his father and leaving a message on the answering machine. For whatever reason, the relationship had been strained, the son had not been home nor in touch with his father for quite some time. As the son struggled with his feelings and emotions, he finally told his father that he would understand if his father did not wish to see him. However, he asked if the father did want to see him to please put a white sheet out on the fence. If he rode by and did not see the white sheet, he would know not to stop. The next clip of the video showed the elderly father walking up his driveway to place a white sheet on the fence. Not only that, but the father had white sheets along the fence line all down his driveway. When you reached the house, there were several white sheets hanging on the porch as well.
Tears begin to fill my eyes as I watched.
Even though it was “just a video,” sadly, being disconnected from family was real life for an elderly lady sitting to my left in another section of the congregation. She began to sob uncontrollably when the video began to play as the son was leaving the message for the father. This lady’s heart was breaking!
At the end of the video and end of the sermon, the pastor said he hadn’t planned on having an altar call. That quickly changed, and he felt the Spirit moving so he invited people to come. Whatever the need, just come to the altar. If they needed a touch from God, come. If they were turning their lives over to God, come. If they needed prayer, just come!
This elderly lady stepped forward and made her way to the altar along with her husband. She approached our pastor, and he began to pray over her. She shook with every heartbreaking sob that escaped her lips. Feeling the heartache from where I was, I knew I could not stay where I was standing in the pew. I made my way down to the altar and wrapped my right arm around her shoulder as I stood with her praying over her situation and her broken heart.
After the service when my husband and I were in the vehicle, he asked me how I knew the elderly lady. He was surprised to learn that I didn’t know her personally. I told him I felt God laying it upon my heart to go to her and pray with her, so I obeyed.
Sometimes when you feel a nudge or a still small voice speaking to you, obey. You never know who needs you to come alongside them and pray with them. You never know their story, and you don’t need to. You just need to be obedient.
