Hidden in Plain Sight

When I stopped at a QT (gas station) in Phoenix last year, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to a young man sitting on the ground outside the store. I watched him for a minute and tried to decide if he needed money, food or just someone to talk to him, but I wasn’t sure what to do, so I went inside the store.

As I was walking to the cashier I saw the young man was actually at the register talking to the worker now. I overheard the cashier telling the guy that he knew he was good, and that he trusted him. The guy was refilling a drink and letting him know that he had purchased the drink a few minutes earlier before the worker was there. The cashier was so kind and genuine to the guy that I was incredibly pleased to learn more about this situation.

When it was my turn to check out, I asked the cashier about the young man, and the cashier went on and on about what a great guy he was. He told me that the guy always gives everything he has away to anyone in need even though he is homeless and has no means to buy anything without people helping him. As he was sharing all of this, I turned to look behind me and apologize to the long line that formed behind me. When I looked at the people in line, I could see they had been listening to the conversation about the guy on the ground out front and it was clear that some of them were feeling very ashamed of the way they had never considered helping him, or what they had been thinking about the guy when they saw him.

I went to my car and saw the guy sitting on the ground in the same spot as before, so I went over and began talking to him. I asked him if he was hungry or needed anything. We ended up talking for over an hour. I was so amazed at the life of this young man who had overdosed on drugs at age 19, but was rescued by an angel that carried him from the place where he had collapsed and took him to Jesus.

It was the story of a lifetime that could change the world if they only heard it and realized how amazing our Lord is, but no one was going to be calling this man to appear on any television shows, because he was too humble and meek to call attention to himself. I could sense Jesus all over the guy and all of his characteristics were evidence that he had been with Jesus. It was so exciting for me to be able to meet someone that I could share some of my own experiences with, and not have to feel like I was trying to get attention, but just wanted to share and hear about someone else’s journey with Jesus.

I will never forget that guy, because he was more important to me than any famous person would ever be, and I would have given him my car and money for a hotel if he would have taken it, but he wasn’t interested in being taken captive by materialistic things and that was why he always gave everything away and only kept what was needed to survive. I know it might seem like it was no big deal to meet this man, but I tell you the truth when I say that he was a very rare jewel that God had kept hidden for Himself. He didn’t allow him to be pulled back into the world’s corruption but instead he taught him how to trust in God and what He would do for Him.

That was one of the precious and rare jewels that the Lord led me to find that year, and definitely one of my favorites. Young and wise and without being stained and defiled by the world. Yes, he had once been a drug dealer and overdosed at age 19, but he was the furthest thing from dead when I met him, and probably had more life than any person that would pass him going in and out of that convenience store each day.

God was making it convenient for people to see and help him, but many were purposely looking away to avoid having to help or speak to him. He said that God would tell him not to take anything from some people, and he knew who it was that would give him something before they would come over to him. I thought he would start to get discouraged if people continued to be rude and ignore him, but he said that Jesus always kept him in peace and prayers, and life was like an adventure every day.

How exciting to look at life in such a beautiful way when you have no home and no way of knowing how you will eat or shower each day! That is truly trusting God for all your needs. Most of us would be afraid to drive our car not knowing where we were going if God was trying to lead us to help someone, but this man had given all of himself to do and go wherever the Lord would instruct him. He said he was going back to Houston soon, and he did try to contact me once, but he didn’t have a phone and I couldn’t find him at the QT when I went back again, so I assume he left town and went on to teach others what it means to live free and full of life.

Jesus is life and if you are wondering why you have never met him or talked to him and had him respond, it might be that you have not humbled yourself to allow Him into your life. When you have everything, and nothing is broken or needing fixed as far as it looks on the surface, it might seem like the good life, but if I had never been crushed and afflicted, I would most likely still be blind and deaf to the Lord. It is worth losing everything if it means meeting Jesus and having Him as your closest friend! There is no amount of money or fame that can compare to the friendship of Jesus.