A Question That Changes Everything

Recently, I was challenged to start asking people, “Is there anything going on in your life that I can pray for?” It’s a simple question, but it definitely infringes on the boundary of normal stranger to stranger conversation etiquette.

My habits are predictable. My wife and I have our Starbucks, our Walmart and our go-to restaurants. Inherently, we run into the same baristas, servers, and workers everywhere we go. On a certain level, I feel like they’re a part of our family, but I never pause long enough to even ask their names because “they’re at work” and “I’m busy”.

I’ll always have my excuses, but yesterday, those excuses weren’t good enough.

I got in my dirty car, and drove to the most peaceful place on earth to me. The car wash. There’s a woman there named Amy that I’ve seen nearly 100 times in passing. I gathered up my courage and asked her my simple question.

“Hey Amy, is there anything in your life I can pray for you for?”

She looked at me, and paused for a moment and said, “Yes. My ex boyfriend and I are having some problems. And to be honest, my job is driving me crazy,” she sighed as she looked around the car wash.

In the 100 times I’ve said a casual hello to Amy at the car wash, I never knew even a glimpse of her story, her heartache or the fact that she didn’t enjoy her job (at one of my favorite places on earth). But because of a simple question — now, I do. Because of a simple question, she knows that someone cares.

Later that day, we went to Starbucks and I asked the barista named Parker the same question. Parker paused and said, “Yeah, you could pray for my little brother. He’s down about not getting playing time on his football team. Would you pray for him?”

You got it, Parker.

When another barista named Catelin gave us our drink, I asked her, “Is there anything I can pray for you today, Catelin?” Caitlin froze for a moment. Her eyes slightly glazed over, and she softly sighed, “Yeah, for happiness.”

I was kind of amazed at the heartfelt responses I had received that day from complete strangers that were asked one simple question about their lives. They were no longer strangers to me. I knew their names and they had shown me a glimpse of their hearts and their stories.

When I began praying for all the needs my new friends had shared with me that day, I felt as if I was in God’s Drive Thru, giving him my order:

“Um, yes, can I have better circumstances for Amy at her job, and can you be the glue that brings her and her boo back together? Or maybe, help them both realize your destiny for their lives — and that could mean them going separate ways. Have your way? Oh, and can you talk to the coach of Parker’s little brother’s football team and give him a few plays? Let him tackle at least 5 people, Oh God. Would you help him know that he’s not forgotten… by you? Oh, and can I have a little real happiness for our new friend Catelin? She was honest enough to admit it to a stranger — and maybe that’s easier than telling the people who think you’re happy.”

Every time I ask someone this question, I honestly get so nervous because I have no idea what they’re going to say. “How are you” only has a few responses that you could get back: Good, bad, okay, great, decent, stellar, etc. On some level, all of those begin to sound the same because it’s common courtesy to ask, but it’s not common courtesy to care.

Amy, Parker, & Catelin are a part of our neighborhood. I don’t feel compelled to invite them to my church, but I do feel compelled to let them know that they’re not alone and that there is a God who is crazy about them.

That might just mean getting past what is known as common courtesy.

And I’m okay with that.

Ryan