She haunts my thoughts...

Madrid, Spain
We stepped into the crowd and suddenly there was a lot of activity around us. The cab driver was doing his best to protect the boys and myself from the throng of locals trying to get money.
She was a young woman in Muslim dress. She held in one hand a bunch of flowers and a bundle in the crook of her arm like a baby. It was too small to be a baby, or so I thought. “One pound”, she repeated the price of the flowers over and over to me and motioned toward the bundle with sad eyes. The cab driver shooed her away, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the bundle. The boys went with the driver and began to get in the car. I followed the woman and reached for the bundle.
She opened the wrapping and inside was the tiniest baby I’ve ever seen. It was dark outside and I couldn’t see her well, but she moved ever so gently and yawned.
These words went through my mind, “Gold nor silver do I have, but what I have…”, I placed my hands on the infants head and whispered a blessing over her. I looked at the mom and reached out to her cheek. I quietly spoke a blessing over her too. She spoke back to me but I did not understand what she said. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a 10 pound Egyptian note and handed it to her.
I turned and got in the cab, checked on the boys and put my seatbelt on. Then I turned to look at the woman. She had walked over to a parked car with four men inside. She handed the money to them and I saw her laugh. When she turned she saw that I was watching and quickly kissed her child. As we drove off I looked at the men in the car.
My heart was hurting. I asked the cab driver what she did with the money and he gave a couple of vague options. The cab had a deafening silence in it and I knew it hurt his heart too.
It has been almost a week since this happened, but I can’t stop thinking about this woman and her infant. I continually lift them to the Lord in prayer. I pray too for the men in the car. I don’t know what is going on, but my spirit knows it is not of the Lord.
There are other words that continue to pop into my head when I think of this mother, “There but for the grace of God, go I.”…I am convicted daily in my need to lay prostrate before the Lord and praise Him that He has provided for our needs. That I do not have to beg on a street corner or sell my body or my child’s body to feed us. I can’t stand in judgment of this woman, because I do not know what has happened in her life. I know only to lift her and the infant to the Lord for His protection.
Please pray for all the mothers of this world who need help to care for their children. Pray they will seek the Lord for their covering.

My dear friend, Kristy

Prayers for a friend from afar...
Madrid, Spain
We have been gone from the U.S. for almost a month, but today it seems longer. I learned yesterday that a very dear friend of mine from home has suffered a stroke. Kristy is a mom of three boys very similar in age to mine. Our families are close and I leaned on Kristy a lot to get ready for this trip. She has been an exceptional friend to me and now when she needs me, I am not there. It is frustrating to me to be so far away. I know the only thing I can do is lift her and her family in prayer. We serve a mighty God. I have to trust that God will minister to her since I cannot. This is a huge leap of faith for me. I ask Him to provide for her and her family in supernatural ways, to heal her miraculously, to provide strength for her and her family. I pray that He will make His presence known to them.
I say and write the words, but my heart is still heavy.

May I share about Kristy? She is a vivacious and energetic woman. She teaches aerobics and she seems to always be active. She is Catholic and has an infilling of the Holy Spirit that would rival some of the most devout Charismatics. She loves the Lord and He loves her. She is a devoted mom and wife and I learn constantly from her in watching her life. She is joyful and fun to be around. She has a servant’s heart. I miss her!
Please pray for Kristy and her family.