A HOLY SPIRIT DETOUR

BOB

It was a beautiful, sunny day for evangelism. Three of us had planned to head into Grand Rapids for kingdom work through prayer and sharing the Gospel at a local ministry. Karl, Becky, and I met at our designated location to carpool together, but we started our journey a little behind schedule after stopping to grab some water and accidentally taking a wrong turn.

That should have been our first clue that the Holy Spirit was up to something. We thought we were running behind, but God was actually sending us on a detour for a ministry opportunity.

Once we were on the road, Karl shared that the Lord had put Luke 10 on his heart. The chapter begins with Jesus sending out the 72 disciples two by two, instructing them to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God. It continues with the story of the Good Samaritan and ends with Mary and Martha.

Just as Karl finished sharing, we turned down a road and noticed a man walking along the shoulder. He looked disheveled, had no shoes on, and was hitchhiking. Immediately, I asked, “Should we stop?”

There wasn't much time to react. One response was, “Probably not, because there’s not really a safe place to pull over,” but ultimately the decision was left up to me.

I drove past him, still wrestling with it. After all, we were already on a mission to do the Lord’s work. Yet I felt a strong prompting from the Holy Spirit to turn around. So we did.

We pulled over on the busy road, grabbed our bag filled with Gatorade, clementines, and Bibles, and crossed the street to meet him. After introducing ourselves, we handed him an ice-cold Gatorade from our ministry supplies, and we told him that God had highlighted him to us and asked how we could help.

Bob (not his real name) had recently been in a serious accident. Because he didn't have a license, the police issued him two tickets and impounded his car. Bob was trying to get back home to Sparta, about 25 miles away, and in the opposite direction from where we were headed.

Within moments, Karl said, “I’ll take Bob home. Aimee and Becky, you two continue with our outreach plans.”

So we all piled back into the truck and drove to Karl’s vehicle. Before the men left for Sparta, Becky and I prayed for Bob. We shared how Jesus saw him, loved him, and had sent us specifically to him. As we prayed, Bob squeezed my hand so tightly, and I could see how deeply moved he was that three strangers had stopped to help him.

Later, Karl told us that during the drive home, Bob repeatedly said, “I can’t believe God loves me this much.”

As we debriefed afterward, we were in absolute awe of God's providence. We thought we were behind schedule for evangelism, but God was redirecting us to a man who had been beaten up by life. We thought Luke 10 was simply a meaningful chapter to discuss on the drive and to keep in mind for when we reached our ministry destination … but God wanted us to live it out in real time—NOW.

We talked about how easy it would have been to drive right past Bob. Yet as we reflected on Luke 10, we realized there was a reason Jesus sent His disciples out together. The encouragement, discernment, and courage that come from going with others helped us respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting.

That day reminded us that sometimes the ministry assignment isn't at the destination, it's on the detour. And when we're willing to follow the Holy Spirit's promptings, we may find that God has something entirely different in mind than what we had planned.

(Aimee Deemter)

SANDY

After we sent Karl and Bob on their way, Aimee and I headed toward Degagé, a women's homeless shelter in downtown Grand Rapids. This is the place the Lord took us the very first time we went out evangelizing, so even though the people are different each time, there's a comfort in returning whenever we can.

We sat in the truck, said a quick prayer, and then giggled afterward because we just knew the Lord was going to show up, as He always does.

Three women were standing outside. One of them was on the phone in a heated discussion, filled with curse words and threats. As we walked up, wearing our "Need Prayer?" T-shirts, one of the other women reprimanded the girl on the phone, saying, "Shhh! Church women are here!"

Aimee and I didn't let that stop us. Instead, we started chatting with the women, explaining why we were there and that we wanted to share with them about Jesus and His love for them.

It didn't take long before two of the women left, saying they needed to go to the store, but Sandy (not her real name) stayed and talked with us. She shared that she had known the Lord when she was younger, had asked Him into her heart back then, and had been baptized at her son’s church not that long ago. A series of bad decisions and drug use had left Sandy homeless and without support from her children.

She told us that she was waiting for the payee on her SSI (Supplemental Security Income) to be changed, and then she and another woman were planning to look for an apartment together. We told her what a wonderful opportunity that sounded like. Since she mentioned being on disability, we asked if she had any physical problems we could pray for.

Aimee felt the Lord highlight some unforgiveness toward Sandy's mother. When Aimee gently brought that up, Sandy immediately agreed. Aimee led her through forgiving her mother and repenting for holding onto that unforgiveness.

Sandy told us she had severe arthritis in her back, legs, and knees, and was in constant pain. We both laid hands on her, and Aimee rebuked the arthritis in Jesus' name, commanding the pain to leave.

While Aimee was praying, I felt the Lord show me that something was also going on in Sandy's abdomen. When Aimee finished praying, I asked Sandy if she was having issues with her stomach. She said yes; she had Crohn's disease, a hernia, major intestinal problems, and a great deal of pain.

I asked if I could lay hands on her belly, and she agreed. In the name of Jesus, I commanded the Crohn's disease to leave, the hernia to be repaired, and every issue in her intestinal tract to be healed and restored to the way the Lord created her in her mother's womb.

When we finished praying, Sandy was all smiles and completely pain-free! 

The three of us praised Jesus for what He had done and for the work He was doing in her life.

Aimee gave her a mini Bible, and I gave her one of the Jesus cards I had created. We also shared what we felt the Lord was showing us - that Sandy would testify about Jesus to others in the shelter and share His love with those around her.

What a beautiful reminder that Jesus still sees, loves, heals, and restores those the world so often overlooks.

(Becky Stafford)