My Hairbrush Story

I read Beth Moore's hairbrush story years ago.  It's the story of Beth's prompting to brush the long, matted hair of an old man in a wheelchair at the airport when she was waiting for a flight.   It's a powerful story and I think of it often when I brush my daughters hair and have to start from the bottom to get all the tangles out. 

Just a few days ago, I had my own “hairbrush story.”  I had just finished working and had to pick up a few things at the grocery store.  I was trying to hurry because my mother in law was visiting and I wanted to get home so she wasn't home alone too long while the kids were in school and my husband was working.  I'm rushing my way through the store when I notice a man in pushing himself in his wheel chair with one hand and pushing around the grocery cart in the other.  I felt a gentle tugging at my heart, and thought "I should help that man shop."  I had already passed the aisle he was in so I told myself that I would go back around and if he was still there I would ask him if he needed help.

I had never done anything like this before.  I have always wanted to "hear God's voice", but if I ever had a prompting from God before, I either did not notice or pushed it aside and ignored it.   So with my heart beginning to beat a bit faster I went back towards the aisle I had seen him.  To be honest, I was actually kind of hoping he wasn't still there.  Well, not only was he still there, but he was directly in front of the coffee.  This was significant to me because I don't drink coffee.  Whenever my in-laws come to visit I have to make it a point to buy coffee to have for them.  I had completely forgotten to put it on my list for my mother in laws visit and seeing this man directly in front of the coffee felt like this has to be God telling me to do this.

So I put my coffee in the cart and mustered up the courage to ask him if he needed help.  He seemed shocked to hear someone offering to help him as his response was "Well, if you want to."  I told him I would be glad to.  I left my own half empty cart there in the aisle and took over pushing his cart.  He only needed two more items.  The first one was simple enough.  It was just a few aisles over.  The second one, however, was on the completer opposite side of this super size store.  "Really, God?
You know I'm kind of in a hurry, right?"  I could almost hear him say "Patience, my dear child."  And as I am making my way across the store pushing a strangers cart I realize how hard this would have been for him to do this on his own.  I feel selfish for my inner grumbling of having to go to the other side of the store.  I help him get the last item and take his things up to the register.  I'm reminded of the Beth Moore story and wonder if I am supposed to ask him if he knows Jesus.  I consider just telling him that Jesus loves him, but instead I just opt for telling him to have a great day.  He offered to pay me, but I of course wouldn’t accept any money.  That's not why I offered to help him. 

I don't write this to boast about my good deed.  It just made me wonder how many times have I heard God tell me to do something, but I didn't obey?  Perhaps I need to be more aware of God speaking to me and have a willing heart to obey.  To be willing to step out of my own hurried little world and be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Imagine how many people would be blessed if each of us did just that. 

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