Yesterday I promised I would share with you the story of the $5 man.
A few weeks ago, our church was set topsy-turvy for one weekend, when we could not get into our usual facility for services. In a mad-dash last-minute scramble, we reserved a hotel conference room for two hours Sunday morning. It was the best deal we could fit into the budget. After an accelerated service, we were hurried out of the room by the crew setting it up for their next guests.
Everyone soon went their way, still slightly discombobulated by the unusual Sunday morning. Soon all that were left were one family, me, and my daughter, Julia, standing outside the hotel enjoying a few minutes of conversation.
Suddenly, an old blue pick-up truck pulled into the parking lot and a hand beckoned me over to the window. Thinking the man wanted directions, I walked over and leaned down to see what he needed. The man and his younger passenger both looked a little worse for wear and his “sob story” soon confirmed it. I won’t list all the details, but the man alleged that he and his passenger had experienced some very bad luck and now needed money to pay the expensive toll to return home across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It was a good spiel and the man nearly had tears on his face.
I will admit that I am not always the most charitable under such circumstances and am always very skeptical of such stories. My “Show-me-state” instincts really resist responding to such pleas. Additionally, I almost never carry cash for any reason. However, for some reason, this particular Sunday, I had a five-dollar bill in my wallet. I told the man, “I don’t have much, just five bucks in my wallet, but I’ll give it to you. It’s all I’ve got.” I retrieved the bill and handed it to the man and said, “Let me pray with you.” He agreed and I bowed my head and in very non-memorable words asked the God of Heaven to look down on this man and his passenger and have His way in their lives and meet their needs. With that, they drove away.
I walked back to where the church family was standing and shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea why that happened. The conversation briefly focused on whether the man would use the money in the manner he had stated or whether he would go buy beer or cigarettes. I stated that was out of our hands. It was “God’s Baby now,” and let it go at that. A little later I saw the truck park near a local 7-11 store but I left, not wanting to see if the man was or was not true to his word.
I did not really consider the incident further, but since then, apparently the story spread from my church friend to his atheist friend who now speculates aloud about coming to the church and getting paid by the Pastor for a prayer. It makes me smile, but I am also excited to believe that such a minor and almost thoughtless act of mercy could be used by God for something greater. That chapter of the story is still being written, so we will wait patiently to see what happens.
However, God has reminded me of two lessons and taught me one new one.
1. 1. My money is God’s money. If He wants to do something with it, no matter how poor I may be, I must be surrendered to His use of it however He wills.
2. Jesus said in Mark 9:41, “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward.” While I understand this verse is not specifically talking about general charity, it does remind us that God is watching our acts of kindness and is pleased when we offer them in His name.
3. 3. The new lesson I learned was that God opened a door in the life of this man through this event. You see, when he asked me for money, like Peter and John on the way to the temple, I had little to give. However, such as I did have I could give: I could pray. And when we pray as God’s children, somehow we unleash His power on this world. When I prayed for this man who in all appearances was wretched and sinful (though I cannot judge his heart), by his assent to permit me to pray, He opened his heart and life – if only for a moment – to the mighty hand of God.
Wow! That’s quite a thought! When was the last time you unleashed heaven into the life of someone else? In his famous poem, Francis Thompson referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Hound of Heaven.” Bear with me for a moment while I illustrate.
When I was a boy, I had a hound I dearly loved. The Bassett-Beagle mix loved to run a trail. I would come out of the house with my gun and her tail would begin to swing back and forth with anticipation. She knew we were going hunting. When she picked up a trail, she would run it until she found the critter or until the trail was lost: no matter how long it took. I could sit down in the woods and listen to her for the next few hours as she circled the creature back to me. She was relentless and patient and routinely successful.
Far beyond the love of my dog to chase her quarry, God loves to pursue our hearts. He loves to capture us with His mercy and grace. So, when the man opened his heart for a few moments to my prayer, he may not have known, but the Hound of Heaven was hot on his trail and had drawn nearer than he imagined. Most exciting of all, God now has a new door through my prayer into the lives of these men. His power has been requested on their behalf by one of His children. Through the power of faith in a simple prayer, The Hound of Heaven has been unleashed.
So, this past Sunday I encouraged our people to look for opportunities to unleash God’s hand in the lives of others through direct prayer. Pray in faith knowing that the God of the Universe Who breathes stars into existence is mighty to the pulling down of strongholds in the lives of sin-bound people. He specializes in reaching the unreachable, loving the unlovable, saving the lost, and setting the captive free. And He wants to use you and me to do it.
This week, I challenge you: remember the $5 man and let God do something great through you. Let Him unleash His power in your world through prayer.
