Have you ever thought that you could be somebody’s miracle? Let me tell you what happened to me on an airplane one day. The girl’s name was Beth, and she thought the airline had made a mistake. Little did she know God was orchestrating a miracle.
See, to Beth it was the confusion of an inept airline. To me, it was a divine appointment from God.
“I don’t have an assigned seat,” the disheveled young woman complained as she stumbled into the airplane.
“This one is empty,” I pointed out.
“Thanks,” she huffed as she plopped down.
The beautiful young lady was obviously exhausted. She was dressed in skin-tight jeans and a distracting low-cut T-shirt. Sunglasses hid something…I wasn’t sure what. She looked straight ahead, but I felt that her mind was traveling to a distant place.
After the plane left the ground, I pulled out a book I had written to prepare for an upcoming radio interview. Put the book down and talk to this girl, God seemed to say.
God, she doesn’t want to talk. I can tell by her body language. She’s not interested in conversation, I mentally argued.
Put the book down and talk to this girl. (God can be very persistent. Especially when it comes to one of his little lost lambs.)
I closed the book and turned to this…kid.
“So, where are you headed?” I asked.
“Home,” she replied.
“Where’s home?”
“Right outside of Charlotte,” she replied. “It’s a small town. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”
“Were you in Florida on business or pleasure?” I continued.
“I was visiting my boyfriend,” she answered.
Then she took off her sunglasses to reveal red swollen eyes. She glanced down at the book in my lap—the one about what to do with pain and difficult chapters in your life. “That’s an interesting topic,” she whispered.
“Yep,” I replied. “That’s why I wrote the book. I’ve got lots of scars.”
For the next 90 minutes, this young girl poured out her heart. She had been abandoned by her birth father and sexually abused by several men in her life. She was on this flight home because her boyfriend, who had just come out of a drug rehabilitation center, had “roughed her up.”
Actually, she was fleeing. My heart broke as this beautiful young girl told me story after story of cruelties that had been done to her mingled with bad choices that had been made through her. At the moment, her life resembled a 100-car train wreck with one lone survivor who was in desperate need of life resuscitation.
Have you ever noticed how Jesus paid attention to single individuals as He walked this earth? He stopped and noticed Zacchaeus in a tree (Luke 19:2-4), paused His journey to heal a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years ( Mark 5:25-34), changed His travel plans to attend to a twelve-year-old little girl (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43), paused along the road to give a blind man his sight, (Mark 8:22-26), stopped and had a conversation with a Syrophoenician mother about her daughter (Mark 7:24-30) and comforted a distraught father about his son ( Mark 9:14-29).
Jesus stopped what He was doing. Here’s what I want us to memorize today, “Jesus stopped.” That’s it. It’s never a good idea to memorize just part of a verse, but I think Jesus would approve. Jesus stopped.
After listening to Beth’s story, I asked her if I could pray for her. I held Beth’s hand and God’s love for this girl filled my heart. When the plane landed, I handed Beth the book, we exchanged e-mails, and embraced one last time. Later, her stepfather wrote me a letter expressing his appreciation for taking the time to minister to his “little girl.” He wrote: “I had been praying for God to send someone to minister to Beth, and He did.”
Be on the lookout. Who is God putting in your path? Be ready to stop. Don’t miss the opportunity. You could be someone’s miracle today.
Dear Heavenly Father, I am amazed that You use simple weak vessels like me to be Your hands and feet. Help me to keep my eyes open as I move through my day. Don’t let me miss the opportunities that You provide to reach out and share Your amazing love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Who is one person who stopped for you? Leave a comment and let’s share.
Did you know that I have lots of FREE downloads to encourage and equip you in your faith journey? 55 Verses of How God Transforms Our Lives and Redeems Our Stories, 10 Verses of How God is Always Working Behind the Scenes, Words that Build Strong Relationships with Adult Children, and many more are available with one click!
For more on how to live bold as I talked about in today’s devotion, see, my book, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For: Let go, Move forward, Live bold.
© 2022 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.
Comments 38
Thank you Sharon, your words each day are so inspiring.
❤
Agree! A man named Herb was that person for me. Thank God
This really touched my heart. God used you again to be a miracle to me. I have been praying and releasing the hurt in my life so that I first can forgive and receive my healing and to be used by God. I thank Jesus for stopping and helping me today.
My dear friend Stephanie. She stopped for me when it felt as if my life and my children’s lives were being ripped to pieces in our new home and new school. She is a beautiful example to me and so many.
I bought this book a couple months ago but haven’t started reading it yet. I have it next to me to start but I keep putting it off. Imagine my surprise when I read this and see that it’s the same book sitting next to waiting to be read!
Author
Hmmmm. Sounds like God is up to something!
❤️
Dear Sharon , I just want you to know how your books have ministered to my heart. I am reading your book, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For. I am so glad you have listened to the Holy Spirit and continue to write these encouraging words. They have been a special blessing to me. My husband had a stroke and is in a nursing home. I can take along one of your books and read while he may be sleeping. I don’t know what God’s plan or purpose for this problem in our lives but I know He has one and HE is right with me everyday. May God richly bless you for your steadfastness to His word.
Love in Christ,
Becky
Author
Thank you sweet sister.
What does Mark 7:24-30 story mean? Not giving dogs the Children’s bread? Even dogs eat crumbs under the table?
Author
The point was that he stopped for that one woman. That is the only miracle he did there and then he left. The strange question about not giving dogs the children’s bread was really to test her faith. Gentiles were often referred to as dogs and Jews were referred to as God’s children. That was the way the culture was back then. She was a Gentile. But Jesus was testing her faith, and boy she was bold!
Great reminder to step out in faith and touch others.
I can definitely relate to Beth. It feels like you were telking my story. God is good and I’m thankful for all the people,especially women, He has put in my path to minister to me along my journey of healing. , I’m not quite there, yet.
Author
Just so you know, none of us are quite there yet! Not until heaven. If someone thought they were there, I’d be concerned😁
What an awesome reminder that we never know what unique situations will be divine appointments perfectly orchestrated by God. Blessings to you.
Author
Amen. We just never know. Lord, I don’t want to miss it!
I was seeking God. I wasn’t seeing God in my parents church. My parents church speak in my native tongue, Chuukese. I grew up in an English speaking Private school, Seventh Day Adventist School in Pohnpei Federated States of Micronesia. So, I speak English my second language and I express myself better speaking in English. I decided to go to Pohnpei Mission Fellowship Church (it’s in English Service) owned by a German missionary. Anyways, they started a Ladies Bible Study. I was in my early 20’s and very shy but had to force myself to attend the Ladies Bible study led by the Pastors wife named Sylvia. She’s also a German descent but was born in California, USA. I was intimidated but I was really hungry for the Lord I forgot about my shyness. Sylvia took the time out of her busy schedule to do bible studies the daytime and at a time where I really needed God. I didn’t understand Christianity because I was from a Protestant Church and had been in a SDA school. God used Sylvia to get through me. She did a Bible study teaching from the book “Lies Women Believe”. It’s like veils lifted as she nourished me with God’s word. I slowly was getting to understand Christianity. I have a mental illness and I got better. Doors started opening and the Bible more alive to me. All it took was Sylvia to pause and nourish me back to health. I thank God because of her and PMF. If it wasn’t for her I would be still in bondage and not progress with my illness. I was able to graduate from college, find the right meds, go to school and be away from my mom more than 2 months (I was like an invalid and homesick after 1 day being away), I was able to travel, and go to Hawaii to continue my education where I wanted to go ever since high school. So, I’m glad about God’s intervention. I needed God the most and I was able to find Him through Sylvia.
Author
What a great story. Thank you for sharing!
This is such a blessing!🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️
Sharon thank you for your faithfulness. Your words and stories are so fitting and uplifting! I pray God will continue to richly bless you and your ministry.
Years ago, I had a divine appointment with the woman who spoke life into me. She said to me “you’re the only one stopping yourself from having the life you long to have” those words changed my life. She encouraged me to Ask God to remove me from the life of the man I didn’t want to commit to or to open my heart fully to accept him and commit to him. In over a month from now we will be celebrating 10 years of marriage. I’m so glad she was there to witness to me and help me focus on the Lord’s plan.
Thank you, Sharon for this illustration of stoping for others as Jesus did. This so warmed my heart and confirmed my little lamb I am to stop for.
Debret
Friday, after the very exciting news of my first grandchild’s birth, I was t-boned by a very large vehicle. I was airborne and declared that I would live and not die. When my car landed I was helped by complete strangers. One called my husband, another encouraged me by letting me know he would not leave me. When the window was broken out, a fireman named Adam covered me with his coat and held my hand while the jaws of life sawed my roof off. The list goes on of complete strangers “stopping” for me. I am recovering and forever grateful. God is Good!
Author
THAT IS AN AMAZING STORY!!!!!!! Praise God you are OK!!!!!!
Oh what a day! Such high then absolute low. I pray you recovery fully soon and thank you for sharing your touching story. Enjoy that grand baby!
Interestingly enough it was 2 different women who had been homeless and were being restored who encouraged me. I’m a cashier at CVS part time in the evening and both these ladies had been homeless due to different circumstances. Not only was I able to encourage them but they encouraged me to keep speaking up and asking questions when I sensed something wasn’t quite right. There are times I hesitate because I don’t want to sound like I’m just being nosy or trying to pry into their lives. But God whispers in my ear and tells me to talk to them, smile and just be me!! The store I work at borders on what people here call a “sketchy” area and I’ve had more opportunities to touch people. I’m very thankf that God keeps showing me who needs some love!!!
Hi sister Sharon, I write this with a very heavy heart. My very dear friend got the devastating news we all dread after a biopsy . Yes she has C . I hate that word , I just associate it to the enemy. She is a single mom of 2 amazing teens and she is just an AMAZING hardworking mom . I have come to spend today with her, and during her break i intend to talk to her about Jesus , hopefully today she will accept Him as her Lord and Savior. She is not Christian “Yet” , but I am very hopeful because many a time she asks me to pray for her, she always says God will hear my prayers more than hers. I keep telling her that God loves us all the same regardless. I brought my Bible, because I do not feel like reading the scriptures from my phone . Please pray that God puts the right words in my mouth as i minister to her ,and also pray for her complete healing in Jesus Holy,and Matchless name Amen! Thank you so much for lifting us up every Tuesday. God Bless! ❤️
People in this community were my miracle! I really should have written this comment earlier, but about a year and a half ago I was in a really bad place with God. I believed he didn’t care about me, my heart or my life. I felt he didn’t love me and I had more or less given up on our relationship. It had come upon me gradually, and after a while life felt utterly meaningless and bleak, I saw no end to that, and I would wake up in the mornings thinking “Yes! One day closer to my life’s end!”
Not a great place to be in… In retrospect, there were a bunch of different things that contributed to this: pandemic loneliness, unresolved faith issues from a previous difficult time in life, spiritual heaviness from the place where I lived, and probably targeted spiritual attacks as well. It was all in all a lovely cocktail of despair and hopelessness.
Eventually, I told God that if he wanted to repair our relationship, he would have to do so himself since I was done trying.
In this time, I happened to read a blog post here and ended up writing a frustrated comment about how so much Christian advice is “Do this” without telling us HOW to do it. How am I supposed to know what to do when I don’t know anything anymore? I posted the comment, went about my business and a few days later decided to check if someone had replied to me. I fully expected people chiding me for my lack of faith and bad attitude. But that wasn’t the case at all. There were maybe 7-8 people who were all encouraging me, sending loving advice, and lifting me up. I read through the comments, amazed, and thought “Wow, these people are so Christlike!” Then it hit me. If these total strangers showing me love was Christlike, that meant Christ must love me. Really LOVE me.
Somehow, that realization pierced my entire being and in an instant shattered the dark walls that had formed around my heart and numbed me. I can’t explain it any better than that. Something was very clearly lifted off of me, this wave of emotion hit me and all of a sudden I felt God’s presence again, knew his love again and came back to myself again. It sounds dramatic, but it really was what happened! God completely transformed my mind and heart in a matter of minutes, saving me when I was so close to walking away.
And the best part is that this miracle was permanent. I was afraid I’d slide back into the darkness but since that moment, I’ve never been the same, my relationship with God is on much more solid ground and I’m happy to be alive! I’m beyond thankful to God and to all of you who took the time to love the hurting heart behind the frustrated comment. You were God’s instrument to change the course of my life. God bless you ❤️❤️
🥰 this is sooo beautiful. It’s wet my eyes. A vivid illustration that God is alive, hears, cares and loves us beyond measure.
Just today I took the time to listen to a group of young adults who were playing a game online, They were struggling with life….I have, I love Jesus on my profile. I pray the Holy Spirit planted a seed in these folks heart and they turn to the Lord for their answers and his free gift of salvation.
My now truly best friend, Jason. He is who stopped me on my path. I too was like this girl, running back home to my parents. And he just stopped me in my tracks, even though the last person that I wanted to talk to was a male. But he turned out to be everything that I needed and more. To shine his light on my dark path alone. To show me the way to Jesus. To the open arms he had for me.
What is the name of the book you referred to in this post about pain and the difficult chapters in your life?
Author
The name of the book is Your Scars are Beautiful to God. I also recommend When You Don’t LIke Your Story!
This touched me and brought tears to my eyes thank you. I also pray that the lord will send someone to minister to my daughter and sons in Jesus Christ of Nazareth name I pray amen.
Thank you for sharing❤️
Reverend Doctor Brian Willersdorf- a world travelled evangelist, now in his 80’s.
For the past 5 years he has “stopped” DAILY, for me –
He sends me Scripture EVERY. Single. Day. He prays for me and we chat.
He has been a spiritual father to me.
In fact, many years ago, he led my dad to the Lord!
God bless you always, Sharon.
I’m grateful for the gift of people in my life. My husband, Pastor Melva, my family and my uncle are people who stopped for me. I can’t appreciate the Lord enough for those people.
YESSSSSS!!! Her name is Dianne and she has become my own personal angel!!! The Lord brought her into my life when I needed her most and she has helped me to recover from a devastating emotional breakdown and counseled me for the past four years. She has been truly instrumental in helping me to turn my life completely around. I have been blessed exponentially and thank God for bringing such an amazing vessel to teach me about Jesus’s true love for us and how to value myself the way God does!!!
As a young college student 40 years ago, I was chosen to represent my region on a national student council. One of the responsibilities/opportunities that came with the position was attendance at a national professional conference. My first commercial flight was to Los Angeles. Flying alone, the flight went very well; however it was “that time of the month” and back then I tended to get very ill and experienced horrible pain the first day of my cycle. I saw my suitcase get placed on a very full shuttle. When I boarded, it was standing room only. There I stood, trying to nonchalantly mop up the sweat dripping from my face, praying, “just get me to my hotel”. A seated gentleman insisted I take his seat. Turns out he was a professor from a neighboring state and attending the same conference. He asked if I was feeling ok and I told him I would be ok, “it’s just something that happens sometimes”. Chagrined. We shared conversation about the profession and conference. He knew several of the faculty at my college. He gave my his business card. Although he was staying at another hotel, he got off with me at my hotel, made sure I had my luggage, and used his credit card to check me in. (As a student, I didn’t have a credit card and the trip was paid for by the council, so I was not prepared for that need.) This is going to sound incredibly naive on my part, but he actually made sure I got to my room. He had a daughter my age and said he would want someone to help her if she was in the same situation. After I thanked him, he quietly and humbly left. When I think of how he went out of his way to assist me, would have to get a cab to his hotel and somehow locate his own luggage, I was not only thankful, but also inspired. He was my miracle that day.