Desperation

My favorite church service of the year (Easterfest's City Celebration where over 10,000 believers meet together from all denominations in an open air amphitheater) was interrupted tonight by a lady that yelled a question at the speaker from the base of the stage. The speaker stopped what he was doing and asked her a question, it turned out that she was requesting prayer for her husband Philip. The speaker then asked everyone to join with him in prayer for Philip, and afterward asked people to continue to pray for him.

I don't know what she was specifically hoping to have happen in her husband's life. I doubt I'll ever know - but like the woman who out of desperation touched the hem of Jesus' garment, so this lady acted in desperation. She interrupted the attention of ten thousand people to ask for prayer. To ask people to intercede on her husband's behalf... and they did... and some still are.

The situation could have been handled very differently - the speaker could have discreetly ignored her while security or some sensitive lady quietly let her away from the stage... chances are we wouldn't have noticed... and to our shame we wouldn't have. Or we would have thought "ooohh.. there's a crackpot... glad she's now out of the way so we can focus on what he's saying again", but instead, in actions reminiscent of Jesus whom he was speaking about, he stopped, he cared, he invited action and he recognised a desperate heart.

That I might be so sensitive - to both God's will, and others needs.