When I pulled in to our campsite yesterday, my husband was standing behind my rig praying with two strangers hand in hand.I did not take a picture but this image reminds me on the scene I encountered. Just prior to my arrival, each of the two men, approached Frank separately to chat. Although the conversation may have started out as small talk, it quickly turned to a deeper one. As the conversation continued , it was revealed the two strangers had similar stories. They shared two common themes: Addiction, BUT Jesus.
Mike had been a heroine addict for more then 25 years. A friend invited him to a church service where he personally encountered Jesus, and surrendered his life on the spot. At that very moment, his burden of addiction was GONE. It was completely gone. He has been free of his addiction for 12 years. He now spends his days traveling in a RV, sharing the power of Jesus with EVERYONE he meets.
Doug’s story was almost identical but his drug of choice was alcohol. Following his radical transformation, he became a Pastor. He travels in his RV with another Pastor who was a former heroine addict as well.
I love how these men just recognized The Holy Spirit in my husband, and he recognized it in them. This is one of the most profound things we have seen in campgrounds around the country. It happens almost everyday. Strangers walking past each other, hesitating for a moment and thinking “That person seems familiar to me.”
The Holy Spirit in us recognizes the Holy Spirit in another person without needing to say a word. Similar to the theme in Star Wars movies, the Force in someone is recognizable by others who are one with it. It is the same with the Holy Spirit.
These three men instantly knew they were brothers in Christ, though they never met in the flesh before. All things of this world faded away and they bonded together to pray for one another. I love that!