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"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
(Romans 12:15)
Last Sunday after church, my wife Ashley and I flew to Phoenix, AZ. I spoke at the "Who's Your One?" conference at North Phoenix Baptist Church, a great church led by Pastor Noe Garcia. After the conference, Ashley and I drove north to the Grand Canyon. In 2003, we visited the massive canyon with our kids and three other families, and we had a blast. Ashley and I were excited to go to the South Rim of the canyon, as we had only been to the North Rim when we visited in 2003. We arrived in time to walk a portion of the Rim Trail and look out over the vastness of this wonderful work of God. If you have never been, it will take your breath away, especially the first time your eyes look upon this natural wonder of the world.
We made it in time to take multiple pictures and take in the beautiful sunset. I remember that the last time we were here, we were in such a hurry that we literally ran to watch the sunset. This time, we had ample time and were able to take it all in. Then we headed over to the El Tovar Lodge where we would spend the next two nights. The next day, we got up and after breakfast made our way to the trial head of Bright Angel Trail. Ashley and I had a great hike down the trail. It was quite chilly with temperatures in the 30s (Fahrenheit), but we were bundled up like Eskimos and made our way slowly into the Grand Canyon.
As we went down the trail, we met a lady named Angela who was coming up the trail by herself. She was a little winded, and we stopped to talk to her. She said this was her first hike since getting COVID-19 in June, and though her legs were strong, her lungs were still weak from battling the coronavirus. Then she opened up to us and shared with us how her 51 year-old boyfriend also contracted COVID-19... but he did not survive. Tears were in her eyes as she told us she was going on this hike in his remembrance, as they were originally supposed to be doing this hike together. She said they had just bought a new truck and camper, and now everything was cut short.
Ashley and I listened, and I prayed for her right there on the trail. Some people stopped to ask if she was okay, and she said, "Yes! This is a pastor, and he just prayed for me!" She was so appreciative, and it was a blessing and honor for Ashley and me to minister to her in Jesus' name.
No one lives a totally happy, carefree, or perfect life. We all have battles we are fighting. There is a high probability that today you will meet someone who, while he or she may look quite happy on the outside, is going through a tough time. Appearances can be deceiving. Let me encourage you to slow down, notice the people around you, and take a minute to ask how you can pray for them. It just might open up an opportunity for you to minister to them and also to share Jesus with them.
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