You never know who you’ll run into on a walk in Milan.
I’ve been getting out and walking in an effort to build my strength back up after this summer’s bout with pneumonia (see Barking Hell). I intended to go to the street market, so I headed out the door in that direction.
About a block from home I saw a woman talking on the phone. As she approached me I saw something tiny fall. At first I thought it was a piece of trash, like the foil pop-top to a juice container. But as I got closer I saw that it was something valuable. I only recognized what it was because of living part time at Bella Vista[1] with Mom: it was a hearing aid. They are very tiny these days. So I picked it up and caught up with the woman who had continued past me.
She was shocked at first, she hadn’t realized that she had lost it. She asked me where I found it and I showed her, saying that I had seen it fall from her. Then joy spread across her face as she realized that I had saved her a loss of a few thousand Euros.
As I walked on, I thanked God for allowing me to be her angel. It felt really good! And I just happened to be the right person to see that and to know that it was valuable. And the Lord responded: “This is prophetic.” Yes! I get it! Helping to open up peoples’ ears to hear.
Then I realized that I didn’t really need to go to the street market. Where I did need to go was the Asian food store, which is the best place to buy coconut oil, spices, and peanutbutter. So I changed direction and headed in a slightly different direction.
When I got there, I was shocked. The Asian food store where I’ve been shopping for 15 years is gone. Not only is it gone, but it’s never coming back because the shop next door has busted through the wall to expand into their space.
I remembered an Asian food store by the train station, and being right by a train station, I entered to catch a train. When the train arrived, the door didn’t open—perhaps the people inside didn’t know that you have to push a button to open the door. So I pushed the button and made the door open. Again the Lord spoke: “This is also prophetic.” And I understood that God wants to use me to set people free.
I got my items and returned home. I realized that I hadn’t gone where I had originally intended to go—not at all! I had left home with the intention of going to the street market, but wound up at the train station instead. And I understood that God had spoken to me because I was willing to give up my idea of where to go, and to follow Him instead.
I love street markets, and especially this one. There was a time not so long ago that I would have resolved to go anyway and just hit the Asian market on the long way home. But by staying sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, I had the privilege to hear the Lord speak to me—twice—and also to understand His intention for my life: to help open peoples’ ears, giving value back to their lives; and to set people free. A simple walk turned into a lesson from the Holy Spirit. God is good!
[1] Gracious Retirement Living.
Walking By Faith in Europe 