When spirits intersect

sacred-meetings_Lisa-notes

It wasn’t anything particular you said.

I just knew something was different.

Like many, you mainly wanted prayers for your kids. Your husband left when your first child did, leaving you a single mom with four kids to raise. The two daughters are now on their own, but you still have three boys at home.

You did what you could. You met you goal to stay off welfare, to not live on food stamps.

But even through the pride of your accomplishments, I could hear you were tired. A weary warrior. Years of day-by-day living takes its toll. So when we started to pray, you seemed relieved.

Yet there was something more. Something deeper.

An intersection of spirits. 

We can’t predict when God will rip a hole through our atmosphere and tie two souls together. We can’t prepare for it. We can only be open to it. To notice it when it happens.

You said it first. “There’s the power of God here.”

I knew it was true.

We prayed together for courage, for your push to keep food on the table, for strength.

You looked at my name tag. “Lisa,” you repeated my name. “I’ll remember you. I’ll be praying for you. Every day. We are secret prayer partners now.”

I knew that was true, too.

We hugged. We said good-bye. You walked into the next room.

I wanted to find a quiet place right then to soak in the Spirit, to be still in the moment. Tears were begging to spill over.

Holy moments need room to breathe.

But I looked at the line. More people were waiting. And there were no exterior quiet places.

So I quickly typed your name into my phone, hid your face in my heart, and went on to the next person.

Did you know that I prayed for you today, Juanita? And many days since that first time.

Our paths may never cross again in the flesh. But they will in the spirit. In his Spirit we remain bonded, friends, sisters.

God won’t let me forget you.

Sometimes God connects us to people we hardly even know. For reasons we don’t have to understand.

  • Maybe it’s for us.
  • Maybe it’s for them.
  • Maybe it’s for deeper battles still to come.

Whether these relationships end up lasting a lifetime—or just ten minutes—they still matter. They are more than warm feelings in a moment.

These sacred meetings are thin places, the spiritual world intersecting with the physical world, reminding us that there is more.

The Spirit still moves about, breathing in and out through his people.

Our responsibility is to stay awake for it. To notice the people around us. Those we already know intimately.

And those we’re just about to meet.

* * *

Have you ever met a stranger and felt like you knew them already? Please share in the comments.

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30 thoughts on “When spirits intersect

  1. Linda@Creekside

    Oh … when we all meet up together in heaven what a reunion we’re going to celebrate. And the Holy One we prayed to will gather us in His arms. And we will worship with exaltation.

    No tears. No goodbyes. And no phones!

    Love to you today, dear Lisa.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Yes–the Spirit of Christ in us connects with the Spirit of Christ in another–such special moments. I’ve felt them periodically through the years and they never cease to be special!

  2. Barbara H.

    What a lovely post, Lisa, to describe those times when you know way down in your soul you’re at a particular place with a particular person for a very special reason, where you sense God’s working and knitting and connecting.

  3. melody

    Beautiful. Yes, I have met someone like that. Her name is Donna. She shared a very personal prayer request with me after meeting one time. She was scheduled to have an abortion and she asked for me to pray for her. I had a letter with me at the time written by a birthmother who also at one time was seeking an abortion….but God. But God intervened and through a series of divine workings she had an ultrasound instead and saw ten fingers and toes. In the letter she explains how she saw the heartbeat of her unborn child and she wept at what she almost did. I had this letter in my purse. Handwritten in gel pen. Yes, it was our son’s birthmother who wrote this letter. And I felt that the Holy Spirit had laid it on my heart to bring it with me this particular day. Only my husband and I knew about “the letter”. We had not shared this personal information with anyone. But God…….impressed on my heart to bring it. Now I had the opportunity to read it to this young woman conflicted over what to do. I asked her if I could read the letter to her and she said I could. I read and she listened. I told her about 3 adoption agencies she could choose for her baby. And because God is in control of all things and constantly working on our behalf He opened up the doors for Donna to make an adoption plan for her baby. I never saw Donna again after that day. I only know the information I have because of the shelter director who stayed in contact with me. But I have prayed for Donna and her little boy for many years now. I know God has a plan for that boy wherever he is and for Donna as well.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Wow! What a powerful moment for you, Melody! I can’t tell you how much I love this story, this perfect blending of moments between you and Donna. God gave you the opportunity, and thankfully you were ready for it (even if unknowingly) by having the letter on you, and by knowing of the adoption agencies to share about. It sounds like God used you then and there to save a life. What a blessing. Wouldn’t it be awesome if somehow God connected you with her little boy in your future? If not here, in heaven…. Thanks so much for sharing this!

      1. melody

        That would be wonderful. There’s a back story to why I had the letter with me that I didn’t share in the comments. But needless to say the Holy Spirit totally led me to do it. Oh I fought it and didn’t want to do it. Never felt such a tug of war before. But stepping into obedience that day has been one of the richest teachable moments I’ve had in my walk with the Lord. And yes, I do hope I get to meet Donna and her son in heaven one day. Would be so amazing.

  4. Amber @ Beautiful Rubbish

    Mercy, Lisa. This post just pulses with the mystery of life behind the veil of what we can see or touch. “Holy moments need room to breathe”… yes, yes they do. And I appreciate the grace of how you affirm the value of these relationships, whether they last a lifetime or a few moments. I know these moments, and they do leave me shaken in the best kind of way.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      From reading your blog, I know that you DO know these moments, Amber. You feel beyond the physical; that’s one reason I love reading your words and reading between your words. Thanks for sharing these words here….

  5. Beverley

    Lisa, Juanita will know that someone is praying for her, even if she does not know it is you. How do i know? Because in my deepest despair i could not pray but i knew it was the answer, so i asked others to pray for me and every time they did i knew it, as if they were praying right there in front of me, which of course they weren’t. The Spirit speaks and we know it.

  6. Betty Draper

    Lisa, there have been a couple of women God has brought my way and it did feel like we both stepped through a thin veil and met heart to heart. They forever impacted my life and they say I did theirs too. Right now there is a lady at church who I have only met with once yet God has knitted our hearts together. She writes beautiful music and took my advice and has sung one of her songs, all who heard were so blessed. You knew as you listened to her it came straight from heaven to her. Great post, makes me want to pray for another touch through the thin veil. Blessing sister.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Exciting! Just think: if you hadn’t encouraged the lady to sing her song, many people would have missed out on the blessing. So thankful for women like you who use their own gifts to reach out to others to use their gifts. Thanks for sharing this, Betty.

  7. Jean Wise

    Amazing timing to read this post tonight. I am at a church workshop and really didn’t want to come. I have already had several sacred moments that took my breath away, telling yes I really did need to be here. Just tonight in the closing prayer service, they asked us to get in groups of 2 or 3, share a concern and joy and pray for each other. I felt that wall come up again and really didn’t want to do this with this stranger next to me. but wow, what a moment, such peace and joy to get to know him, to pray for his son, to hear him pray for my daughter and to pray together. Yes a sacred moment. You and I sure seem to be on the same spiritual journey at times…Thanks Lisa.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Such a blessing that you had that sacred moment last night, Jean! It’s amazing what God will do when we just agree to show up, whether it’s at a workshop or in the small group when you could have walked away. Yet look what He did. Awesome. I’m sure the gentleman was just as blessed as you were in getting to pray together.

      Yes, I do believe we are on a similar path for our spiritual journeys and I do love that! I try to stay current reading your blog so I can see what you and God are doing together. It inspires me.

  8. Laura

    I do think there is a purpose for most, if not all, encounters that we have in this life. There have been times when I have been nudged to pray for someone I see as I’m out and about doing my thing. I don’t even have to speak to these people…something bigger than myself just lets me know that it’s time to start praying. Beautiful post, Lisa.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Excellent reminder that we don’t even have to use out-loud words to pray for someone we see out and about, and they will still be blessed. I wonder how many people have prayed over us in that way, unknown to us, and we received the blessing…. Thanks, Laura.

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