“and your ears will hear a voice behind you, ‘this is the way, walk in it.'”  Isaiah 30:21

so i just gave away one of my most treasured possessions.  to a guy on the side of the road.

he caught my eye because he was pulling an old rolling suitcase down the sidewalk, trying to stuff a few belongings back into his plastic shopping bags.

and God said, “I wanna show My glory to that guy you just passed.  are you interested?”

as if.

so i turn the car around, pull over, and completely empty my treasured bookbag into the back seat.  if you know me, you’ve seen the thing.  i carry it to school every single day.  black and red, sewn and patched together with safety pins.  i just haven’t been able to part with it.  what a history.

this pack has traveled with me all over the world through airports, on buses, in cars, on boats.  up and down streets that felt dangerous at times.  on my back as i rode a donkey up petra (with no rails.)

to jerusalem, through the west bank, to jordan and turkey.  it’s been with me on the mount of olives, in the garden tomb, and to the sea of galilee numerous times.

this bag has the presence of Jesus and the favor of God all over it.  seven years’ worth of my  journey with Jesus is soaked into this bag. 

i’m fairly certain i took it on my honeymoon.  #true

you get the picture.

so i drive back up the street, park nearby, grab the empty bag, and walk down the sidewalk.  i ask him if i can sit down.  he says sure and moves his stuff a bit.  i ask his name, introduce myself, and shake his hand.

it’s fairly obvious that brent just got kicked out of wherever he was living.  he looks pretty nervous and afraid.  can’t be more than 20.  tattooed all over the arms.  just a little ragged with a scratchy beard. 

i don’t ask him for his story; somehow it feels intrusive.  but i tell him mine.

so brent, i need to tell you why I’m sitting here.  by the way, do you know Jesus?  have you met the Lord?  (nods.)   i met him at 15.  at a church camp i attended, invited by friends at school who i ridiculed and made fun of all the time.  but they were the real deal, and they invited me to their camp.  and for the first time in my life i heard bible preaching and teaching not about going to church or being good, but about a real, living Jesus who wanted a relationship with me.  brent, i literally ran down the aisle to find out how to meet this Jesus.  and man, i tell you, i’ve never been the same.

when you know Jesus you sense His voice speaking over you, giving you direction and wisdom.  it’s His voice that sent me here to you.  i passed by a few moments ago, and God spoke very clearly to me.  i’m here to give you something.  something that is very dear to me.

can you use a bookbag, brent?  (yeah.)  well, i’m here to give you this one.  but first you have to understand what this bag means to me.  how dear it is to me.  and brent, you need to know that you must be incredibly loved by God for Him to ask me to give this bag to you.”

i tell him the journey of the bag.

you are not invisible to God, brent.  i don’t know what your story is, but you need to know that God sees you.  and He wants to speak over you.  let me show you what i’ve put in the bag for you.  there’s a cold water, an energy bar, and a scripture book here.   these verses will remind you that God never stops wanting relationship with you.  and here’s five dollars too.  it’s all i have right now, but it’s yours. 

he thanks me.

brent, i need to tell you that it gives me great joy to give you my bag.  i love you, brother, and I’m praying for you. 

he allows me to hug him from the side and then thanks me.

and i walk away, get in my car, turn up the music.

what song is playing?  “the sound of Your voice.”

God is awesome.

what is His voice saying to you?