Faith Stories: God Works in Mysterious Ways
My second faith story related to my prayer shawl ministry reveals to me that many times God works in mysterious ways. (Read Saroj’s first Faith Story here.) He puts us in the paths of strangers and uses us to witness in His service.
One day our daughter Yasmin, who lives in Lafayette, happened to tell her co-worker, Karen, about the prayer shawls I knit and what they mean to the people who receive them. Karen asked if I would sell her a prayer shawl so that she could give it to Lisa, a friend who had just lost a son in a car accident, killed by a drunken driver. Yasmin told Karen that I don’t sell them but may give her one, which I did.
The same week Yasmin sent me the obituary which appeared in the Lafayette paper. The funeral service was announced to take place at Asbury United Methodist Church where I was scheduled to speak in two weeks to a U.M.W. group and introduce them to prayer shawl ministry. I contacted the U.M.W. president immediately, and asked her if she could arrange for me to meet Lisa before our meeting, which she did.
Two weeks later, when we got to Asbury UMC, Lisa was waiting for us at the door. She hugged me, held me tight, put her head on my shoulder and cried. When she stopped sobbing, she wiped her tears, held my hand and said, “Thank you so much for the prayer shawl. As I wrap it around me to grieve for my son, I pray and immediately the Holy Spirit surrounds me with love, joy, hope, peace and comfort. I experience the healing power of God and His Son Jesus Christ. When I am finished, I am able to remember my son with joy and thanksgiving. The shawl is a great blessing to me and I know for sure, God hears our prayers. I thank God for my son who made a difference in the world when he lived and still continues to make a difference after his death as five of his organs were donated so people could live a healthy life.”
Along with Lisa’s, my faith is strengthened in my loving and comforting God. In a roundabout way, I was able to give a prayer shawl to Lisa who was a stranger to me. From Baton Rouge to Lafayette, from Yasmin to Karen to Lisa. Yes, God works in mysterious ways and provides us opportunity to witness for Him, strengthening our faith every day.
If you want to have similar experiences, come and learn to knit prayer shawls. You will never regret it.
Saroj Welch