Praying it Forward #1

We have all heard of Paying it Forward...I have even posted about it myself. This morning I want to share something that happened over the weekend and as I started thinking about it - the words Praying it Forward came to me. I am sure this isn't something new - just new to me - and it came to me fresh as if I have never heard it before - so I am claiming it as mine...lol

In my last post - and a few before - I mentioned going to the Fall Women's Retreat - and I did - and I loved it - and there are things I want to share  - not all at once - it would be a book by the time I finished - so I am going to just do a post here and there and refer back as I feel led. :-)

One of the nights we went out to eat - very late because the service was a late one - and  we ended up at IHOP - there weren't very many people sitting in the section we were sitting. Our waiter was a fairly young guy - who looked tired and worn out, probably already had a long shift behind him. There were five of us, Rachel (a beauty that  I work with and one of my favorite people in the whole world) Kymala, who I fell in love with right away, such a sweet and giving spirit,  Andi and Julie - (2 of the sweetest young ladies ever - beautiful inside and out) and then myself, of course. These girls are on fire and love the Lord - and God has given them a boldness to just hunt for the lost and reach out and give them a piece of Him. 

Well, on this night as our waiter stood at our table after serving us - one of the girls asked if there was anything we could pray with him about. He pretty much shook his head no right away - he was fine. Another told him we didn't have to pray WITH him right then but would pray FOR him when we left. He stood there staring at the table what seemed like forever - and then just said softly "my family life". Personally, my heart ached for him immediately. In that instant - I saw MY son standing there - and it was all I could do to keep from grabbing him and hugging him and telling him it would all be ok. Instead, I said " God is going to do something big, it may not be tomorrow or this week - but when He does - you are going to remember that these 5 ladies prayed for you!" He perked up a little and said several times "yes, mam, I will". When he left the table I said we have got to leave him a BIG tip. Rachel started writing him a note to leave with the money. I don't know how much we left in total, but it was over $50. 
When we paid our check - he asked if we were there with the Women's Retreat - I am sure he had already seen hundreds of us come through this week as it is one of the only late night places open - and I told him yes, but it was all of our first time. He said he knew he didn't recognize any of us and he had been working there 5 years. 
Rachel's note gave him her e-mail address and told him she would like to hear from him so she could hear what God is doing for him to give him that better family life he asked for prayer over. We are all convinced God will be faithful to do just that!
As we were leaving I turned around and looked at the window where we had just dined and there he was just standing at our table - money still there - and he was just looking at us in total disbelief. Bless his heart. He will never know how much I was ministered to myself that night - I saw first hand just how easy it is to reach out - to show some love and to Pray it Forward.