Praying in the Toothpaste Aisle

Praying in the toothpaste aisle for a stranger?

How did that happen?

And then what happened?

How I found myself praying in the toothpaste aisle.

I was minding my own business.

But you know how sometimes you find yourself do-si-doing in the grocery aisle?

That was me and a man about 40.

Obviously, we both needed toothpaste.

But there were so many choices!

(I was praying in the toothpaste aisle, so I asked, “Which one, Lord?”)

Back and forth we weaved, until he finally started laughing.

I joined him, shaking my head.

“I tell you what,” he said. “I have to go to work. You have a good day!”

“Thank you,” I said. “Can I do you one better?”

He shrugged and smiled. “Sure.”

“I’d like to give you a blessing.”

“I’ll take it.”

I just raised my hand, praying in the toothpaste aisle.Praying in the toothpaste aisle happened right here!

I put up my hand toward his forehead–but I did not touch him.

(I didn’t know him. Why would I touch him?)

Standing there and praying in the toothpaste aisle, I called down the Holy Spirit.

“Bless this man with His presence at work that day.

Fill him with your joy, success, and give him reason to be thankful at the end of the day. Amen.”

He nodded his head. “Amen.”

Then he jerked backwards about a foot–to his shock and mine.

“What was that?” he cried. “I’m not even religious, but I know something just happened!”

My hand was still up in the air–now two feet away from him.

What would you say?

“God’s got his eye on you. Have a wonderful day at work.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know what that was, but it was powerful. I got to go to work.”

He staggered down the aisle toward the exit.

I returned to scrutinizing the toothpaste choices.Amirali Parsa on Unsplash“>Not Ed, but the smile is close enough!

I shrugged at yet another adventure in the grocery store.

Smiling to myself, I continued praying in the toothpaste aisle that God would bless him at work that day.

I’d never found myself praying in the toothpaste aisle before!

But here he came again, his arms wide-stretched, shaking his head.

“My name is Ed. Can I hug you?”

I laughed. “I’m Michelle. Sure.”

Which is how I ended up hugging a stranger at the grocery store.

“I don’t know what that was, but something is going on.”

I laughed. “God’s got His eye on you, Ed.”

“Yeah,” he said, walking toward the entrance again. “I guess he does.”

And that, friends, is how you can find yourself praying in the toothpaste aisle!

In what unusual places have you prayed for strangers?

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