The Right Atmosphere

In the third and fourth chapters of the book of Acts, we find that Peter and John had been used of the Lord to heal a lame man, which gave them the opportunity to point the observers of this act to the
Lord Jesus. In Acts 4, we can read:
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

We can consider whether or not we are demonstrating that we have been with Jesus.  That, of course, is predicated on if we have truly spent time with Him - if we know Him, if we are fellowshipping with Him regularly, and if we are devoted to a life of surrender and obedience to Him.  Our degree of devotion to the Lord will overflow into our actions, and people hopefully will see the presence of the indwelling Christ through us.

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The presence of God can change our countenance, and people can recognize that we know Him.
Proverbs 15 states:
13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

If you're travelling from Central and South Alabama to Huntsville, most likely, you'll take a right on 565 and head into the city, right past the new ballpark that is being constructed in Madison that will be the home of the former Mobile Bay Bears of the Southern League, to be renamed the Rocket City Trash Pandas.  By the way, a "trash panda" is another name for a raccoon.

On the other side of Madison, if you were passing through on Highway 72, you would pass by a Chick-fil-A restaurant that has been in the news recently - because of a picture.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words - I don't know how many words have been posted about the picture, but it's certainly made an impact, including on the photographer, Brittany Calden.  According to Atlanta's Fox 5, on a July day, she was...

...sitting in the play area with her daughter, when she spotted long-time employee Stephen Spray talking to a customer.

Calden noticed the two because “Mr. Steve” put his hand on the woman and prayed over her. That's when she snapped a quick picture, which she later shared on Facebook.

The story relates that: "Calden said she was driven to tears as she watched Mr. Steve praying over the woman;" she said, "He's a hard worker and was wiping tables minutes before approaching the lady."

Spray has been there for nine years, and Calden says, "Mr. Steve never fails to walk up to your table and ask how your day is going and always tried to make your day better than it was before you saw him..." Regarding the instance that inspired the picture:

The kindhearted employee told Calden he didn’t know the woman, but the “Spirit led him to pray for her,” calling it a blessing.

“That’s not unusual,” Spray told her. “I work at a place where if I’m led to pray for someone, I’m able to do that and I’ll do it right on the spot. People need prayer, encouragement, and love. That’s what we try to do here.”

Brittany Calden says that there is "something special" about the Madison Chick-fil-A, and that Stephen does what he does, "because of who he represents, Christ."

This story has been reposted all over the country.  And the Faithwire website covered the story, as well.  Writer Will Maule went a step further; several steps, in fact.  He said:

Openly led in line with a strong Christian ethos, Chick-fil-A has gained a reputation for retaining some pretty wonderful staff who consistently go above and beyond to serve the public well. Last month, a drive-thru employee jumped out of the window to help save the life of a choking child.

He went on: "There are many, many more examples of situations where the restaurant’s staff have excelled themselves." Those examples, about which he links to stories, include these headlines:

Incredible: Compassionate Chick-Fil-A Staff Checked on Elderly Regulars After They Went Missing

Watch a Chick-Fil-A Employee Brave Traffic to Chase Down Customer Who Forgot Their Food

And, still others:

“Are You Serious, Man?”: Chick-Fil-A Employee Holds Onto Customer’s Forgotten Change for Weeks Until He Returns

Chick-fil-A Goes Above and Beyond to Return This Mother’s Lost Purse

Plus:

American Soldiers in Iraq CRAVED Some Chick-fil-A, Two Weeks Later They Get Quite the Special Delivery

There are a number of considerations here for us.  First of all, remember to allow the Spirit to direct you to people to whom you can minister.  And, there may be willing parties awaiting.

Recently, I commented on a story out of Great Britain, in which a nurse was fired because she was sharing her faith on the job. A Christianity Today story had reported on the instance, and I shared some survey data; I stated:

The article reports that 87% of nurses, 69% of physicians, and 75% of medical students related that they "always or frequently" accept patient requests to pray with them."

I also shared from the story:

Not only are medical professionals willing and able to pray with patients, but “the majority of patients believe that spiritual care by physicians is important,” according to a recent study in the AMA Journal of Ethics. Approximately half say that want their doctors to pray with them.

And, in a survey discussed recently with the head of the organization, Christian Educators Association International released a poll of members of the organization, which showed that, "...97% pray for their students, while 78% admit to doing so frequently. Additionally, 63% are involved in students’ lives beyond the classroom and outside of regular school hours by serving through club, church, or community activities."

In addition to allowing the Spirit to direct you to people to whom you can minister, you can, in your workplace or any other space in which you have influence, seek to create an atmosphere in which God can work.  I believe there are frequent instances of "God-sightings" at Chick-fil-A because of the company's founding principles, consistent with Scripture, and the desire to serve all people.  The Spirit can move through us as we create the atmosphere of God's presence with us.

Finally, underlying those other two points, we can possess the attitude to be ready for Him to move through you.  We can be open to how God directs - our willingness to follow Him results in His doing great things through us.