Two young adults stood out to me today as I made my way through the town shopping centre.  They were at a stand raising awareness of adult education.  One was a young lady, the other a gent, both in their early twenties.

As I looked over in their direction, I asked Holy Spirit what was going on for each of them, how He wanted to encourage them and so reveal the Father’s love.  I felt He gave me a fleeting, separate download for them both but actually on the same topic – their childhoods.  He had specific truths He wanted to release that would allow them to walk forward in greater freedom and joy.  I knew it was risky- what I had to share was either going to be wrong and completely inapplicable or accurate and life-giving. If I released it with love and care, though, I knew it would not fail, even if I got it wrong.

The young lady – “Elena” was the first one I spoke with.  We talked about education, our own different Uni degrees but same love of languages.  Elena has a very diverse experience of European culture and geography and speaks at least five different languages!  When I explained that I felt God had a special encouragement for her today, she was open to listening  She mentioned her catholic background and that she believes God does bring people into your life sometimes, to say things that you need at certain moments.   

So, I released the word I felt I had been given for Elena. It was that God wanted her to be released from blaming herself for what had happened in her family. Things for which she had carried a burden of personal guilt for many years but which were not a true representation of what really happened and are certainly not hers to carry.  She immediately put her hand to her mouth in surprise and started to cry.  She explained about the divorce of her parents as a young girl and some other family things and how she had always felt guilty for her family troubles.  She had even just recently been thinking about it all and feeling again the burden of blame on her shoulders. The timing of this was stunning to her.

It was the most tender of opportunities to help Elena see the love and goodness of God who would send along a stranger to point her in a new and different direction, released from her heavy burden.  We had a short “agreement prayer” right there, eyes open, where she simply chose to agree that she is not to blame for those family issues and will not carry that blame on her shoulders anymore.  She said a resounding Amen! and thanked me warmly.  I advised her to watch for any guilt-thoughts creeping back and to speak to them directly and firmly, saying NO!  You do not belong to me.  I have nothing to do with you”. Please recall this to her mind, Holy Spirit, and help her to stand firm.

Now it was time to speak to the young man.  His name is “Stefan”, a confident looking guy.  When I first saw him across the shopping centre, I had an impression of him in his younger years. I sensed that he had had to grow up faster than his years allowed, shouldering responsibility in his family beyond his years and losing a large chunk of childhood joy in the process.  But God wants to restore to him what had been taken from him and give him a “second childhood” where childlike joy would be wonderfully present.  

He was so surprised when I shared this with him, acknowledging its accuracy as his eyes too were filling up.  He explained how certain things had happened in his family which meant that, at a young age, he had to come out of education and normal childhood activities to help run the family business.  He had no time to be a child anymore and instead carried serious levels of responsibility.  What a pleasure it was to release to Stefan the Father’s intimate understanding of his past and His promise to restore to Stefan in the future what the thief of childhood had stolen from him – JOY!  

I told Stefan to get ready to have episodes where laughter would just come bubbling up and out of him for no apparent reason –just like it does in little kids!  He would get these moments where he would just want to skip down the street!!  His second childhood is coming – times where the serious stuff would be laid aside as joy takes its place.  That certainly brought a big smile to Stefan’s face as he thanked me for taking the time to share these things with him. Then we parted.  

I feel sure that Stefan and Elena will talk about these things together in the coming days.  Draw them both closer to you, Jesus, so they too can find their place in the Father’s House.

My other encounter in town was at the other end of the age spectrum!  A dear senior gentleman, “Phillip”, who was standing next to me in a card shop.  I turned to him and said “Oh dear, they’ve taken the baby Jesus out of Christmas!”  “Have they?!” he replied, and there followed a conversation between us about how difficult it is to find Christmas cards with Christ in them!!  He turned out to be a delightful, catholic Irish gentleman with some very funny stories of his Irish family but also some moving stories of how God had provided special help to him and his wife concerning various medical needs.  Phillip then told me that he is facing surgery soon for kidney cancer but how he felt God had opened the way for him to go to a certain out-of-area hospital under a surgeon that he trusts.  

After our conversation, I said to Phillip – “I’d love to pray for you just quickly now” and then I eyes-open prayed for him and his procedure to be completely successful, knowing it had already been provided and prepared directly by Heaven!  Phillip was so overcome and teary (a flavour of today!) he couldn't really speak after the prayer but said a very croaky thank you, kissed my cheek and went off, wiping his eyes.  Nothing could stop Heaven coming down in that “where-is-Jesus?” card shop!    

Thank you Father, for all these dear children you have touched and encouraged today, whatever their age, however little or much they may know you.  

You are always restoring our childhood joy as we grow up to be your children! Praise You!