Story: Bug eyed glasses

Leah, our daughter, asked Jesus to show her who he wanted to set free that night.

She saw in her mind thoughts of a female student, who had big bug eyed sunglasses on her head.

Soon after returning to the university in the fall of 2007, my family, we started a prayer gathering in the outreach office for students on Friday nights.

Leah was 9 and Noah was 8.  Already at their ages, they were used to praying for everything.  We had been teaching them to pray the same way we did.

So, when we started the prayer meeting Friday nights, we would finish praying for one another in the office and then go prayer walking around campus.  The prayer walking was voluntary for whoever wanted to go with us.

Before going out, we’d have them ask Jesus,  “Jesus, is there someone that You want to set free?  Would you show us who we are looking for tonight.”

Every time, many would immediately have thoughts of people in their minds after praying that prayer.  Of all the people that came to pray, our daughter Leah consistently saw unique things.

If the thoughts were from Jesus, we would actually walk around campus and run into the people we had seen in our thoughts.

I set some ground rules.  Whoever saw the person in their prayers, they would be the one to pray for the person if we ran into them.

Also, the details had to match exactly, or we wouldn’t approach the person to ask if we could pray for them.  I’d let the person who prayed confirm this.

Well, I believe Leah was 10 years old when this story happened.  Leah one Friday night, after we began to pray to Jesus to show us who we were looking for, saw in her mind and thoughts, a tall fit girl with long straight blondish hair.

She had a tanned face from being out in the sun a lot, with big bug eyed sunglasses on her head.  That’s how Leah described them.  They were actually just fashion sunglasses with big oversized oval circles.  This time in her thoughts from Jesus, Leah also saw how the girl was suffering and what her struggles were.

I said to Leah, “That’s interesting.  Well, if it’s from Jesus then we will see a girl with bug eyed sun glasses on her head.  It’s almost 9 at night and it will be unique to see someone wearing sunglasses at this hour.”

Leah responded, “Dad, I don’t have to tell her about her personal problems with boys, do I?”

Leah knew the girl’s problems included relationship issues with other male students.  She was a little shy to talk about it, and didn’t even really understand it.

I replied, “Well, I’ll ask you to pray for her, and I can help you with the rest.”

We began our walk around campus.  We walked past buildings and dormitories but didn’t see any girl wearing sunglasses.  It was dark. Who wears sunglasses in the dark?

There were lights on over at the track, and so we headed over there.

As we followed many people walking through the entrance into the track area, Leah looked to the right and saw a student-run water stand with a white canopy and tables.

There she was!  Leah spotted her right away.

She spoke out, “Look dad!  There she is.  Those are the bug eyed sun glasses I saw.  They are on her head, and that is the exact same girl I saw in my thoughts.”

Leah got excited and wanted to run over, but I just kept my long stride and followed behind her.

I must admit I was impressed with Jesus at that moment.  The real fun was about to begin.  Our small group stayed at a distance as Leah and I walked up to the canopy and waited till the girl was finished with a customer.

It was a high school track meet being hosted by the university,  and the university track team was selling water bottles as a fund raiser.

Stephanie had been there during the day, and later raised her sunglasses up onto her head after the sun had gone down.   

I introduced myself and Leah.

I said, “This is my daughter Leah. We just came from a prayer meeting in the outreach office, and our group is over there.  We prayed before we left to prayer walk, and Leah saw you in her thoughts, wearing your sunglasses on your head and all tanned from the sun.”

Stephanie teared up and said something like, “You saw me in your thoughts when you prayed?”

Leah explained how we found her.

I said, “Would it be ok if Leah prayed for you right now?”

Stephanie agreed and Leah began to pray for her.  I don’t remember what she prayed exactly, but it was evident something wonderful was happening.

Remember that Jesus revealed something personal about Stephanie to Leah when we were praying in the office.  Leah looked at me and then just went for it.

Leah said something like this, “Jesus told me that you are struggling with relationships.  I’m too young to understand what Jesus told me, so don’t ask me to explain it because I don’t understand it myself.  I’m homeschooled and I don’t know anything about this stuff.”

I jumped in and encouraged Stephanie to know that Jesus had seen and heard her crying out for help.  We didn’t know it at the time, but we would become spiritual family and long time friends.

We pray from a distance for Stephanie and her family every week still to this day.  She will always be such a special friend.