Mingling in the throng at a local charity event a few months ago, I seemed to get a prompting from the Lord: “Go talk to MC (Minnesota Celebrity).”
I obeyed the prompt. But as I started across the room toward MC, he immediately disappeared into a crowd of other celebs.
Darn, must not have heard that prompt correctly. I said to the Lord, “God, I misunderstood you. I thought you said, ‘Go speak to MC.'”
And of course that is fairly typical of me. I don’t always get these divine messages right.
Ten minutes later, MC returned to visibility and was providing photo ops for a gaggle of devoted fans. I’m a fan, so I hustled over and waited in line.
After scoring a nice photo with MC, his arm around my shoulder, I turned to face him and said, “I want you to know something: I greatly appreciate your talent and work. So I pray for you. You’re a public figure, and whenever I see you in the media I offer up a prayer that you’d be blessed by the Lord.”
At that moment the world stopped. MC seemed surprised but pleased. He looked at me directly, paused, and said, “Man, that’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time.”
Another pleasantry or two passed between us before I departed to make way for other fans intent on a brush with greatness.
Five minutes later I’m browsing some displays about fifty feet from MC, minding my own business and . . . guess who walks over and tracks me down?
Folks, I’m nobody. MC is a big somebody. He brings his girlfriend over and introduces us. Then he says to her, “This guy Rick just said the nicest thing to me anyone’s said in a long time.”
I reply that one of his own celebrity friends, whom I know slightly, is a person of prayer, and that we pray for MC regularly. We pray for his work, his well-being, his health, his confidence in the public eye. And it goes on from there.
Then in an instant MC is gone and I resume my humble place in an audience of 500 while he takes the stage and performs his work as only he can.
I don’t have MC’s email address, and don’t need it. I’m not a celebrity chaser. But I did go home and write him a personal letter, sent to his office through the US Postal Service.
In the letter I reiterated my pledge to pray for him, and quoted a few verses from Psalm 23. And I included a copy of Faith Unexpected.
I closed the letter by saying I wasn’t expecting or even asking for a reply.
And yes, thereafter I fulfilled my promise to pray for MC regularly.
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A few months later I bumped into MC’s celebrity friend, mentioned above. I asked how MC was doing spiritually. She smiled. “He’s got it. He’s got it right here,” she said, pointing emphatically at her heart. “And he’s on fire!”
My contribution to a life renewed in Jesus was likely small — I may never know the extent. What I do know is that my choice to listen to the Holy Spirit and take a small risk of faith toward MC is something I’ll never regret.
