God Was at the Mall: A Divine Appointment

Author Christine Strittmatter received an unsual request from a desperate man. Her answer may surprise and inspire you to be so bold for the Good News of Jesus Christ in the marketplace. She tells all in this touching recount of a divine appointment.

READ ON . . .

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“ . . . Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Acts 3:6 ESV

Do you know what’s better than Bazooka Bubblegum?

That’s the question I asked the man at the mall.

On a sunny July afternoon at the local mall, my friend Maria and I stationed ourselves at the community booth which served as an outreach post to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to passersby.

We go there regularly to offer prayer and information to men, women, and children, sharing the reality and goodness of God and His love for them. We especially treasure opportunities to explain that Christianity is not a religion, but rather a relationship with a God who is reachable and relatable—anytime, anywhere.

After two hours had passed on that particular day, my eyes connected with a man who darted toward us as if by radar on a determined mission—like an arrow soaring to its target. “Can you tell me where I can by Bazooka Bubblegum?” he asked with harried urgency in his voice. He appeared to presume that Maria and I were customer service mall employees! I discerned his request to be genuine and no joking matter.

I offered a few locations outside the mall, such as Rite-Aid and Walmart, where he might find what he was looking for, but that did not suffice. Maria suggested he look online, but he expressed plainly that he had no desire to do that. He only repeated his wish, “Bazooka Bubblegum. You know, the kind with the small comic strip neatly tucked inside the wrapper.”

After exhausting all our bubblegum options and seeing his disappointment, I sensed a sacred moment and boldly asked, “Do you know what’s even better than Bazooka Bubblegum?”

He looked directly at me and curiously replied, “No. What?”

I gently and gingerly responded, “Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.”

After a long and thoughtful pause, we spent the next fifteen minutes exploring the truths of God’s grace and love towards him. Misguided ideas about God from his past had soured his thoughts and padlocked his heart toward accepting new life in Jesus through a personal relationship with Christ.

In those few moments, we witnessed a divine encounter between God and this man’s heart. He had approached us seeking something to temporarily satisfy, but it would only grow tough and stale, to be spit out, like thousands of other temporary pleasures in life. Instead, he heard news to quench his soul and spirit for a lifetime and beyond into eternity—if he chose to receive it.

Prior to the outreach, friends and I had prayed for God to prepare the way, and He mightily answered that day. A seed was planted as that man on a mission heard our message of hope and grace. He made no commitment to Christ while with us, but hopefully our non-threatening explanation of a loving God opened a sealed and misguided heart. We redeemed those few moments to impact an adrift life with the message of Truth that could change his destiny forever.

Somewhat similar to our mall experience, Peter and John, in the Book of Acts 3:6, were in the right place at the right time to minister to a lame man. Peter offered a life-altering opportunity proclaiming, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

The lame man responded as he gripped Peter’s hand and received a miraculous gift when his feet and ankle bones strengthened. He stood and walked to the amazement of all who witnessed it. His cooperation—reaching out to receive—made all the difference for this once crippled man.

What will it be for you? Are you on a mission—driven to discover that special something to gratify a longing soul? Please remember: Bazooka bubble gum satiates for minutes, but new life in Christ yields everlasting satisfaction!

Further Reading:
A lame beggar is healed—Acts 3:1-10

Prayer:
Father, Your unconditional love for even one person proves how deeply You care and to what lengths You’ll go for every person to draw them to Yourself. Thank You for hearing our prayers and orchestrating divine appointments. With grateful hearts, amen.