“Are you Emily?”

There was a church service going on in the coffee shop where I was working. Church service was an aspirational name for the tiny, informal gathering.  It was about 8 people doing their thing just around the corner from some comfy couches where I had settled in. The first thing I heard was a really good song, a song and a singer so pure and sincere that I stopped what I was doing and just admired it. Then some talking and praying. It felt nice to be near, not like the kinds of church services that are trying too hard to be something.

2 college-age women came in, grabbed a table, and opened laptops. 1 left for the restroom.

Out of the quiet hum of prayer, suddenly came a bold question, breaking the circle of the service and reaching into the room.

“Are you Emily?” the young leader of the group called to the remaining girl at the table.  “I am sorry to interrupt, but we are having a little church service here and I feel like Emily needs prayer.”

“No, I’m not Emily.” The girl looked uncomfortable.

“Oh sorry!”

“But…uh…my friend is.”

“Does she need prayer?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ok, we’ll ask her when she gets back then.” The girl looked weirded out, sitting there alone.

Emily comes back and the service continues. Before Emily gets all the way back to the table, the friend hides her hands behind her laptop and uses sign language to communicate something.  Emily’s eyes get big, but she slowly returns and settles in. The wifi isn’t working so they begin to pack up and I thought that would be the end of it. But as they put their backpacks on, the young leader calls out “Emily! Before you go, I need to ask you if you need us to pray for you.”

“Uh…I don’t know.”

“Well do you mind if we pray for you?”

“Sure. Ok.”

“Do you want to tell us what’s going on or should we just pray?”

“Just prayer please.”

And he started “Emily, your dad needs me to tell you how much he loves you. He loves you more than you could ever even imagine. You have never hurt him.  You have never disappointed him. You are his greatest source of joy.” Emily begins quietly crying. I can’t hear everything from where I am sitting, but he continues to tell her about the love of her father and her own perfection. He assures her that she is a beautiful and awesome person who is loved incredibly. She starts to talk tentatively about how hard she tries to do everything right and how tired she gets sometimes. She cries and these strangers come in and hug her and tell her they see her and how special she is.

And then he talked to her friend, assuring her that she was beloved as well and important. He tripped on her name a couple of times and then said “I’m sorry I just keep wanting to call you…” and he said my name.  I was in earshot but out of his sight. “You do things your own way, you see things differently than other people and God wants me to tell you that he is amazed by you and so proud of how you make your way.”

And in the midst of all this magic, I took a little message sent stealthily for me, like a little inside joke, perfectly timed.

The young women headed out to find wifi, Emily circled in the arm of her sweet friend, face full of tears, sadness, hope, and spirit. The both looked stunned and otherworldly, not who they were a half hour before.

The closing prayer gave thanks, asked for continued guidance, and then announced with deep heart “We will not stop, we won’t back down, we won’t be afraid.” This amazing young man and tiny following were bringing to life the bold courage that comes from knowing when you are guided and doing your work no matter how it might seem.  Calling out in a public place “Are you Emily?” to a stranger and then telling her the details of what weighs on her heart and how to begin to find freedom. I knew what he meant.  We will not stop. We won’t back down. We won’t be afraid. We will know what we know and be willing, receptive vehicles for the life that wants to come through us. We will move when it is time, love when it is time, fight when it is time, go where we are led, and say the words that are given to us. No matter how strange it seems.  We will not stop.  We will not back down. No matter how weird it gets.

After the service, when they were packing up the instruments and saying goodbyes, I went over and met the man, who is named Andrew.  I thanked him for being him and for letting me be a part of the beautiful magic they made today.  He hugged me and asked if I needed any prayers. “Thank you but I am so good. Life is so good.” And I asked him “What about you? Do you need any prayers?”

“I don’t think I do. I am so high right now. So high.”

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