The Pocket Full of Change Ministries
For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. Matt 13:15
I don’t know about you, but my heart becomes easily calloused without my even realizing it. After all, life on earth is full of stress, drama, surprises, disappointments, distractions, and heartbreak. Even something delightful can callous my heart when I focus on that instead of God. Often, I don’t recognize my calloused heart until a chance to join God where He is working passes me by. When I analyze why I missed such a blessing, I look back to see that I had stopped hearing with my ears and started closing my eyes to the needs around me. Thank God, the solution is easy. All I have to do is open my eyes and ears so that I can understand with my heart and turn back to God. When I pray the sweet words written by Michael W. Smith, “Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord,” God says yes every single time and heals me.
When the eyes of my heart are open, I can hear and see where God is working and join Him in that work. I jokingly call it the spiritual gift of “eavesdropping.” Tuesday was “open the eyes of my heart day” for me. My life had been busy and full of drama and excitement. I had been taking care of everyone but me. If it hadn’t been for my best friend Nancy being observant, I would have missed an opportunity to lead someone to Jesus. I needed a day to take care of my physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
On Monday night, I went to a Bible Study. I started Tuesday morning with a lengthy prayer, meditation, and Bible Study. I went to a weekly meeting that brings me spiritual strength and encouragement and stayed afterward to talk with a Christian mentor. I even took the time to take care of my neglected hair and nails. As I sat in the chair with someone working on my feet and toes, I felt like a new woman. That was when my spiritual gift of “eavesdropping” kicked in.
“I met my boyfriend’s mother this week,” a lovely young woman said to her friend. “She asked if I went to church. I told her I hadn’t been to church in five years and she was shocked.”
Samantha and her friend were getting their nails done together. Samantha’s friend didn’t respond and Samantha continued.
“It is not like I’m an atheist or anything. It is just that I don’t know much about that kind of stuff. My dad’s Catholic and my mom’s Christian. I can’t go to church with them together.” Samantha’s friend made some kind of noncommittal response and their conversation wandered on to other topics.
The shop was crowded. I was stuck with my feet in water and something blue on my legs. Samantha was too far away to start a conversation without everyone overhearing us. A nail technician called Samantha to her table and Samantha moved even farther away. I began praying, watching, and listening as the two friends laughed and talked from across the rows of women being buffed, cut, and painted.
I briefly considered stopping my pedicure to talk to Samantha but felt the Holy Spirit whisper, Trust me with the timing. I sat back and relaxed into the soothing pedicure but kept on the ears of my heart.
God’s timing was perfect. We finished at the same time. I paid first and waited as Samantha and her friend paid.
“Can I help you?” The woman at the cash register asked when she noticed I was waiting.
“No,” I said and pointed to Samantha. “I just want to talk with this young lady.”
“Am I in trouble?” Samantha asked worriedly.
“No,” I laughed. “Even though, when people say they have to talk to me, I’m usually in some kind of trouble.”
“Me too,” she said. “That’s why I was worried.”
“I have what I call the spiritual gift of ‘eavesdropping.’” I said, smiling. "The Bible says that he who has ears to hear should hear and I take that literally.”
She smiled back. “I think I do too. I listen to people all the time.”
“I overheard you talking about boyfriends, mothers, and church. What a combination.” She nodded.
“You said you didn’t know much about that kind of thing and that you were afraid you had shocked your boyfriend’s mother. I'm a Christian. My job is to help people find faith. God sends me to people through what I call Divine Encounters. I’ve been listening and praying for you the entire time you were getting your nails done. I think God has sent me to you. Would you like to know more about church, God, and the faith thing?”
“I would,” Samantha said excitedly.
It was so easy to join God as He brought Samantha into His family. She had a basic intellectual belief in God, Jesus, and the resurrection. God had been working in Samantha’s life for a year. The tragic deaths of two close friends had her thinking about eternal matters. A boyfriend growing up in a Christian family brought matters to a head. A strategically placed evangelist joined God where He was working and helped Samantha step up and change her eternal destiny. Only God could bring things together in such an amazing and complicated way.
“Thank you so much,” she wept, after praying to invite Jesus into her life. “I feel warm all over.”
“I call that the Holy Spirit Glow,” I said, while explaining to her about the Holy Spirit. We talked for a few more minutes about church, Bible reading, and the like. I suggested she visit church with her boyfriend.
Through all of this, the friend had listened silently. I had included her in the conversation and knew she was interested. I turned and said, “I noticed you didn’t pray with us.”
“That is because I’ve already done that,” she confessed. “I became a Christian a long time ago.” I was surprised. God curbed my unruly tongue that wanted to ask why she hadn’t responded to her friend’s spiritual seeking. Again, God opened the ears of my heart and I knew the answer. The friend had suffered through everything Samantha had with the deaths of two close friends. The friend knew Jesus but had been wounded by the reality of how hard life on earth can be. Like what often happens to me, her heart had become calloused by the tragedies surrounding her. I’m praying that watching the miracle with Samantha will bring healing to her and open the ears of her heart.
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Cheryle M. Touchton, the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady, is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. Her call is to the streets of America, where she travels as an evangelist. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org. This ministry exists because people like you see the Holy Spirit working to bring salvation to America and decide to join Him in this work. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, donate at
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