The great thing about treasure hunting is that anyone can do it.
I remember taking young people treasure hunting on a number of different occasions and loving it when they found their treasure and realised God had spoken to Him. Here are a couple of my favourite stories
The Lady with the German Shepherd - June 2009
I went treasure hunting today with some young people from New Frontiers churches in the town. I had three first timers on my team which is always fun - especially when they come across the treasure God has spoken to them about. As we walked through Bedford Park on our way into town, we had the option at one point of leaving the park and walking along the road or staying on the park path. One of the girls opted for the park path. Little did we know that God was in the process of orchestrating an encounter - the park path led us to our first treasure! The same girl who suggested the path had the clue German Shepherd. As we started to walk past the lake we spotted a lady on the other side of the water walking a German Shepherd dog. As we made our way round the lake hoping that she'd still be there when we reached her, she sat down on a bench to have a rest. It never ceases to amaze me how open people are to what God is wanting to do as we meet them on the streets. We explained what we were doing and how we had the German Shepherd clue. As we told the lady we were Christians who were looking for people to encourage and bless it was clear that's exactly what she needed. She began to tell us that she was visiting the UK from Australia because her partner's step-dad was ill in hospital. Her partner was actually at the hospital when we met her and she had come out to walk the Dad's dog as a way of having some time for herself. As we approached her she'd been thinking about everything that had been going on and feeling quite heavy with it. God's timing is perfect! We spoke with her for quite a while and at one point discovered that she was suffering with some stiffness in her neck. She was really happy for us to pray, so we did; for her neck, her partner and her partner's step-dad. God's presence was so tangible as we asked Him to come and love this precious lady; a treasure He had brought half way round the world to encounter and bless. When we finished praying she said her neck felt loose. God had broken in and she was completely blown away.
Healing at a Chiropractic Clinic - June 2009
One of the young guys on my team had the clue balloon. As we turned into the main road leading down into the town centre we laughed out loud as we saw a whole sea of balloons towards the bottom of the road. The trouble when this happens is deciding which balloon to go for? We decided to speak to a couple of ladies who were sitting on a wall outside a Chiropractic Clinic - they were surrounded by balloons! As we approached the women we saw more of our clues on the Chiropractic Clinic's board, telling the public what conditions it treats; tennis elbow, headaches, backs, necks. I was slightly concerned that God was going to ask us to go into the clinic to offer to pray for those receiving treatment. As it happens our treasure was sitting on the wall outside. The ladies told us that they were advertising a re-launch of the clinic and that we could go in and have free treatment if we needed it. We managed to get into conversation about what we were doing and it turned out that one of the ladies had a painful neck and shoulders. She'd received treatment at the clinic that morning but was still experiencing discomfort. We offered to pray and she was incredibly open. God's spirit was really tangible as we laid hands on her neck and commanded healing. She said she had a cold feeling go all through her spine and then tingling in her neck. As we encouraged her to move her neck to check how it felt, she was blown away at how easy it felt and how peaceful she was. God had broken in again! The other really amazing thing was that when I said I was part of the King's Arms Church she asked if I knew someone she'd used to work with called Jennifer. Jennifer is a really good friend of mine. They haven't been in touch for a few years but the lady wondered if this was a sign that they should reconnect. God clearly isn't done with her yet.
Wendy Mann Equip | www.wendymannequip.com
Building Family, Prioritising God's Presence, Extending God’s Kingdom