Written by: Steven Sisler. Follow me on Twitter if you get a hankering. This is an excerpt from Steve’s latest book “The Power Of Accidental Increase.”

In early 1997, while living in Florida, I received a call from a woman down the street. She and her husband rented a home within walking distance. I knew her because she had been at a few functions I attended, but to be honest I didn’t really like her. As I remember, she was extremely overweight and needed the use of a walker to get around. She came across as prideful and headstrong, in my opinion. I therefore avoided her whenever I saw her in town. During our conversation she informed me that she had given my name to her landlord and claimed he would be calling me so that I could put in a bid for painting.

I wasn’t very busy at the time and I was preparing for the move to Massachusetts so I welcomed the project although I did not like the idea of having to interact with her more than necessary. Unfortunately (so I thought) I received the call from her landlord and ended up scheduling the project. When I began the project, I remember standing on the ladder about a story high, painting the window sash over the front of this woman’s rented home. I could see directly into the family room and noticed her sitting in a chair looking blankly at the wall without any emotion or movement. That’s when it hit me. You know, that scary, freaky force from heaven… the mission. The reason I breathe.

My dirty, selfish, ignorant soul was flooded with a compassion I had never experienced before, or possibly since. My disdain and contempt for this poor woman flew from me like a bird released from its snare.
This is what I heard in my head: “You need to go down there and knock on the door and tell her that if she prays with you, I will heal her of her weight problem today.”
“I must be insane,” I thought. “What in the H-E-double hockey sticks is wrong with me? This is suicide.” The feeling was so strong however; I unenthusiastically put my tools away and went to the door. Despite being very weak in the knees, I managed to stand there for some time rehearsing the words in my mind. I found my hands trembling as I finally knocked on the door. Before I knew it, there she was asking me what I wanted. How on God’s green earth was I going to answer that question? I asked her if I could come in to speak with her for just a minute. She agreed and let me in the home. I sat across from her and without much more thought, launched myself off the precipice to whatever ends.

“I got the crazy feeling that I needed to pray for you. If you allow me to, I believe that God will help you with your weight problem. I hope this isn’t offending you, but I didn’t know what else to do.” She looked at me and started to weep uncontrollably.
“My father died 3 days ago and he went to the grave absolutely hating me because I am fat,” she said.
“It’s as if I’m a leper. I can’t even go to the store without people stopping to stare at me.”

It reminded me of how Jesus must have felt looking at the crowds with nothing to offer but a petition to the Father’s heart. How do we touch lepers? Love… true love. My eyes flooded over and I began to weep. I prayed for her through intermittent sobs along with a few words of encouragement. Her husband came home and joined us. What a moment that is frozen in the corners of my mind. God had helped a broken man like me to be used for his glory. He helped me to build my wings on the way down. Thinking back on that day I realize that it wasn’t a suicide mission after all… it was a rescue mission. -Excerpt from The Power of Accidental Increase