One of the biggest hits on YouTube last week was the video of the robber stopped in his tracks by prayer. Angela Montez was quietly working alone in her office October 19, when Gregory Smith, 23, burst in to rob her. Instead he only took $20 and hours later turned himself into the Indianapolis police. He agreed it was prayer and Angela’s talking to him “like a mother or grandmother,” that changed his heart.
Though a committed Christian, Angela was still afraid. She cried many times during their 40 minute “conversation,” that was a mixture of encouragement, counseling and altar call.
"To everybody who I've affected with this, I just want to say I'm sorry for putting you all through this," Smith said.
"I believe the Lord sent us both together," Montez told "Good Morning America" Thursday in an exclusive interview. "The more we talked, he just broke down. ... He said, 'Talk to me. No one will talk to me. I have nobody.'" *
How many Gregorys are out there willing to do desperate things, not only because of dire economies, but because they feel they have no one to talk to, no one who will really listen; no one who cares?
I just commented to a dear friend what a good listener they are. They ask good follow up questions. They don’t interrupt. They don’t switch subjects or cite some imaginary appointment to run off to. They show they care by their body language, their time sacrifice and the compassion on their face. They often end the conversation with prayer.
How many people do that for you? How many do you show you care? Who knows what good you could do or bad you could prevent if you did?
“See to it brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart, that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness” Hebrews 3:12-13).
*Source: Yahoo.news online 10/23/09
