Aidan

"This guy started approaching me, and I started thinking, 'Oh okay, he's just walking.' No, he was coming at me. I look at his waist and he has a gun showing, and he has tattoos on his face. I was raised where anyone with tattoos on their face has got to be really tough. I thought, 'Oh crap, he is about to turn any minute.' He comes at me and I think I peed a little, I was scared, no joke. He looks at me and goes, 'Yo you the dude that prays for people?' I said, 'I don't think I'm THE dude but I'm a dude that prays for people.' He said, 'No, but you're the little white dude that prays for people.' I'm like, 'Oh yeah, that is definitely me.' He said, 'Cool you're gonna pray for me real quick.' I was still scared so I wasn't sure where to put my arm. I didn't want to be awkward or get shot. I just laid my hand casually on his shoulder and started to pray. I was kinda at a loss for words because I didn't know what was gonna happen. I just remember it was kinda a long prayer and when I finished he looked up and his eyes were soaked. It was the most impressive thing because they weren't running down his face, his eyes were just drenched, which is skilled. He looks at me and says, 'You're gonna wait right here. I'm gonna go get my cousin and you're gonna pray for him too.' I was like, 'Alright yeah I'll be here.' I'm still scared. He comes back with his cousin and we do the same thing, we pray. He looked up at me and says, 'If you knew me you wouldn't be praying for me. You wouldn't be standing next to me if you knew me.' I said, 'I would, Man, because who am I to have selected loving. I'm going to love you regardless.'  He said, 'But you don't know who I am.' I responded, 'Given what's hanging out of the elastic in your pants I have a pretty good idea. But it's not my job to say I'm going to love everyone but you.' As people, I feel like we lose sight of these encounters. We get caught up in everyday life. If that one conversation changed that man’s life forever because I showed him love, it makes my whole life worth it.”