Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

It was not an unusual day. It was a sunny weekday morning. I had just finished my daily prayer time with the Lord and headed out to my neighborhood post office to mail a package. I decided to walk, embracing the good weather before the afternoon sun would heat things up miserably.

Upon entering the post office, I saw the male, middle-aged clerk stationed behind the counter I’d seen many times before. I usually wave to him, he waves back, I slide my letters or cards into the drop box and leave. But this time I needed to mail a package. As I rounded the line, I noticed he was staring at me. I kept hoping he’d redirect his gaze elsewhere but he seemed fixed on me. Mentally, my walls were going up unsure what this was about. As I approached the counter with my package to mail, he continued to stare. He then spoke these words: “What is it about you?” Oh dear.

“Excuse me? What do you mean?” I asked him. In my head I thought, “Can’t I just pay for and mail the package?”

He replied to my question. “What is it about you? Who are you? What do you do?”

From these questions and his disposition, I could tell he was genuinely curious and not subject to pounce. Seeing this, I relaxed and kindly explained to him that I work primarily in public relations and also in ministry.

His eyes lit up. “That’s it!,” he said. “Ministry! I could tell that there was something about you. I can see it on you.”

To give you a visual, I was wearing a pink and orange paisley bandanna on my head, running pants, t-shirt and tennis shoes. No makeup. Nothing special.

His words, “I can see it on you,” hung in the air for a minute as I stood in awe of what he said which changed the dynamic of our conversation.

I asked him if he was a Believer, and he indicated he was. We continued our conversation of great, unexpected fellowship for a few minutes as I paid for my package and mailed it. What I thought was going to be an intrusive conversation that I’d have to shut down immediately, turned out to bless my heart. I understand that spirit knows spirit; that people can either see Christ’s light in us or conversely, Satan’s darkness. But I hadn’t thought of the freshness of having been in the Lord’s Presence that morning and still wearing the glow of His Presence on me as I ran errands.

I later thought of when Moses was in the Lord’s Presence on Mount Sinai as he was chiseling out the Ten Commandments and had to wear a veil upon leaving the Lord’s Presence when he returned to the people because the radiance on his face was blinding. I am not comparing myself to Moses or his experience, but it made me curious about what people might see on us.

I told a dear sister in Christ about the encounter and she shared this article “Spiritual Significance of Myrrh” and how we are like the fragrance of Christ to God and others. How beautiful!

Do your words, actions and how you carry yourself tell others that you’ve been with the Lord? Can they tell that you’ve been in His Presence? Can the world see that there is something different or “peculiar” about you? Or does the world still recognize you as one of its own?

-Nicole

Nicole D. Hayes is the founder of Voices Against the Grain, a bold teaching ministry launched in May 2013. Nicole’s purpose in creating Voices Against the Grain is to be light in darkness, to boldly instruct truth amid confusion so as to bring clarity and restoration.

Learn more about Nicole D. Hayes here.