When Strangers Become Answers to Prayer: Wyoming's Heart Revealed

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Good morning and welcome to let's Talk Wyoming.
I'm Mark Hamilton, your host,and today we'll be taking a look
at our snowy Wyoming weather.
We'll take a look at somesports, some other general
happenings and then we'll have amessage on caring for others
and what it means.
Thanks for joining us and wehope you enjoy the show.
Taking a look at Wyomingweather here.

(01:03):
On the sixth day of March, snowon the ground started this
morning.
We had that wet snow comingdown Across the state pretty
much.
It sounds like some of theroads have been not very good.
Here in Thermopolis the roadshave been clear with the warmer
temperatures for now Looks likethis snow will stay around for

(01:34):
the rest of the day and intotonight.
I tell you this is our Wyomingrain.
Unfortunately we don't get muchrain and so the snow has really
helped.
But this has a lot of moistureto it, so it's a positive for us
and I hope we get a few more inthe month of March.
We are definitely in need, butthis definitely is going to be a
benefit to our area.
Also in the state of Wyoming andother news besides the weather,
we are at that point in ourhigh school season.

(01:55):
In our sports season we're atthe wrestling just finished up
last weekend and at Casper, andso this week the 1A-2A state
tournament is taking place inCasper, wyoming.
All the teams got down in frontof the storm and I don't know
what it's doing to affect fanattendance, but I think the

(02:17):
weather's going to clear up forthe games on Friday and Saturday
to get fans down in the stands.
In Casper the 1A 2A girls aretaking place right now.
Today there was a good win forRiverside Rebels, the Lady
Rebels here in the Bighorn Basin.

(02:37):
Up in Basin the Rebels came outon top of Upton in a close,
fought match by five and afterthis win this puts the Rebels
into the semifinals tomorrow asthey'll take on Cokeville and

(03:04):
first time that they've made itto the semifinals since 1996, so
29 years since the Lady Rebelshave made it this far.
So outstanding performance andit's going to be a good game
tomorrow against Cokeville, ateam that they haven't seen this
year.
Now Cokeville is also on thewest side of the 1A and they
didn't get a chance oropportunity to play them in the
regional tournament where theyended up in third.
Cokeville ended up winningfirst place at regional, so it's

(03:27):
going to be a tough, tough gamefor the Rebels.
But a lot of action going on.
It's just now starting to pickup.
So our Hot Springs County girlsand boys are in action later
today.
They both have opportunities tobring home state titles.
So a lot of fun activities Also3A, 4a boys and girls are

(03:49):
taking place right now in theirregionals and those games will
be starting later today.
We'll have a full update on allresults next week on our show.
We'll get you updated where westand here in the state show and
get you updated where we standhere in the state.
In college sports our WyomingCowgirls were victorious last

(04:10):
night Last home game of the yearin Laramie, as they took on
UNLV.
With the win last night, theCowgirls finish in second place
in the regular season in theconference with CSU, colorado
State University just rightbehind them.
They start the Mountain WestConference tournament next week

(04:30):
in Vegas.
The Cowgirls will need to winthat tournament to get an
automatic bid to the Big Dance,the NCAA Women's Tournament.
The favorite going in wouldprobably be UNLV, but the
Cowgirls are playing some good,inspired basketball right now.
On the men's side, the men'steam is continuing to struggle.
Heard a lot of conversationsabout what the issues are and I

(04:54):
think the issues are is what'shappening in collegiate sports.
We're seeing it in football Nowin women's basketball you see
it a little bit more at thehigher levels, but on the men's
side they just don't have thesame players every year.
With the NILs and this transferrules and such, they just have

(05:16):
a new team every year and youjust can't keep a team and these
players are looking for newopportunities when the season's
over.
So with that, they're having ahard time getting fans to show
up at the games.
People have lost interest thedays that you'll have the same
players the Bailey or Josh Davisthose guys were there for four

(05:41):
years Larry Nance and his group,the same for them.
That's not happening anymore.
And this isn't just with theWyoming Cowboys, this is with
all of men's basketball.
This has got to be a mercenarysituation.
Every year, whoever has themost money.
Byu has a recruit coming infrom Utah Prep and his NIL deal

(06:05):
is valued at $7 million.
It's just gotten out of hand.
People that have the money andthat the donors' ability to pay
these high dollars to theseathletes can buy a good team.
But that's what it's got downto and it's pretty sad.
The Cowboys close out theseason season and probably,
unless something magic happens,not make much of a run in the

(06:27):
Mountain West tournament.
But I guess there's always hopeyou can catch a little
lightning in a bottle.
But our college athleticsbasketball's over Football's
just right around the corner.
As far as spring games and thatis also being affected across
the country, you're seeing teamsthat are canceling their spring
games because of the issue whenthey run these spring games and

(06:50):
the other teams have anopportunity to scout their team
and the transfer portal opens upagain here in a few weeks where
kids will be able to transferaround teams and just start
filling needs.
I don't know who came up withthe creative idea of what we are
with collegiate sports, butthis is slowly but surely going

(07:13):
to fade away Teams, the largerschools, with the money.
They will continue on.
There will be a superconference and then there will
be just everybody else.
Competing Money is the bigthing.
Then there'll be just everybodyelse.
Competing Money is the bigthing.
I don't know if we'll have acollegiate sports in 10 years
from now, 15 years from now.
It's going to be interesting tosee what actually happens, also,

(07:35):
finally, in the state, ourlegislature is getting close to
closing out their session.
A lot of things have happenedin the legislature this year.
The governor has been vetoingbills but luckily the House and
Senate has been overriding hisvetoes and we'll try to get an
update when the session is over.

(07:56):
Where we stand in the state ofWyoming, kind of like we're at
in our country, I think we're asdivided as we've ever been in
our politics right now and inour country, and it's a sad
state of affairs that we'vegotten this far apart and that's
why I think my message todaywe've got to get back to God in

(08:20):
our politics, god in our schools, before anything will change,
before anything will change.
What I'm going to be talkingabout, I think, is really
important to all of us in ourday-to-day walk, especially with
God as our light shines brighton our path he has for us.

(08:40):
One of the things that is veryimportant is giving to others in
need.
Preparing for this message, Iwas amazed at the number of
verses in the Bible that talkabout this subject.
We sit in our lives here inThermopolis with the cookie jar
auctions, where people step upto help those in need with
medical issues that haveimpacted their lives.
It's amazing the level ofsupport these events have and

(09:02):
the generosity of the people ofThermopolis.
Having done a little researchon this, it seems it was started
to help the Hot Springs Countyhigh school football team raise
money to go down under to play agame and then it just kept
going on.
And it's tried with othercommunities but it just doesn't
stay going.
The people of Hot SpringsCounty are the difference.

(09:23):
I can remember a fundraiser wehad at my work where we raised
money for hospice care inFremont County.
We had a chili cook-off and anauction to raise money.
Many times I debated not doingit, but God wouldn't let that
happen.
It amazed me that we had thesupport we had for the cause.
Everyone really felt a sense ofcommunity and a purpose,

(09:44):
helping people that are facingthe end of their lives.
Most recently I watched themovie Cabarini, which I highly
recommend to everyone.
I don't know how many peoplehave seen the movie, but it's a
must-see in my opinion.
The main character Cabariniaccomplishes so much for so many
she didn't understand it can'tbe done, because she would get

(10:07):
it done no matter what.
This took place in the late1880s and early 1900s in New
York during a time when theItalians were discriminated and
disliked.
She accomplished so much andbuilt hospitals across the world
, and the number of young kidsshe saved was unbelievable.
Another movie I would recommendis Ordinary Angels.
This is a true story about afamily that lost their mother,

(10:32):
and the father and his two girlshad to face this hardship, and
then the youngest daughter, whowas five, had health issues and
needed a liver transplant.
While watching a story on thelocal news about the issue on
the young girl and what she wasfacing, a local lady decided she
needed help.
She started raising money forthe girl at her job as a

(10:54):
hairdresser.
She also had some issues in herlife that she was dealing with
facing an issue with alcohol andhaving a son that she hadn't
had in her life for quite sometime.
She was helping this girl andultimately helped herself.
I would tell you about the restof this story, but that would
ruin the movie for you, but itis a story that sure need a few
tissues, but one that's worthwatching.

(11:17):
While these are examples ofhelping people in different
settings, my message todayinvolves helping someone that
you don't know, and you must doit face-to-face in an
uncomfortable situation.
In 2 Corinthians 1, 3-4,.
Praise be to God and Father ofour Lord, jesus Christ, the
Father of compassion and the Godof all comfort, who comforts us

(11:42):
in all our troubles, so that wecan comfort those in trouble
with the comfort we ourselvesreceive from God.
I'd like to share a story thatI read recently.
As I was leaving Best Buy, Inoticed this guy going through
the garbage just outside of thestore.
As I walked to my car, Inoticed him as he reached into

(12:04):
the garbage can and pulled out afast food bag, a trash bag, and
inspected all that was thrownin the way of bags, inspected
all that was in the thrown awaybags.
He did this for several minutes.
He would find a few fries inone bag and a bite or two of a
hamburger in another bag.
You can see the hamburgerwrappers by his knees where he

(12:26):
was placing the food items he'dfound.
He never bothered anyone ortried to stop and beg for money
as people entered and left thestore.
After he went through theentire trash can, he neatly
cleaned up the area and wrappedup the food he had found in the
dirty hamburger wrapper.
My heart hurt for him, forthere will never cease to be
poor in the land.

(12:46):
Therefore, I command you, youshall open wide your hand to
your brother, to the needy andto the poor in your land.
From Deuteronomy 15.11.
And from Deuteronomy 15.11,.
I am not someone who just handsout money or even helps homeless
people, because so many are nottruly homeless.
I don't guess I've ever seensomeone go through a garbage can

(13:08):
to try to find food to eat.
I knew I had to help him.
I got out of my car and askedif I could buy him something to
eat.
He told me he would appreciateanything I could get him.
He was on a bike and I told himif he followed me I'd buy him a
meal at the fast food placearound the block.
He followed me and I bought thebiggest meal they had on the

(13:29):
menu.
The only request he gave me forthis order was if he could get
a big glass of sweet tea to gowith his meal.
I brought the food to him.
He was so thankful.
He told me his name was Steveand he had been homeless ever
since his sister died lastSeptember.
He was trying to get off thestreets but it was so hard.
I told him God loved him and Iwould pray for him.

(13:53):
He told me again how much heappreciated the meal.
When I got back to my car, Idrove off with such a heaviness
in my heart for this man.
I drove down the road and feltcompelled to go back to help the
man.
When I came back he hadfinished his meal and was riding
away.
I pulled up beside him andasked him if there was any way I

(14:14):
could help him.
He told me not really.
He never asked for money.
I asked him if I could buy hima few meals and put them on a
gift card for him.
He told me not really.
He never asked for money.
I asked him if I could buy hima few meals and put them on a
gift card for him.
He told me that would be kind.
I drove to McDonald's and boughthim some meals and gave him a
gift card.
He broke down crying.
He told me that he had prayedfor me today and I wasn't sure
what he meant.

(14:34):
I was assuming he was prayingfor me, for what I did for him,
so I thanked him.
He said no, you don'tunderstand.
I prayed that God would sendsomeone to buy me a hot meal and
he sent you.
I didn't know what to say?
I was speechless.
Maybe God uses me to answer theman's prayers, to let him know

(14:54):
that he cares for him, but maybeGod used this man to show me
how blessed I am and what I takefor granted.
He said you see, I have cancer.
He pulled up his shirt andpointed to a huge mass that was
poking out of his stomach.
He said he knew it wouldn't bemuch longer.
I asked him if he knew Jesus.
He told me that he did.
I asked him if I could pray forhim and he said I could.

(15:16):
We prayed right there on thesidewalk of McDonald's.
Tears just poured from my eyes.
He told me he knew that he wasgoing to die and that he was
ready to die.
He was tired of being in painand would be better off dead,
because this was no way livingthe way.
It was.
Just trying to fight back mytears.

(15:37):
My prayer is that I showed himthe love of Jesus today, that
something I said gave him hope.
You see, everybody has a story.
I know Steve's story.
All because I felt compelled tohelp him.
He ended up touching me today.
When I left him, I knew I'ddone what God wanted me to do.
God put him in my path.

(15:58):
Today I know he did.
I've never felt such a feelingto help someone as I did today.
I was reminded again of howblessed I am.
I have a vehicle that gets mefrom place to place, I have a
roof over my head, clean clothes, money to buy a hot meal,
running water, electricity, myhealth, a job, family and

(16:18):
friends.
Sometime God sends situationsour way to remind us of how
blessed we are.
And from 2 Corinthians 1, 3-4,praise be to God, the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, theFather of compassion and the God
of all comfort.
Please remember people likeSteve in your prayers.
Yes, I have been blessed.

(16:39):
God so good to me.
Precious are his thoughts ofyou and me.
There's no way I could countthem, but there's not enough
time, so I'll just thank him forbeing so kind.
God has been good, so good I'vebeen blessed.
I've been blessed.
This is an eye-opening storythat we're seeing every day in
our lives.
How many times have you seensomething similar to this?

(17:02):
Did you listen to God and helpthat person, even if it was not
a great situation to have toface?
Carry each other's burdens, andin this way you will fulfill
the law of Christ from Galatians6.2.
And from Proverbs 19.17,.
Whoever is generous to the poorlends to the Lord and he will

(17:23):
repay him for the deed.
Just a touching story aboutSteve, and I bet all of us have
had a Steve in our lives andhave wondered about that
opportunity.
Maybe the next time we'll helpthat Steve, he may be someone
definitely in need.
Thanks for joining us today andwe hope you enjoy our podcast.

(17:52):
As per the Code of the West, weride for the brand and we ride
for Wyoming.
We'll be right back ¶¶.

(18:13):
Thank you.