A Grace Filled Encounter

April 21st, 2026

Yesterday something quietly extraordinary happened at work, the kind of moment that does not feel dramatic while it is happening, but lingers in you afterward like a gentle echo.

An elderly man came into the store wearing a full Orthodox habit. At first I looked twice, not out of shock, but simply because I had never seen this kind of vesture before. I soon learned he was an Orthodox priest who had come in to find new shoes.

I had the honor of helping him.

He tried on a few pairs, asked careful questions, and eventually purchased two. Everything about him carried a quiet steadiness. Nothing rushed. Nothing unnecessary. Just a simple attentiveness to what he needed.

The store was completely empty.

Somehow, what could have been a short interaction became something else entirely. We ended up sitting and talking for nearly two hours. It was not forced or formal. It simply unfolded. There was a peace in it that I cannot fully explain, like time had softened its edges. The conversation had a stillness to it that made room for something deeper than small talk. It felt like being fully present without needing to perform anything.

At the end, he offered me a blessing with oil and gave me an icon.

From what I have come to understand, in the Orthodox tradition an icon is not merely an image, but a sacred window into heaven, a way of directing the heart toward God’s presence. The blessing with oil is a sign of prayer, healing, and peace, a tangible reminder of God’s nearness.

It was incredibly meaningful.

He will be returning when his shoes arrive.

After he left, I made him a chotki. Something simple, but made with prayerful intention. A chotki is a prayer rope used in the Orthodox tradition to help guide the Jesus Prayer, a steady rhythm of remembrance and communion with God.

I also realized I want to begin praying with one myself now. Not as something complicated, but as a quiet way of turning my attention back to God throughout the day, breath by breath, moment by moment.

I am still sitting with how unexpected the whole encounter was. It felt like one of those rare moments where ordinary life becomes thin in a way, and something deeper gently shows through.

Like God was quietly reminding me that He is

near, and that grace can arrive in the simplest places, even in a shoe store on an ordinary day.

Glory to Jesus Christ,

Justine Wisdom | Made For Battle