I was running a bit late for Friday-Morning-Church-in-the-Park so I raced into the Food4less to pick up the Fried Chicken we ordered. I must have had a determined, get this done, walk because the lady in the Deli asked if I was here to pick up the chicken. Actually she said something like, “You look like someone who is here to pick up 50 pieces of chicken.” Yes, I said. She proceeded to hand me the already prepared box of chicken and asked me what I was going to do with it. I told her about the church service we have every Friday for the homeless ones. She was very interested and excited to hear what that was all about.
Nothing we do has a single purpose. It didn’t matter that I was running late. This is what I am learning: to be ready and willing to: be late, miss out, be tired, be disappointed, etc. in the event that God has placed me in front of one of His. Divine connections. Handfuls of purpose. Always watching, expecting, and anticipating His movement and His interception.
Jolene is her name. She shared that and a few other things about herself in those few minutes we talked. She thought the church service in the park was a great idea. She had been homeless, her and her two kids. They never had to sleep in the dirt, she said. They did spend some nights on buses to avoid the dirt. Mostly they found other people to take them in. Then she got this job behind the deli counter and her whole life changed. She said the Lord was really looking out for her and the two kids. Her daughter is now in college and her son is in honors classes at the High School.
She used to go to the church I now go to when she was 11 years old. She used to pop into a Bible Study on a street I used to live on. Thirty years ago. Imagine that! She described the couple who hosted it. Ron and Judy, pastors of my church now were my neighbors on that street. They had Bible studies at their house back then. She wants to come to church Wednesday night.
And maybe she will. I know one thing…I will be visiting her at the deli counter from time to time. Stuff like that does not happen just to happen, you know?
There’s a big car show downtown. You can always tell when some big event is happening down town. The service in the Park is always small. The homeless ones usually get put in jail for the weekend so as not to offend the tourists that come. There were only about 35 this Friday. But the fried chicken was good, and there was plenty for everyone to take baggies filled with chicken legs for later.
Nothing we do has a single purpose. It didn’t matter that I was running late. This is what I am learning: to be ready and willing to: be late, miss out, be tired, be disappointed, etc. in the event that God has placed me in front of one of His. Divine connections. Handfuls of purpose. Always watching, expecting, and anticipating His movement and His interception.
Jolene is her name. She shared that and a few other things about herself in those few minutes we talked. She thought the church service in the park was a great idea. She had been homeless, her and her two kids. They never had to sleep in the dirt, she said. They did spend some nights on buses to avoid the dirt. Mostly they found other people to take them in. Then she got this job behind the deli counter and her whole life changed. She said the Lord was really looking out for her and the two kids. Her daughter is now in college and her son is in honors classes at the High School.
She used to go to the church I now go to when she was 11 years old. She used to pop into a Bible Study on a street I used to live on. Thirty years ago. Imagine that! She described the couple who hosted it. Ron and Judy, pastors of my church now were my neighbors on that street. They had Bible studies at their house back then. She wants to come to church Wednesday night.
And maybe she will. I know one thing…I will be visiting her at the deli counter from time to time. Stuff like that does not happen just to happen, you know?
There’s a big car show downtown. You can always tell when some big event is happening down town. The service in the Park is always small. The homeless ones usually get put in jail for the weekend so as not to offend the tourists that come. There were only about 35 this Friday. But the fried chicken was good, and there was plenty for everyone to take baggies filled with chicken legs for later.
It's still hot here in the desert. You would think it wouldn't be so this late in September. But it is. But soon the weather will cool and we will need to get them blankets and scarves and hats and gloves.
We have been knit together by His hand and I curiously await to understand what will become of all this.
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