Last Saturday while in Jamaica, our team went to the festival where 4 local churches got together at the local school grounds and enjoyed fellowship together by celebrating all that God has done the last year, eating, music, races by all ages in 100 yard dash and egg races and all kinds of games and fun stuff for the little ones. It was a fun day full of smiles, enjoying kids by creating smiles and investing in them. I can recall that morning being torn between 2 things. I was really seeking direction that morning because being with students all the time, on a mission trip to serve people with Gods love and really preaching to everyone on my team to be out of our comfort zones so that it gives God a great avenue to show us something, to learn something new and in our normal comfortable places - we never really get to experience things that way. So torn between going to serve the kids or work on a house for a family really had me in a tough place. Once opening festivities got going and we found ourselves mid way through the festival - Kyle ran one of the age group races, then proceeded to get sick had me concerned for him but he recovered nicely after getting some water and cooling off from the heat. I found myself in between things, not really having a place to fit in and be used - UNTIL
an elderly man approached me. I turned and he was right there. Its as if God placed this man right in my path. Honest! He looked to be in his late 70's maybe but its really hard to tell because people who have lived a hard life, those struggles age people and then they never look their proper age. This man had clothes on that he had worn for some time. He had grayish hair and his hands as he shook mine, were tough and full of stories of manual hard labor in his life. This man said very clearly to me - GOD BLESS YOU.
I said in return - God Bless You kind Sir. He then proceeded to tell me something in his native language. I wish I could have understood him. I tried really hard to do that, to catch a word or 2 to make sense even of the topic he was trying to tell me. He said the words over and over again really straining for me to understand. I looked around for someone to help me but I didn't see anyone. He had me by the arm and with each word he gripped my arm with his hands - he was passionate for me to understand what he wanted to tell me.
He then let go of me and walked away - I didnt see him for the rest of the day even when I took the time to keep my eyes open to look for him. I really want to know what he was trying to say. As I think about him this morning - I cant help but to think that there was a "Thank You" in there somewhere. "Whities" coming to his country, enjoying a church celebration - I just imagine the words he was trying to tell me had gratitude and thankfulness in them.
There is a story that Matthew recorded in 5:13-16. I want to share that this morning.
Matthew 5:13-16 - You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Dont hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

I am very thankful for that God moment through that elderly man. It set the tone for the rest of the day and being with the kids that afternoon is not something I will soon forget. I shot a great few minutes of video sitting with a 7 or 8 little ones and at the end of my little video message I asked the kids - Do you love Jesus? - all of them together screaming - YES.
It was a powerful moment.
There is nothing better than when you are serving for a greater purpose than our own. We are the salt of the earth brothers and sisters and when we are serving others, when we are seeking Gods heart we are that light shining for all to see. You will stick out, people will notice something different about you and they will want what you possess. It shows in everything you do - it reflects on your face - it shows up in your hands and in the words you say. That is faith on the move. That is faith hitting the road of life. That is showing others the glory of God living in you.
I am excited for that, for you, for our God receiving the praise that He so deserves. Keep pressing forward everyone, not growing weary, not giving up, striving to strain ahead, building others up and praying with all your heart.
That elderly man may not have told me what he wanted to tell me but it showed in his face, it showed in his hands as he held my arm, it showed when he got up and walked across the fields where ever he came from to come to my side and it showed in his smile.
His light was shining and I really believe it was for me to see. So thankful for that encounter that morning because it gave me the next moments to experience what God already had planned for me.
Very blessed today.
Peace out,
Lonnie~