WOW, what a jammed packed weekend the past few days have been. Friday night sharing time over dinner with Madison and then Carowinds Saturday with Kyle and Morgan. The concert was good, with Fireflight, Kutless, Skit Guys and Casting Crowns. Place was too crouded for me though as it took almost an hour to get out of the parking lot. Yesterday I was up early to hit setup for church, leading in "The Flood", pumpkins in the rain, then Center of Hope last night to serve a meal with my Rock Group family. Finally got to sit last night and have 2 hours of weekend freetime.
I am dragging today but trying to make the most of it. As this rainy and thankful Monday ticks away it has me thinking a little extra today. Maybe not a good thing since I am a mover but the Center of Hope yesterday really has taken some extra thought to process everything that happened.
The adults got to work in the kitchen and serve chicken, ham, sweet taters, bread and a desert. Carol M helped with the drinks and 8 of us worked the counter as hundreds of folks came to get a plate. I have not seen it this crowded before and we even ran out of food and had to make a garden salad to give to some of the folks who came in later. The kids setup a table and prepared bead necklaces to give out to the children there. Their smiles were priceless and seeing our kids talking about Jesus with them was just amazing. The children there were like magnets and talked with our kids, made their own bead necklaces with crosses on them and the smiles and open hearts - it was such a wonderful experience. Morgan, Kyle, Zach, Taylor, Hannah, Danielle, David, Madison, Marissa - Carol all out there sharing with these children really made an impact and brought such joy and a brief pause in their struggling day. Maybe a few moments to forget they live in a homeless shelter and just had a chance to smile. Many of the parents came and enjoyed this with their children, the thank you's were plentiful and full of smiles. In a few weeks I will get the chance to come back and serve lunch - I wonder how many little cross necklaces I will see? I bet there will be a few.
This has me in Mark 6 today. I want to pay special attention to 38 but will start in 30.
Mark 6:30-38
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a huge crowd, he had compassion on them, becaause they were like sheep without a shepherd, So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remot place," they said, "and its already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take 8 months of a mans wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and See".
The story goes on to say that after Jesus blessed the food and gave thanks, they fed 5000 men. Which in those times, women and children were not counted so the real count would probably be double that amount. They fed all these folks until they were full and had left overs on 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. See they would have never been a part of this miracle if they did not "Go and See". So many folks talk about doing things but never get off the couch. How many of us are inviting people in our daily life to church? How many of us are spending time serving others? How many of us are investing our time and energy into others? Without "Go and See" - we are just idle. Our prayers and hearts full of faith have to have motion behind them. Having a chance to go yesterday to serve a meal to many folks who were just 1 or 2 decisions away from not being there...they dont deserve to be there like its punishement or something. Those children do not want to be there if given the choice, they didnt ask to be put there. But for a brief hour, just maybe hearing about Jesus, making a necklace with our students who are there with the love of Christ in them might just be enough to know - hey, not everyone is against me. Not everything in this world is sour. Not every time I turn around there is a hardache and tough corner. Someone does love me and these families are taking time out of their day to sit with my child, do a craft with them, get a meal and talk about Jesus ... maybe today is the day that it all turns around. I believe with all my heart that there are moments in our lives that these things happen. God whispered in my ear last week this idea and I asked Morgan to lead this craft and she ran with it - along with the help of Carol. My kids walk away with this with an experience that puts things, their things, their life, their hearts into the right frame. Be thankful for what you have because most of us are only a few choices away from being where they are. Without judging them but loving them is what Christ called us to do. Go and see - this experience would be one that we didnt get if we didnt get up off the couch and put of faith in motion.
GO and See - what are you waiting to do? What is keeping you on the couch? There is something in your heart that is telling you to - Go and See - I challenge you this week.... to do just that loved ones.
GO AND SEE. God will have something for you in it. For those with Jesus, they got to hear Jesus teach and then feed them until they were full and satisfied. I am over satisfied by what my Rock Group family did last night... even more so actually -- you can tell by the smiles on the faces.
Blessed today. Lord we don't take enough time in our prayer life Lord to really say Thank You. Thank you for all you have given us and for a life with you. Thank you for that whisper last week Lord that allowed us to share some smiles, a necklace, a heart with Your name on it. Lord thank you for an opening door in making a few moments of these folks there at the center just a little bit easier. Lord we praise you and pray that all is for your glory. Thank you for yesterday as not only did the folks at the center share in something so much bigger than they are - we got to share in something so much bigger than we are.
Amen
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