This week has definitely had it's ups and downs for me, making it harder than usual to prepare for a study. Just this afternoon, The Spirit gave me the perfect message to share. It was the background behind John Newton and his famous song Amazing Grace.
There was only a small handful of guys when we first arrived, and our usual friendly helper, Ron came to assist in the unloading and set-up. Knowing in advance that we'd have a few extra people, we decided to bring some stuff we'd accumulated through donations: Hygiene packs, clothing, blankets, and the new batch of beanies from last week.
We were blessed with additional food contribution, with items such as a giant bowl of fresh salad & dressing; a big bowl of fruit; breads; and an array of desserts.
As I was sharing the story, the crowd grew in size, nearly quadrupling it's original number... but not due to interest in what was being shared, rather a drunken gathering of hungry people wanting food & socializing. I continued to speak through the major distraction and focused eye to eye with those that were actually listening to me. I was comforted by He who gives comfort, and because of that comfort I experienced tonight... I understood that Jesus was working inside of me.
It had been some time since we had such a large group. It was nice to see some new people who gladly accepted our Neighborly Love. I especially enjoy finding new people to share with about Jesus Christ.
There was one particular guy, named Cortney, who was very willing to help load our truck when we'd finished. As we walked to the truck, we conversed about my beliefs. It was too perfect of an opportunity to be anything other than a Divine Opportunity to speak one on one about my Lord Jesus. Cortney was genuinely interested in hearing more and asked if he could (in the future) sit and pick my brain some. I pray that nothing stops that from happening. No doubt a seed was planted tonight, and it would be a great honor to see whether it's fallen into good soil or rock, but I understand it's not up to me.
I invited Cortney to church this Sunday and gave him my cell number, should he have a desire to go. Please pray for him that the enemy would not snatch that seed.
As we cleaned up the area, we'd noticed alot of wasted food - nearly full plates sitting on the wall, pieces of bread thrown on the grass, and it saddened me deeply. I'd like to figure out a way to prevent that in the future.
