I'd like to take this time to recognize that today marks the official completion for the first week of summer time break for teachers. Week one down; 9 weeks to go. In Jesus' name, Amen. I'd also like to point out that today it rained, and if you know anything about the rain and the normal napping hours that usually occur between the hours of one and three within the classrooms in the preschool setting, instead of racing to the nearest coffee pot or Dr. Pepper machine, I simply laid on the couch and dozed off. Hallelujah.
Now that week one is in the books, what is next? Lets face it: there's only so much time I can spend taking my kids to the pool, organizing my yearly garage sale, and taking a trip somewhere without wondering at what point I am going to lock my kids out of the house and start stripping floors and rearranging rooms. Instead I am choosing to look at this time as more than just the gift of time, but taking it a step further and pressing into some things that might just have an impact on the world in which we live.
Yesterday I was given the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and serve alongside some very Godly people that volunteer time at the Storehouse, a food/clothing/toiletry cupboard that operates out of the old Second Baptist church at the corner of Harkrider/Oak street. Now known as the Ministry center, it continues to make a positive impact for the city of Conway by loving on people just as Christ has called all of us to do.
The organization of the pantry was impeccable and immediately I felt love from the volunteers as I walked through the door. The final stage of a person's trip through the corridors was to bring their belongings to the bagging area where another volunteer and I would prepare their belongings to leave and pray over them. Because it was my first time, there were very few recipients that I knew so praying over the needs that they may or may not have told me about was a little daunting, to be honest. Don't get me wrong: I love to pray for others but when you don't know them, it can be a little bit intimidating.
Here's the wonderful part of that: God knows them, and all I had to do was allow Him to speak.
So that's just what I did and in true God-fashion, His word became alive as He spoke life into their circumstances. I witnessed tears falling as I sensed the pain that some folks were holding onto. I felt the shoulders of a man, who must have been about 6'6 feet tall, tremble as I prayed over him, assuring him that God was still with him and the circumstances of his life and rejoiced over the tears that fell as she asked him if they could please go back to church on Sunday and he said, "yes." I harbor the words of a young man who had cross tattoos all over his arms as he looked at me and asked, "How did you know?" after I had prayed something specific that must have reached a chord in his heart.
"I don't know anything, but God must have, " I declared to him.
So here's the challenge I accept: I will dedicate one day a week for the next nine weeks doing something for others as a testament for the love I have for my Conway neighbors and because of the love that I was given to me from the cross of Jesus Christ. I can't wait to see what God is going to do.
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