I've had three or four blog ideas go through my mind in the past couple of days, and they were all good ones too. It would be nice if I could remember them.
But anyway, since I can't, I'll just talk about something really nice that happened today, which reminded me why I love people!
A few weeks ago, I was standing at an intersection downtown, inviting people to talk with me about abortion in order to hopefully show people what it is and why it's wrong, and this older gentleman came riding along on his bike.
I asked him what he thought about abortion and handed him a pamphlet, and he stopped and smiled at me. He took the pamphlet and smiled at it, then smiled at me again, then smiled at the pamphlet again, and then back at me.
"Well clearly you don't speak English," I thought to myself, as I smiled back and let him ride away.
About half an hour later I met him again inside Tim Hortons, he recognized me so he asked, "Coffee?" "No thank you," I replied. "Why not?" "Well...umm...." I have had it firmly engrained in me that you don't accept treats from strangers since I was a small child, so I said the first excuse that came to mind. "I'm leaving soon."
It was true. I was on my way in the next five minutes.
Well today, about two weeks later, who should I run into at the same Tim Hortons but the same nice gentleman? So again he walks over and says, "How are you? Coffee?"
"No thank you," I said instinctively.
But when he asked me this time "Why not?" I had no excuse! I couldn't think of anything! I was likely going to be sitting there for a while, so I wasn't leaving, but since I had nothing to say, he offered again that he was willing to buy it for me.
"Okay..." I sheepishly agreed. He brought me over to the counter and had me order, asked if my friend wanted anything, and offered a donut or muffin or whatever my heart desired. My heart was already quite full at that moment, feeling such gratitude to this kind man, that I needed nothing more than coffee.
I still don't know what he thinks about abortion, (although it certainly seems like he supports us) or how much English he speaks, or why exactly he keeps wanting to buy me coffee, but what I do know is that he cares about me. Which is such a lovely thing in a stranger. I wonder if this is how "the least of these" felt when they met Jesus.
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Monday, September 4, 2017
Saturday, March 25, 2017
A Letter to You
Dear friend, I would like to tell you a little bit about my life.
Sometimes I eat muffins that wonderful ladies buy for me, sometimes I have coffee with my brothers in the Lord, and sometimes I get invited to China. (Though so far, I haven't gone)
I believe that God has a mission for me wherever I am, though the mission may change with time and location. When I started working at McDonalds, I saw it as a blessing, but I also understood that that was to become my mission field.
What this is supposed to look like, I still don't really know. I had an idea for ministry which I tried a few times and would love to keep doing, but it hasn't worked out for a while.
In the meantime though, I have noticed God involved in my work in interesting, and really encouraging ways.
I told one of my sisters a while ago, I feel almost like there is a little church I am part of at McDonalds. If every Christian customer I'm friends with met together at once, we could have a bible study, or if you will, a little church.
I love all of my friends, not just the Christians. There is an Indian man who runs a school in India, he is....I don't think Hindu, but something similar, he always calls me by name and chats with me when he can. There is a French lady and her Muslim friend who come in and talk to me, I was friends with the French one first, and I bonded with her friend over her baby. Communicating on the VERY little English she spoke, with mostly smiles and laughs.
I saw a man reading a bible once, and asked him about it. He enthusiastically asked, "Are you a believer?"
My sisters and I have since referred to him as "Our brother," and he always calls us "Sister" when he sees us. We are brother and sister in Christ.
He sat down and had coffee with me a few days ago on my break, and we had a lovely time discussing the church, spiritual gifts, and the Spirit in general. One thing we talked about was how the Spirit unites us, and somehow, we can connect with each other in ways that most people can't. Even a person he had never seen before, he said, "You are a pastor." And he was. The Spirit unifies us.
I can't help but think of every other friend I have a McDonalds, and wish they were brothers and sisters too.
I can connect with a sweet old lady because she is a wife and mother, and I would like to have children someday. I can connect with a nice gentleman because he appreciates Fred Astaire the way I do, and I can connect with someone because he went to elementary school with my grandfather, but I cannot connect with any of these dear people because they love the same God.
And that is a big deal.
Though I've known each of them for a year or less, we have wonderful relationships. Jesus has known them their entire lives, yet still they do not know Him. Thinking about this reminded me of a passage we read in church last Sunday, about the demon possessed man by the tombs.
“And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.” (Mark 5:16-20)
The man who had been healed knew that by Jesus' side was the very best place he could be, so he asked to go with him, but Jesus said no.
Jesus knew that the people of that city who begged Him to leave as soon as they saw what He could do, would listen to an ordinary man's testimony more willingly than they would listen to Him, so He sent His new disciple back, and it says that "all marvelled."
I hope that this is who I can be to these people. I hope they will listen to the testimony of one of their own, since they would not listen to the One with the power to transform their lives.
I think God can do really amazing things at McDonalds in West Windsor. I pray that I would be a part of something great that happens there.
Yours sincerely,
Keturah
NOTE: I am hoping to go to Mississippi next summer for a dance intensive with Ballet Magnificat! If you would be interested in supporting my trip, please check out my GoFundMe page HERE.
Sometimes I eat muffins that wonderful ladies buy for me, sometimes I have coffee with my brothers in the Lord, and sometimes I get invited to China. (Though so far, I haven't gone)
I believe that God has a mission for me wherever I am, though the mission may change with time and location. When I started working at McDonalds, I saw it as a blessing, but I also understood that that was to become my mission field.
What this is supposed to look like, I still don't really know. I had an idea for ministry which I tried a few times and would love to keep doing, but it hasn't worked out for a while.
In the meantime though, I have noticed God involved in my work in interesting, and really encouraging ways.
I told one of my sisters a while ago, I feel almost like there is a little church I am part of at McDonalds. If every Christian customer I'm friends with met together at once, we could have a bible study, or if you will, a little church.
I love all of my friends, not just the Christians. There is an Indian man who runs a school in India, he is....I don't think Hindu, but something similar, he always calls me by name and chats with me when he can. There is a French lady and her Muslim friend who come in and talk to me, I was friends with the French one first, and I bonded with her friend over her baby. Communicating on the VERY little English she spoke, with mostly smiles and laughs.
I saw a man reading a bible once, and asked him about it. He enthusiastically asked, "Are you a believer?"
My sisters and I have since referred to him as "Our brother," and he always calls us "Sister" when he sees us. We are brother and sister in Christ.
He sat down and had coffee with me a few days ago on my break, and we had a lovely time discussing the church, spiritual gifts, and the Spirit in general. One thing we talked about was how the Spirit unites us, and somehow, we can connect with each other in ways that most people can't. Even a person he had never seen before, he said, "You are a pastor." And he was. The Spirit unifies us.
I can't help but think of every other friend I have a McDonalds, and wish they were brothers and sisters too.
I can connect with a sweet old lady because she is a wife and mother, and I would like to have children someday. I can connect with a nice gentleman because he appreciates Fred Astaire the way I do, and I can connect with someone because he went to elementary school with my grandfather, but I cannot connect with any of these dear people because they love the same God.
And that is a big deal.
Though I've known each of them for a year or less, we have wonderful relationships. Jesus has known them their entire lives, yet still they do not know Him. Thinking about this reminded me of a passage we read in church last Sunday, about the demon possessed man by the tombs.
“And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.” (Mark 5:16-20)
The man who had been healed knew that by Jesus' side was the very best place he could be, so he asked to go with him, but Jesus said no.
Jesus knew that the people of that city who begged Him to leave as soon as they saw what He could do, would listen to an ordinary man's testimony more willingly than they would listen to Him, so He sent His new disciple back, and it says that "all marvelled."
I hope that this is who I can be to these people. I hope they will listen to the testimony of one of their own, since they would not listen to the One with the power to transform their lives.
I think God can do really amazing things at McDonalds in West Windsor. I pray that I would be a part of something great that happens there.
Yours sincerely,
Keturah
NOTE: I am hoping to go to Mississippi next summer for a dance intensive with Ballet Magnificat! If you would be interested in supporting my trip, please check out my GoFundMe page HERE.
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