In a Heavy Week...
Encouragement.
That's been showing up recently, in assorted and sometimes very unexpected ways.
There was the customer who came in on Saturday afternoon, ordering coffees, and then said, "Maybe I'll get a scone too."
"Oh, I've been eyeing them all day!" Gemma said.
"They look really great!" I added. It was true, and the sort of friendly small talk that we try to make with customers.
He bought one and promptly cut it into three pieces. "Here, so you can try it too."
Gemma and I were both floored. This was a serious case of Never Have I Ever. Never have I ever had a customer so spontaneously offer something to me. Or, I guess I should say, never HAD I ever...
(I was, in fact, so shocked that I totally ruined the espresso shot that I was pulling for one of his drinks and had to restart. Now there's a barista problem!)
Then there was small group this week. Earlier in the week, my heart struggling to come to terms with the craziness that the news is full of, and the full exhausting busyness of life, and the brokenness of the world that I cannot offer solutions to, I texted Chris and asked if we could have an extended time of prayer during small group.
So that's what we did tonight. It was a tiny group, but a sweet time. Prayer is a wonderful gift, and it is such a beautiful thing to pray with brothers and sisters. To hear the hearts of others and to hear how they bring concerns to the Father, to help bear the burdens of others and to be borne by them.
And then, just a bit ago when Laura and I got back, I looked at my ELIC page and saw that I have new supporters! Which is a direct answer to one of the things that I had asked for prayer about... with so many months before I actually GO, it's hard for me to be consistently excited about or interested in or focused on much of anything that I need to do to get to China. So it's very reassuring to see others stepping alongside me in support, whether that is people giving financially or the dear folks at Hope h really listening on Sunday morning as I shared all that I could in five minutes of what I'll be doing and why.
So tonight, I am thankful for reminders that in the midst of a crazy, falling apart world, God is present and cares about my life. He cares about the vast international issues and systemic injustices -- and He also cares about me.
Have you had any of those reminders recently?
(I would credit this... but I'm not sure the source exists anymore. :-P)
That's been showing up recently, in assorted and sometimes very unexpected ways.
There was the customer who came in on Saturday afternoon, ordering coffees, and then said, "Maybe I'll get a scone too."
"Oh, I've been eyeing them all day!" Gemma said.
"They look really great!" I added. It was true, and the sort of friendly small talk that we try to make with customers.
He bought one and promptly cut it into three pieces. "Here, so you can try it too."
Gemma and I were both floored. This was a serious case of Never Have I Ever. Never have I ever had a customer so spontaneously offer something to me. Or, I guess I should say, never HAD I ever...
(I was, in fact, so shocked that I totally ruined the espresso shot that I was pulling for one of his drinks and had to restart. Now there's a barista problem!)
Then there was small group this week. Earlier in the week, my heart struggling to come to terms with the craziness that the news is full of, and the full exhausting busyness of life, and the brokenness of the world that I cannot offer solutions to, I texted Chris and asked if we could have an extended time of prayer during small group.
So that's what we did tonight. It was a tiny group, but a sweet time. Prayer is a wonderful gift, and it is such a beautiful thing to pray with brothers and sisters. To hear the hearts of others and to hear how they bring concerns to the Father, to help bear the burdens of others and to be borne by them.
And then, just a bit ago when Laura and I got back, I looked at my ELIC page and saw that I have new supporters! Which is a direct answer to one of the things that I had asked for prayer about... with so many months before I actually GO, it's hard for me to be consistently excited about or interested in or focused on much of anything that I need to do to get to China. So it's very reassuring to see others stepping alongside me in support, whether that is people giving financially or the dear folks at Hope h really listening on Sunday morning as I shared all that I could in five minutes of what I'll be doing and why.
So tonight, I am thankful for reminders that in the midst of a crazy, falling apart world, God is present and cares about my life. He cares about the vast international issues and systemic injustices -- and He also cares about me.
Have you had any of those reminders recently?
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