Today was our first day of street ministry. I was a little nervous about this, because I have never done anything like it before. Also, when I have seen people doing street ministry, I usually think – “those people are a little crazy!” God has a great sense of humor, doesn’t He?
A group of us found a spot on the median in front of the mall entrance. At first, I really didn’t know what to do with myself, so I just kind of stood around people watching. After a little while I started with just smiling and waving at people passing by. They actually were pretty receptive. I had a sign for a while, but I liked waving better. As I gained more confidence, I started saying “hola, buenas tardes, Dios te ama,” and such things. It was great to see people give a thumbs up, speak blessings back to us, or even just to see them smile! Someone from our group later came with a sign that said “Abrazos Gratis” which means “Free Hugs” in English. The people were a little slow to accept hugs. But hey, I was nervous about the whole experience. So, strangers accepting hugs from complete strangers would have the potential of being a little intimidating. When some time passed, people were more willing to come in for a hug. And we did just grab some people to give them hugs. After that, they were really into it. Some even came out of the mall just to get a hug, and then went back in. The best ones were people that we got to pray for.
I loved giving so many people hugs! It truly is my love language. I may have been a little apprehensive at first, but it was awesome! Spreading God’s love in such a simple way! And the people seemed to soak it up and love it as well! It was a wonderful experience, that God used to take me out of my comfort zone. And He is going to challenge my views on many different things, like those "crazy street ministry people." I know these are things that are going to happen a lot this year. My prayer is that I am open and ready for it all!
