Our
days here are filled with classes, community and life. It is non-stop but I am
loving every minute of it. Not only do we have classes, but we have had opportunities
here to plug into other ministries in the community. Each week the guys have
been going to help serve the homeless at a soup kitchen and last week I had the
opportunity to join them…
Sad to say, but it had been a long
time since I had done ‘organized ministry.’ What an honor and privilege it is
to be able to serve. God has given me a new heart and deeper love for his
people.
As I entered the room my heart
broke. I met and talked with other volunteers and waited for the homeless to
come. We soon gathered around to pray, the presence of the Lord came and it
filled the room. Dear Jesus, we thank
for you this night… I heard the prayers, but the words got jumbled as I was in
a place where God was showing me who I was serving that night…
He
reminded me of the story of Abraham when three strangers came to visit him.
(Genesis 18) He said to the Lord, “If I
have found favor in your eyes, do not pass your servant by…” Without hesitation, he then waited on his
guests, washed their feet, and had Sarah prepare them a feast. They were strangers,
yet Abraham served them as though he was serving God, as royalty.
I
hear an Amen and wipe the tears from my eyes as they open. Oh yeah, I am at the
soup kitchen. Men and women begin to come in. They sit down and wait for us to
serve them food. I waited eagerly amongst the several volunteers in hopes there
would be enough plates for me to give just one. The plates are coming out and volunteers are
taking them by twos and threes. Ah! Finally
they gave me one to give. Filled with excitement, I carried it over to a little old
lady. While they ate their dinner, I sat and laughed with an old homeless man, got asked out, likely even proposed to (haha) while talking with a young Moroccan man, and prayed with another woman. In each
one of those faces I saw Jesus.
It
was not just another night, another obligation, it was an honor. Although they
were strangers without a home, they are royalty. It was humbling that God allowed me to serve
them!
I left the soup kitchen with a cheeky grin and new perspective.
What
if we treated people like royalty? What if we served people as though we were
serving God? We are called to love, we are called to serve and do so
excellently.
That’s
what is going to change the world.
