written 10/24/09
Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8
Matija, a youth in the church we‘re staying at here in Pula, invited us to come help out with some kind of farming ministry. When we got there, we realized that we were actually at his own home, getting to spend some wonderful time with his family. We learned all about the foster families in the area while we waited for the rain to let up…
Teammate Matt really liked the cookies Matija’s mom gave us!
After the rain cleared up my newly rearranged team (temporarily) had worked all day helping clear and burn some brush and dig post holes for the family’s new fence (see pictures scattered throughout!). I loved actually having physical ministry!
When we were done we were blessed with a delicious lunch and conversation. Matija drove us home and we all went our separate ways for a bit: Matija took Jenn to a computer store hoping they would be able to fix her Mac, Heidi and Matt went on the hunt for a new hat, and I settled in to actually check my email for once and start dinner. We invited our new friends to stay for dinner and said a quick prayer that the Lord would multiply our food (yet again). He did (yet again) and after dinner a few of us set out on what we thought was a quick trip to the market. But no luck — it was closed. So Matija, in his graciousness, offered to drive us to a grocery store that was open later than the rest.
And then there was Kaufland.
I could probably write a whole blog about my awe and wonder of a real supermarket. But it wasn’t the aisles of discounted deliciousness that the Lord used to teach me something that night. It was Matija. After our excursion we stopped by his apartment so he could drop some stuff off. To my confusion he walked back to our big red van carrying a case of cereal. Yes, an entire case. He hopped in the van, handed it to Joe and said, “For you”.
Turns out the foster child center his mom runs recently received a ginormous donation of cereal and he wanted to share the yummy flaky blessings that had been given to him. I sat in shock for a second that this Croatian guy that we met only yesterday turned and gave away what the Lord had just given him. I tried to convey my thanks and he hesitantly accepted. He then decided to explain a little bit about why he doesn’t like being thanked.
“The thanks should all be to God.”
And then he said something that will probably stick with me for quite awhile. He explained that it shouldn’t be a big deal. He talked about the church and how when he has more than he needs, he should give it. It’s that simple. We were in need and he had something we needed, so he gave. That should be the norm. It shouldn’t be just a once-in-awhile giveaway; it should an everyday way of life.
“That’s how it should be between us all as brothers and sisters,” he said.
At 20 years old, Matija has a deeper understanding of the Acts church than most people gain their entire lives. I am so thankful to have been with him in that van, in the middle of Pula, Croatia on a random Thursday night. Just a reminder that God can use anything, even cereal, to teach you a big lesson.
