The Broken Pieces of Noda
Tonight was my last & Final night in Noda down on 36th and North Davidson here in Charlotte during the gallery crawl. Noda is an arts district in Charlotte that is full of life and culture. I went to set up Threads of Hope bracelets and sold the last 2 bracelets which I brought from Rahab’s Rope. I don’t know why God drew me and called me to Noda back in March when it was still cold outside. I remember the first ever gallery event after having been called to the race which I stood in the cold and drank some coffee to stay warm as I sold bracelets. I remember how I met an artist from the Philippines that night and since then I had realized there is something special to this “Noda” area and I am going to come back here. What a blessing that I have had a place to set up selling bracelets to help benefit these families in the Philippines while also raising money for my World Race trip. I have met and talked with so MANY people here. This place has held a special place in my heart.
Throughout my time in Noda I met so many people. MANY of which have either been or had some kind of contact with so many of the countries I will be traveling to. For example tonight while I was selling Threads of Hope I also brought some Rahab’s Rope bracelets which benefits rescuing women in India from sex trafficking. I didn’t know why tonight I stayed so late but I met a girl Nicole who told me she has family who came over from India and she shared some stories with me about some heart-breaking things she knew. She told me she visited there and gave a piece of chocolate to a little girl (an Orphan) and they loved it. She said they smiled were so happy and didn’t want her to go. She told me how much these children want to be adopted and loved.
This week Norman Geisler spoke at the Youth Apologetics conference I was so blessed to help out with, and he spoke much about how we wouldn’t have good if there wasn’t evil. It would be hard to recognize it as “GOOD” without a contrast. Also he talked about how religion is poisoned. Tonight I had a realization that not only is religion poisoned but people are poisoned too. They are polluted with thinking assumptions about Christians and what Christianity is. A lot of this is because they are Christians and then there are “Christians” if you know what I mean. You see if we judge our standard on one Christian about who JESUS is, is this fair? Jesus lives inside of us as Christians, if we accept and allow him to. We need to make sure we are showing people who he really is. Not just shoving the gospel and scripture down their throat, but lovingly sharing our heart with others about who Jesus REALLY IS. So many more people are open to Jesus and following him when you are sensitive to where that person is, and what they are ready to hear. 
(Another night in Noda with Olivia this summer) Bake Sale/Rahab’s Rope/Threads of Hope Sales
There is so much brokenness and so many people who are lost. They are looking for acceptance. In the art they make. In the music they make. The screaming, the dancing, the drinking, the shouting, the fist fights, the culture. I have seen a lot of REALLY good people and met a lot of people near and dear to my heart in Noda.
There was Diana last weekend and this who told me a story about her neighbor who had her husband pass away 4th of July weekend. He was from Romania. (ANOTHER country I will be traveling to) She told me that the same day they attended the funeral she (Diana) saw a double rainbow and it was something she wanted to share with her neighbor about God’s promises. I saw Diana again tonight and it was so interesting to me that she shared with her neighbor about my world race trip and her neighbors were surprised to find out someone from America would go to Romania and wanted to know why. I love how God is in all the tiny details and how this could have been a way for Diane to witness to her neighbor.
Tonight I also had a chance to talk with a man named Kevin. My heart really broke for him. I found out within a minute of meeting him that he had quite a bit to drink. He asked me if it was okay if he was drinking and pulled out a beer can. He opened it and I said ” We all have a free will”. I didn’t tell him it wasn’t okay or it was because I wanted to listen to what he had to say, and I wanted to love and accept him as he was. I wanted to see him as God saw him. Then I started talking to him and I realized he didn’t have a job. This broke my heart. He was telling me how business after business he worked for went bankrupt. He worked in Construction. He didn’t have a home. He does some side work in the area but he seemed to just be wanting to live in a free spirited way. I looked into his eyes and could see the pain and the hopelessness which he bore. I knew he wanted something else in his life. He told me he knew God but I could tell his spirit was broken. So anyways, as I was walking back towards my car, I got to say goodbye to him and I said “Keep Following Jesus”. Kevin said he already did know God. I shared with him about Jesus being “The Way, the Truth, and the Light” and I told him I would be praying for him. He simply said as he shook my hand goodbye; “Thank you for being my friend” with tears welling up in his eyes. Please pray for Kevin and all the lost souls in Noda. There are so many people who do not know God and God really broke my heart for them after numerous trips to this area.
There is a “New Age” movement toward being carefree, let’s just love and tolerate everyone. The new stickers that say “Coexist” are about tolerating all religions. I will not BACK down from God’s word and Truth. I will continue to share the Gospel in a world in which the gospel has become less read and less embraced. The only reason we EXIST is the One, True, Perfect, ALL powerful, and ALL loving God that we serve. Love is great, but the only way we can love is by realizing that God is LOVE. He created LOVE. The only way we can fully LOVE is by knowing that GOD loves us. Enough to give us his son JESUS to die our cross and bear our sins so that we could be free and have eternal life by accepting this free gift. Have you accepted this gift? Have you embraced God’s love for you? It’s real and tangible. Embrace it. He loves YOU. Every single one of You.
