You are special.
You are chosen. You are beautiful in the eyes of God. This is the message that
my team is taking to the world. As an all-female team, we have a unique
opportunity to minister specifically to women around the world. What exactly
this ministry will entail is something yet to be seen, but I’m thrilled beyond
measure to see what will be!
The women of God on
my team are Rachel Rittman (team leader), Kelly Jarvis, Peggy Randall, Emily Rae Butterfield,
Ashley Penny, and myself. Even though we’ve only known each other for a week,
God has given us a wonderful dynamic.
The afternoon and evening that the teams were formed, we were told to
disperse and make a memory. Ours included dinner at a Mexican restaurant,
coffee, gelato, and fireworks!
Our outreach day
proved to be even more bonding. After praying, all of us felt led to the inner
city of Atlanta. One girl saw a brick building with a green awning in a vision;
the parking lot where we ended up parking (before we saw the building) was
across the street from a brick building with a green awning. We headed off in
one direction, only to be directed the opposite way by policemen and a parade.
God sure makes sure we go where we’re supposed to! As we walked to the Union
Mission (we all felt that we were supposed to work at a soup kitchen with the
homeless), the six of us talked excitedly about the wonderful ministry to women
we would have. When we rounded the corner, we paused in our tracks. Standing in
front of us were about fifty black homeless men. Well, God, alright then! Love
Your sense of humor; thanks for mixing if up a bit 😛
We ended up being
taken inside by one of the workers where we were then outfitted with aprons and
hairnets and got to help serve lunch. After serving the men, we helped clean
and were able to mingle. The man I talked to ended up being more of a blessing
to me than I think I was to him! He said that he was blessed to see what we
were doing; that we were literally becoming Jesus and putting on His armor and
following the greatest commandments. Another guy spoke over us and blessed us.
For some reason he looked specifically at me and told me that I have a
“countenance of peace.� I hope that’s true, and man, I sure hope it lasts
through everything I go through over the next year!
Our final encounter was the most memorable.
Heading back to our vehicle, we met Sarge. As he walked us across the street,
he joked about escorting the pretty ladies. We chatted with him and he sang for
us, apologizing for his lack of teeth. He proudly declared that he was a
Vietnam veteran, one of the elite scout snipers. When we looked each other in
the eye and I told him that my b/f was a Marine, we connected and he said with
feeling, “It’s gonna be a tough road, kid.� After laying hands on him and
praying, I thanked him personally for his service and everything he had done.
As we parted ways with a rousing, “Semper Fi; OORAH!�, his eyes were a bit
misty and I pondered where his steps would take him. Sarge, wherever you are,
wherever you go, know that you are in my prayers.
