This past weekend two other world racers and myself held a fundraiser. It was a benefit concert/night of worship that had taken months of preparation and promotion. We were extremely blessed with no charge for the two bands, a group of people to clean the church after, and no charge to use a church that none of us attend to hold this event. God truly blessed us. Leading up to the event how ever we were attacked heavily. Things started falling through and changing, our comfort was being stretched, and at least for me things were seeming impossible, but we all supported each other and leaned on God with everything we had.
I invited almost everyone I know, believing for a big turn out. I mean who doesn’t want to come out for a good cause and worship God, right? A few days leading up to the event I started getting text, and messages saying that they were unable to make it, and not just a few, but almost everyone I invited. It was so discouraging. I already felt like I didn’t do enough to help out, now I won’t even have a turn out. The day of the event I broke down and was so discouraged that i debated on not even going, but I wasn’t going to let the other girls, who have became family to me down. I was texting one of them telling them how I felt, and before I could say anything else my phone rang. It was my squad mate. She prayed for me and talk me through the attack I was experiencing. She went on to say something that changed my prospective of the whole night. “Mac, don’t be discouraged on the outcome, tonight is a night of worship. And even if one person shows up as long as are hearts are worshiping then it was worth it.” Or at least it was something to that extent. Deep down I knew this, but her words shifted something in me.
After hours of set up, putting out signs, and walking around downtown royal oak handing out flyers, it was time. I would love to say that people were flooding in, but I would be lying. Once a few people showed up, it was show time. The night went on, and even though there weren’t many people there, everyone in that room were worshiping their hearts out. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life.
Once the event was over we decided that we were going to go out to IHOP for some chow. I was one of the first to arrive at the restaurant, big surprise right? While one of my squad mates and myself were waiting for the rest of the group, a lady came in and sat down next to us. I told her we were waiting for more people and she could go ahead of us, but she declined and just sat there. Being the talker I am I struck up a conversation, and immediately she was telling me how exhausted and stressed she was. Her mom was in a nursing home and they were moving her room, mind you it was 10pm at night. You could see the stress in her face and body language. One way or another church got brought up, and she asked me where I attended. She seemed interested, but it was far from where she lived. I asked if she goes to church and she smiled, “not really,” she answered, but went on telling me when she does it’s a church on Detroit’s westside. The waitress came to take us to our table, but before I left I ask the lady for her name and Told her I would be praying for rest and peace through out the nursing home situation. A shocked look came across her face followed by a smile. She thanked me and I made my way to the table.
The food was great, and our bill was “magically” taken care of. Mind you there was about 14 of us. The blessings just kept coming. We finished our food and made our way to the front of the restaurant, when one of the people in our group said I want to pray for you that are going on the race. So right there in the middle of the lobby of the local IHOP we all took hands and started to pray. It was an amazing moment that I would never forget. The love, support, and boldness from that moment was something I needed and am so grateful for.
On the drive home I started thinking about the humor of us praying at an IHOP. There is a place called IHOP, international house of prayer, but instead we turned the international house of pancakes into a place of prayer.
Looking back, I am so thankful for that night. It stretched me more than I liked, but God was and is so good and made it so worth it.
