This week at Food for Life we had several touching experiences. A youth group came and ministered, a man far from home was able to get a bus ticket, a woman in need of kerosene for heat experienced provision, and a birthday celebration took place.
We were pleased to have the youth group from Brookwood Church come and spend time getting to know those who attend Food for Life's weekly Bible study, and they also came early and set up their sound equipment so that the youth band could provide the music for worship. In addition to providing the music, one of the youth shared his testimony. Paul and I were touched by the sweet spirits of the young men and women in the Brookwood youth group. They were not shy about sitting down and sharing a meal and their lives with the homeless or poor, something many people struggle to feel comfortable doing.
A new face graced us this week, someone who Paul felt led to help. A man with a story of addiction and prison came with a heavy heart, expecting little more than a plate of food, but pleased to also find a listening ear. As Paul heard his story about how he had been gripped by addiction and lost so much due to his own negative choices, Paul's heart was touched as he heard the man share about how long it had been since he had been home to Arizona and about how he longed to find a way to get back there again some day. Paul shared with a few of the volunteers that he felt led to provide a bus ticket to Arizona for this man as an act of kindness, and only moments later, one dear, faithful volunteer walked up and gave a $100 bill to provide the means for the ticket. The look on the man's face when he heard the joyful news revealed a heart of a gratitude for an act of kindness he had not expected.
Soon after the meals had been served, a woman who is often referred to as CoCo revealed a need for some kerosene to keep her heater running. It was touching how the volunteers stepped in to make sure that her needs were met. Paul's parents volunteered to go get the kerosene, a task that proved more difficult than they had expected. Marc and Bonnie had to go to several places in search of a container, and as they entered Lowes, which was to be the last place that they would try, the store was closing, and Bonnie got left outside as Marc made it through the door by the skin of his teeth. They quickly left with the container to go fill it with kerosene, and when the container was full, the price came to the exact amount of money given by another volunteer, ten dollars.
Lastly, I wish to share the story of a beautiful, birthday celebration. Deborah is someone who has attended the Bible study for years, and I have personally spent a good deal of time getting to know her during my time at Food for Life. She shared with me a couple of weeks ago that her 45th birthday was going to be on November 12, so I eagerly considered what I could do to show her how much we care and make this a special birthday memory. When I saw her on Tuesday, the day after her birthday, I asked her what she had done or if anything special had happened. She said that she made herself a cake. When I asked if she had received any gifts, she said no, that even the card that she had received from her church in years past had not come this year. After her tutoring session, we gathered all of the volunteers upstairs, which numbered 32 in all, and invited Deborah to join us. As we broke into song, wishing her a "Happy Birthday," and gave her the gift of a new coat, tears filled her eyes. She looked as if her heart was overwhelmed, but what she did not know was that our hearts were overwhelmed as well.
This Thanksgiving season, we have much to be thankful for, and seeing their faces each Tuesday reminds us of our blessings and the need to be a blessing to others.
We were pleased to serve 120 meals with the help of 32 volunteers for which we were deeply thankful.
Next week we look forward to serving a yummy turkey dinner.:)
Please continue to pray that in God's timing we will have a building of our own from which to serve.
~Charity
