Have you had a moment in your life when you realize God is changing you? Today I had one of those moments. I just shared with my lifegroup tonight that I used to be really afraid of homeless people.... like, really. But this last Sunday, Dan shared a message about the least...and today, I acted upon it. Normally I don't just tell stories like this. It seems too...self-magnifying to me. But this last Sunday, Dan shared a message about how what you do for the least, you do for Jesus...and today, God changed something in me. So this is not a self-magnifying story. This is a story about how God magnified Himself in my life. This is a story about what He is doing...and how I got to be a part of it.
So here it is.
Meghan and were sitting in Starbucks this morning. I texted her last night telling her that I wished today would be Tuesday (because...well, I love Tuesdays). She texted back... and we decided to meet at Starbucks at eight (because...well, we love Starbucks). So anyway, we're sitting in Starbucks this morning... talking about awesome things... like broken hearts, disappointing relationships, and the current US economy...
...and just when it's getting MORE awesome--cause we're starting to talk about how greedy we all are--Meghan's suddenly looking out the window with confusion written all over her face. "Meghan, we're talking about awesome things here...would you pay attention?" (I didn't say this out loud of course). But then I look too... and there he is... digging through the outside Starbucks trash can... filling up his empty water bottle with left-over, thrown out coffee... Jesus. Well, ok. Maybe it wasn't the Jesus. Like, not Christ Himself. However, if we take that passage in Matthew a little more seriously, then I needed to see this man that we were looking at with some eyes that saw him as Jesus. So I prayed. And then I did. And then... of course... God asked me to act. ugh.... God's an encourager like that.
Well, this man is about to walk away--but I knew I wouldn't be able to let Jesus walk away with coffee from a trash--so I go out and ask him if maybe I could buy him a real cup. "And maybe a new water bottle too?" He accepts. His name is Eddie.
Eddie and I go inside, and while we're waiting in line for coffee, he just begins telling me all about how he doesn't ask for things from people... "because I don't want to be a bother... but you came and offered... so now I can have fresh coffee..." (And as we work our way over to the creamer and sugar table) ..."Ya know, I'm a Christian, and I'm going down to visit my friend in L.A. tomorrow... he's a pastor... I'll have him ask the congregation to pray for you..." (And as he puts the last of approximately 25 sugar packets into his vente, triple shot, black coffee)... "Don't stray from God. He'll take care of you... He's always taken care of me..."
What a lesson I have just learned from Eddie.
What a lesson I have just learned from Jesus.
Eddie wishes me well, and I watch him walk out the door. I go back to my seat next to Meghan...and we just start talking again. About twenty minutes later, Eddie's back.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have 6 C batteries would you?" He holds out his stereo and begins to explain that his pastor friend gave him a tape to listen to a long time ago... and Eddie wants to listen to it on the Greyhound bus tomorrow morning. Well I don't have C batteries... "but maybe Longs does," I say. Meghan and I both assist him this time. Meghan buys him batteries... and of course, he's just as talkative as ever. It's awesome though... hearing about his daughter, his pastor friend, his hopes... his dreams...
Once we're done in Longs, we sit outside with Eddie for a couple more minutes... he's telling us deep things now... things about his past, things about his brother... things about his brother's suicide...
Eddie starts weeping. I start praying in silence. I wonder if God is comforting Eddie in this moment... maybe simply by having Meghan and I there...
A couple more minutes pass, and Eddie's ready to go. He smiles. He blesses us again. He tells us He will have his pastor tell the congregation to pray for our whole church. And he asks us to have our pastor tell the congregation to pray for him. I think, "If Jesus asked me to do that...I'm pretty sure I'd be on board with it..." So, I'm on board with it.
We say goodbye to Eddie, and Eddie says, "He's gonna bless you a hundred times over for this."
Maybe Eddie's right. But I just hope he was blessed...
I was thinking about this whole ordeal later on this afternoon, and what kept coming to mind was, "God, you're so good." Why would I keep saying that though... wasn't it I who bought that coffee for homeless Eddie today? "No, no, no," God whispers back, "It was Jesus who you bought coffee for... and it was I who let you see Him."
So here it is.
Meghan and were sitting in Starbucks this morning. I texted her last night telling her that I wished today would be Tuesday (because...well, I love Tuesdays). She texted back... and we decided to meet at Starbucks at eight (because...well, we love Starbucks). So anyway, we're sitting in Starbucks this morning... talking about awesome things... like broken hearts, disappointing relationships, and the current US economy...
...and just when it's getting MORE awesome--cause we're starting to talk about how greedy we all are--Meghan's suddenly looking out the window with confusion written all over her face. "Meghan, we're talking about awesome things here...would you pay attention?" (I didn't say this out loud of course). But then I look too... and there he is... digging through the outside Starbucks trash can... filling up his empty water bottle with left-over, thrown out coffee... Jesus. Well, ok. Maybe it wasn't the Jesus. Like, not Christ Himself. However, if we take that passage in Matthew a little more seriously, then I needed to see this man that we were looking at with some eyes that saw him as Jesus. So I prayed. And then I did. And then... of course... God asked me to act. ugh.... God's an encourager like that.
Well, this man is about to walk away--but I knew I wouldn't be able to let Jesus walk away with coffee from a trash--so I go out and ask him if maybe I could buy him a real cup. "And maybe a new water bottle too?" He accepts. His name is Eddie.
Eddie and I go inside, and while we're waiting in line for coffee, he just begins telling me all about how he doesn't ask for things from people... "because I don't want to be a bother... but you came and offered... so now I can have fresh coffee..." (And as we work our way over to the creamer and sugar table) ..."Ya know, I'm a Christian, and I'm going down to visit my friend in L.A. tomorrow... he's a pastor... I'll have him ask the congregation to pray for you..." (And as he puts the last of approximately 25 sugar packets into his vente, triple shot, black coffee)... "Don't stray from God. He'll take care of you... He's always taken care of me..."
What a lesson I have just learned from Eddie.
What a lesson I have just learned from Jesus.
Eddie wishes me well, and I watch him walk out the door. I go back to my seat next to Meghan...and we just start talking again. About twenty minutes later, Eddie's back.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have 6 C batteries would you?" He holds out his stereo and begins to explain that his pastor friend gave him a tape to listen to a long time ago... and Eddie wants to listen to it on the Greyhound bus tomorrow morning. Well I don't have C batteries... "but maybe Longs does," I say. Meghan and I both assist him this time. Meghan buys him batteries... and of course, he's just as talkative as ever. It's awesome though... hearing about his daughter, his pastor friend, his hopes... his dreams...
Once we're done in Longs, we sit outside with Eddie for a couple more minutes... he's telling us deep things now... things about his past, things about his brother... things about his brother's suicide...
Eddie starts weeping. I start praying in silence. I wonder if God is comforting Eddie in this moment... maybe simply by having Meghan and I there...
A couple more minutes pass, and Eddie's ready to go. He smiles. He blesses us again. He tells us He will have his pastor tell the congregation to pray for our whole church. And he asks us to have our pastor tell the congregation to pray for him. I think, "If Jesus asked me to do that...I'm pretty sure I'd be on board with it..." So, I'm on board with it.
We say goodbye to Eddie, and Eddie says, "He's gonna bless you a hundred times over for this."
Maybe Eddie's right. But I just hope he was blessed...
I was thinking about this whole ordeal later on this afternoon, and what kept coming to mind was, "God, you're so good." Why would I keep saying that though... wasn't it I who bought that coffee for homeless Eddie today? "No, no, no," God whispers back, "It was Jesus who you bought coffee for... and it was I who let you see Him."
So, maybe I bought Jesus coffee today.
But today... His name was Eddie.
5 comments:
I loved being there seeing that interaction take place. You both are awesome.
Jenna, your heart and everything about you is precious. I LOVE reading your blogs, your stories and your life. You are such a good writer...You bless all of us by your blessings.....oh and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for a quote......
What a wonderful life we get to live. I am so ecouraged by your heart, Jenna. Thanks for sharing this, and thank you for living out our call on earth.
ps. I would love to get together for coffee sometime!
I'm still a little teary and I finished reading about Eddie at least a good 10 minutes ago. Jenna, you are just so beautiful through and through...seriously. Thank you for living it...the life of Jesus...so well and for sharing about a moment that I pray you will forever be shaped by. Such an honor to know you :)
I needed to hear that. Seriously, that just encouraged and convicted me so much. I love your heart and your love for being used by God. Thank you for sharing. And don't worry...you didn't magnify yourself. I could totally see God in that post.
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