Couple of cool interactions within the last 30 days to share with you that might also be encouraging. I could go on and on as there have been many others but these are coming to mind to share with you right now..
1) Dennis - Homeless Ex-Con - Met this guy when out with Jim Hendren and the Bread of Life ministry feeding homeless downtown Raleigh. I was passing out some tracts and Dennis jumped up from eating his hot dog to come to me and request one of each type of tract I had! He shared with me that while he was in prison tracts like the ones I had in my hands changed his life. He indicated that he jumped on the chance to get some comics while in prison only to find God! He stated that the Word of God is in those tracts and changed his heart. This blew me away because I had always felt "funny" handing out tracts of which I had not read. Therefore, I had always only passed out Bibles. On this day, I didn't have any Bibles to pass out so had these tracts handed to me instead. God spoke very clearly to me through Dennis on this day. It was amazing. I left in awe, amazed and trembling.
2) Darrel Davis - I had learned of Darrel a month or two prior, but not yet met him. I had been praying for him as I had gotten one of his cards. After talking with Dennis above I was walking around and saw a guy I had prayed with at some point in the past and went to talk with him. He was wearing a new necklace - it was a Cross! While talking with him a lady came up that knew him and they started talking about how this guy had just opened her eyes and shown her something like she had never seen before. She pointed behind her to indicate who had helped her and there walking across the street was Darrel. He is a full time evangelist. We talked for 10-15 minutes about what he was up to, and what God was up to in His life. We met for breakfast a couple of weeks later and had great fellowship. He extended an open invitation for me to join him on any of his outreach/evangelism activities/events. Was very encouraging to meet him and get a direct witness from someone (the lady) as to the Life/Love of God being extended from him to them. He showed me this "EvangeCube" he was using that day and had showed this lady. I went and bought one that day.
3) Guy at Gas Station - I wish I could remember this guys name, but I can remember his face! I met him this past Monday evening while pumping gas in Cary in my wife's car. He saw me smiling and looking to the sky while pumping gas and started to communicate that we would not be having fireworks that night either because it was raining. He then mentioned, none other than "God's Fireworks"... I lit up on that as I had just had that thought of that the night before when the fireworks on the 4th had originally be canceled due to the storms. I chimed in that God's Fireworks are the best kind anyhow. He smiled and then walked over to be closer to me. He proceeded to ask me where I went to church... he indicated he had been attending First Baptist of Cary, and I had just learned they would be having an Answers in Genesis conference coming up really soon, so we talked about that for a minute. He then asked me if I was "Devout". I was taken back by this question as I hadn't been asked that ever to my recollection. I eventually answered "yes" after some quick thought and realization that this was going somewhere... He then asked me to pray for him, that God would send him a godly woman in his life, a companion. I told him I would pray for God's will in it and that maybe he needed to Seek God first and trust God with it. He then mentioned that God wants man to have a woman and started referring to a scripture. I further shared with him that maybe God's plan for his life was to rely totally on God in a different way than he had expected and that I had found in my life that we must bow our knee to God fully and then all else falls into place. He nodded and appreciated the chat. I put a recent program that I found in my wife's car on his windshield as he was in the gas station in hopes that maybe God would lead him to SouthBridge - if it be His will. I had shared with him that is where I attended locally and told him of it, but didn't have any cards on me, but was thankful for the program left in my wife's car.
4) Van full of Family from NYC at Park - For the Southbridge Serves event my family and I opted to go to the parks and hand out water. We thought this would fit perfect with something that an 8 year old and 1.5 year old could both take part in. Towards the end of our time for the day, Peyton and I were packing up the car when I noticed a van full of people with NYC tags. They had their windows down and looked to be a full family; Peyton and I went over to offer water. They were ecstatic to get the water and asked what we were doing, what we were about. I told them we were about Jesus, and that a whole bunch of people at Southbridge got together to spread His Love on that specific day. I told them of the many activities that were being carried out in the community. They listened like their life depended on it! I gave them the invite cards to Southbridge and continued telling them about Bridge Kids as they had a lot of kids in the car.. Peyton chimed in a bit with info about Bridge Kids to validate some info I had shared. They did ask me what kind of church we were, and I said Christian - we Love Jesus. They thanked us a lot and indicated they would be checking out Southbridge in the near future. I was so blessed just from this one family on that day, but there were a few other great and positive interactions.
5) Customer/Co-Worker #1 - I had a customer whom I had shared a "Case for Christ" DVD with a month or so ago along with the "Crazy Love" audiobook. He shared with me that both blessed him and he also shared them with others in need. Through a conversation with him over lunch this guy apparently felt very bold and indicated to me that God has something special in mind for my life. My immediate response was "what do you think this is!?". I said this really without thinking... it was really as though God put that thought and word in me right at that moment. This guy had gone to a Bible college and I came to learn of his long association with the God along with his long family line as many in his family had been in full time ministry. His name is Allen if you desire to pray for him by name. We talked a lot about what God was doing in our lives that day. Wonderful blessing and encouragement from God on a day that I really needed it.
6) Partner/Co-Worker #2 - Another situation with a co-worker of sorts. This guy is actually a partner of my company, but we work together a bit for success of our clients. He noticed that on LinkedIn I was in the "Christian Professionals" group. He praised this and told me it encouraged him to join also. We spoke for some time about God's plan in our lives. I later met with him and shared "Crazy Love" audio book with him as well. He has since encouraged me to have a "servants heart for the Lord". Very cool for me to just randomly get this call from a guy that noticed I was a member of a group... and how God used that all for His Glory.
God is definitely moving and VERY alive. I am so humbled and amazed at His Majesty. So Thankful to know Him. So very excited to see what He does each day, each minute sometimes! I often times pray for God to calm me down and to please please please make sure that I do not do anything of my own accord. I do not want to dishonor God and do not desire an Ishmael type situation.... Must always KNOW my only need is God and that need alone.
