Ever Feel Like Skipping Church?

Ever Feel Like Skipping Church?

If you follow our blog you probably noticed that I was unable to go out to the streets with Jimmy last Saturday. Just when I thought I was going to get to ‘skip church’ the Lord reminded me that church is wherever I am  and since this church has no walls it also has no set days or personal agendas.

Sunday I had a meeting down in the neighborhood that I work in. When I arrived the 7 or 8 people I was meeting with were waiting in the parking lot for me to come with the keys to the building.

With them was a middle aged couple and when I walked up to the group they asked me if the food pantry was open as this couple had no food. Everyone had been looking to everyone else, and then, when I walked up they were all looking to me.

I let the couple know that the food pantry wouldn’t be open until Wednesday and I told them where there were two food pantries that they could check out.

The problem that spun around my heart was that they were hungry today.

I had to go to the meeting so I asked them for a phone number so I could call them after my meeting and they gave it to me. I assured them that I would call them when the meeting was over and they thanked me.

The meeting lasted about an hour longer than I had hoped. It was Orthodox Easter and Debbie was making a special meal to celebrate our life in the risen Savior. I called her first and she graciously agreed that I should get this couple something to eat before coming home, so I called them next.

To The Grocery Store

I picked them up at the corner and we proceeded to the grocery store. I had some ideas for nutritious food items that would last them a while, but those ideas flew out the window when I realized they only had a microwave and very few utensils.

They picked out a variety of microwave dinners, Crystal Lite drink mix (my recommendation), a gallon of milk, and a box of cereal. We approached the checkout and the woman asked if they might get a loaf of bread.

“Of course,” I said and encouraged them to get some peanut butter and jelly as well.

When they came back to the check out I noticed that they had chosen the least expensive peanut butter and jelly.

A Strange Thing

I took them back to the place they were staying and the strangest thing happened. The man turned to me before getting out of the car and asked me if I was ‘a prayer warrior.’

I said I try to be, and then he asked if I would pray for him and his wife.

I didn’t ask to pray. I never even said anything about the Lord, or Christianity, or being a disciple, or the gospel. God knew these people needed a blessing more than they needed food, which they were desperate for.

I prayed for them and they thanked me. On the way home I thanked the Lord for not letting me miss church this week. I was humbled, heartened, and grateful for having met these children who are so dear to God.

Have you been to church this week? God is waiting for you … out in the field.

"A Church Without Walls"