Friday evening after our ladies banquet, I felt a leading to ask our volunteers to pack up the leftover food into some “to go” pans.  I did a quick scan of folks that were still left standing around and determined how many and who they needed to go to.  I then sent some of the volunteers out to share these with the un-expecting guests that were getting ready to leave.

As I was taking care of a few last-minute details, one of the ladies that I had just met a few hours earlier, came up to me and said:  “Pastor, I need to share a blessing with you!”  I had no idea what she was going to say, but took her hand as she reached toward me, looked into her eyes and said:  “What’s that?”

She asked:  “How did you know that I didn’t have any food left in my house?”  I was puzzled, a little shocked and before I could respond, she spoke again:  “I came here tonight from Greenville to eat supper with my friend.  When I left home, I did not have any food left in my house and then right before I was getting ready to leave and go back home tonight, y’all come out and gave me this pan of food.”  She was sincere.  She was not asking for anything.  She genuinely wanted to know how I knew that she did not have food and needed food?

I told her:  “I did not know, but Jesus did and He loves you and will take care of us as we continue to love and trust him.”  She hugged me and kept saying “Thank You!”  I thanked her for coming and for sharing with me.

Now, who do you think walked away with the bigger blessing?  I don’t really know the answer to that question, but I can tell you how I felt!

I just want to say thank you to God for loving, forgiving, saving me and for allowing me to serve Him by serving others.  I want to say thank you to my spiritual family that helped to make it possible for me to get out of my comfort zone during the last couple of years to begin a ministry of building bridges of hope out of the church and into the community.  I want to say thank you to the volunteers that make all of the ministry possible and keep it going every day.

There is so much that we don’t know, but Jesus knows it all and as we continue to love and trust him, he will guide and direct us on an amazing journey of grace!