Have you ever seen or heard something that makes you stop and say, ’I know that was You Lord’, because there can be no other explanation? Well, I’d like to share one of those moments I had recently, that verifies for me God really has a special love in His heart for our church, Holy Trinity.
It was Sunday afternoon, at the beginning of the Lenten season. A season for fasting, praying and forgiveness. Christ, our God, also instructs us to share our food with the hungry, take care of the poor and loose the chains of injustice. Then our light will break forth like the dawn and our healing will quickly appear.
No, the kind of fast I want is that you stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly and give them what they earn. I want you to share your food with the hungry and bring right into your own homes those who are helpless, poor, and destitute. Clothe those who are cold, and don’t hide from relatives who need your help. If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. - Isa 58:6-8
There were a few of our church women's group, Philoptochos (philo-friend+ptochos-poor=friend of the poor), members left in the kitchen, cleaning up and restocking. One of us had gone to our stock room and on her way out of the room, heading back to the kitchen, she found a man standing there. He was lost and asked her for directions. Startled, she led him to the kitchen where the rest of us were. The man said he had gotten off a bus with many others and was looking for the NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting at the church. We told him that it might be the church across the street.
We offered him food. And he said, “No thank you, I have nowhere to cook it.” We told him we have food that does not require cooking. So we filled a bag of food and drink and he left. He was very grateful and happy. We watched him leave.
It was after he left that we tried to figure out how and where this man came into the building since all the doors were locked and checked. We went to view the security camera footage, viewing every entrance and scenario during the time that this man was with us. There is only one recording of him during the ten minutes or so that he was with us and that is when he was in front of the Philoptochos room. There are no recordings of him entering, exiting, or going to the kitchen with the parishioner, (she is recorded but not him).
A closer look at the recordings revealed the activity before, after, and during his visit. The recordings clearly showed us locking doors, going around checking doors, and going to and from Philoptochos room. Not of him. I personally watched him leave the building with his bag of food. And one of our ladies was outside the door and said she saw no one.
Could this be God sending a messenger, or even just a homeless man for us to bless, so that God’s blessings will pour down on us? Take it as you will. But for me, this is one of those moments where I look up and say, “I know that was You, Lord”.
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Isaiah 58:11-12-“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations…”
Hebrews 13:2-"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."
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