Sounds like a good plan
October 15, 2008
I got one of the cards at the Vineyard instructing me to bring my child’s art to a retirement community. I’ve recently got involved with something else that is outward focused that I want to write about instead of visiting the retirement home. I just don’t have time to do it all.
For several years I have been meeting with two friends of mine every week for accountability and to just talk about life. We’ve dedicated that intense 1.5 hours to discuss problems and how we can be more like Christ. For the past several months we have become bored. We’ve talked about everything under the sun at least 3 times and we’re just out of topics. So we decided to get out of our comfort zone and spend 3 weeks a month visiting with the homeless at City Gospel Mission. We’ve just started so we don’t know how it’s going to work. But we decided to be more outward focused and put into action what we’ve learned. We also want to teach other men to have the same type of relationship that we have learned to have.
Initially we plan to meet with 3 guys from the mission and just play pool. So far we’ve just sat down and had dinner with them a few times. We hope this will allow us time to hear their stories, get to know them and just get comfortable with them. Then we plan to take it to the next level. Maybe we’ll do a Bible study, have a prayer group or some type of discussion that is below the surface. The idea is to intentially pursue the men and be a positive example to them that will allow them to know Christ more and break free from poverty. I’ve recently learned that it takes a significant relationship with another person to break free from poverty. I still plan to do a small outreach to hand out the card though. Thanks.
Heaven’s angels
October 3, 2008
Some have met with angels and didn’t know it…
Have you seen those commercials where the guy is going through a difficult and uncertain time in his life, and then he meets an older version of himself? The “future him” lets the “present him” know that everything turns out OK. Well, I think something like that happened to me.
A couple weeks ago hurricane Ike blew through Cincinnati and left many of us without power for days. In the aftermath I ventured out to UDF to get some gas and pick up some snacks. They were already out of gas, but as I was paying for the snacks I overheard the guy in the next line asking for directions to the next closest station. He was a 50-something biker guy wearing black leather. He had already walked a couple miles from where his bike ran out of gas and wasn’t looking forward to having to walk a few more. I chimed in offered to give him a ride to the next station and he was happy to accept.
As we drove up the road we began to talk. He had ridden up from Tennessee the night before and didn’t know anyone in the area. It turns out his name is David, same as mine. I told him I didn’t have a motorcycle but that I had just called on one for sale a few days ago. Then I noticed his jacket said, “Christian Motorcyclists Association” and we found out we are brothers in Christ. As we stood at the pump filling a gas can and my tank, he insisted on paying for my gas. I was touched by his kindness in return, and began to open up more and tell him about what I was going through. I told him how my wife, Julie, had just been diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, that she was recovering from a bilateral mastectomy, and that she was about to start chemotherapy.
Suddenly he stopped and looked at me, and he said, “This may be the reason God brought me here.” And he proceeded to tell me how 13 years ago (when he was my age!) he and his wife went through exactly the same thing! She has been cancer-free ever since and he went on to encourage me and build me up. It was as if God wanted to let me know that Julie is going to be OK.
Here I thought I was the one doing an act of kindness for a stranger, but God had orchestrated it all to bless me when I most needed it. I know some have met with angels without knowing it, but I wonder if more often some are angels and don’t know it. Anyway, don’t be surprised if 13 years from now Julie and I are riding around on a Harley!
Cheesecake Grace
September 24, 2008
The “lottery ticket” I drew at church last weekend instructed me to tip my server 30% or more. I wasn’t sure at first how this was going to work because I had just started taking the Financial Peace University class and had created a strict budget for myself which did not allow for eating out.
While trying to think of another outreach activity I could do instead, I received a call from my best friend in Columbus inviting me to go out to eat with her and her friends for her birthday. Well, I couldn’t pass down a birthday dinner for my best friend! So I agreed.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I excitedly explained to my best friend and all of her 16 guests about how our church is going through the Outward Focused Life series, showed them my “lottery ticket” and explained how I was going to use it tonight and tip the server 30% or more.
No sooner did I share this news than the fun began. To begin, the restaurant had trouble accomodating our large group and we ended up waiting over 2 hours for a table! By the time we were sat, it was past 9pm (we had carefully planned the dinner for 7pm) and we were all starving and a bit cranky. Then enters the waitress.
For lack of a better explanation, our waitress was one of those “blunt-on-the-edge-of-being-rude” types who made sarcastic jokes that no one at the table seemed to get. She proceeded to take all of our orders, then about 15 minutes later, when we were hungrily expecting our food, came back to the table and explained that her bad day had just gotten worse because someone had accidently thrown away her ticket with all of our orders. She seemed more preoccupied with telling us in colorful terms how much she hated the person that threw away the order than apologizing to us for the (again) delay. We then went down the loooong table again, telling her our orders for the second time. After this ordeal, we made a point to let the waitress know that it was our friend’s birthday (we knew that she would get a free cheesecake — and would probably need it after waiting so long!). I explained to the waitress that my friend’s name was “Milena”, pronounced “Meelena”. The waitress stared at me blankly, then slowly looked at my friend and said, “Is that seriously your name?” We laughed nervously as my friend explained that her parents were from Eastern Europe. The waitress just shook her head and walked away. Finally our food came, and shortly after (as the restaurant was getting close to closing), our waitress brought out a group of less than enthused waiters & waitresses to sing to my friend. The waitress then stumbed over her words as she tried to remember my friend’s name. “Today is..Mmm..Ma..Maku’s birthday,” she announced to the other waitors. “Milena,” my friend corrected. “Yeah, whatever,” the waitress replied, with a wry smile. They half-heartedly sang happy birthday to my friend and then the waitress asked if anyone would like to order cheesecake. We looked at each other, a little confused — didn’t the birthday girl get free cheesecake? Apparently not tonight! After the waitress walked away, the people at our table murmured about how rude the waitress was.
My friend leaned over and said jokingly, “You still gonna tip her that 30%?” In that moment, I realized the purpose behind our “outward focused assignments.” If our waitress had done an excellent job, she would have thought not much of the extraordinary tip, thinking she must have done an extraordinary job. But because of the number of mistakes and rude jokes she had made that night, she would HAVE to realize the tip was an act of grace. As I shared this reasoning with my friend, I was reminded of Jesus’ story in the Bible about the debtors that were forgiven — and how the one with the bigger debt was far more thankful for God’s amazing act of grace than the one whose small debt was also forgiven. Looking back, I saw God’s hand over my “lottery ticket” of an outreach that night, and how He had carefully orchestrated the situation so that His grace could best be known.
Thank God for Rumpke
September 23, 2008
I veered slightly from my assignment. I scratched off a Drive-thru freebee. I don’t know if anyone else tried to get in a drive-thru line last week, but it was almost impossible. I went out Friday at noon to see if I could complete my assignment but really felt like I wanted to do something special for someone who was having a really bad week. I thought of all of the people who were having to work extra hard because of the power outages; the Duke workers, store re-stockers, frazzled fast food workers, ER workers dealing with a multitude of chain saw accidents. I prayed that I would find someone to bless who was feeling overworked and under-appreciated. As I was driving up my street I passed a Rumpke worker and thought to myself, I would not want to be doing that today! That would not be fun on a regular day, but can you imagine the week he was having when every house was throwing away the entire content of their refrigerators and freezers? I ran into the house, grabbed my orange card and a 20 dollar bill and taped them to the top of my trashcan lid. I hoped that knowing that he matters to God and to those he is working so hard to serve would brighten his day. I also hoped he would forgive me for putting out 10 bags of trash!
Homework
September 23, 2008
I was the lucky one to draw a “coffee gift card” lottery ticket the other week after the Saturday Service.
I spent the first 5 days putting off.
I spent day 6 feeling like a bum, and remembering promising my friends that we were actually going to do something Dave told us to. I prayed for a bit – and realized that I could give this to one of my teachers.
I’m a Comm. Student at NKU – this semester one of my favorite professors is teaching a class on Political Communication. It is very obvious that Dr. Weiss is very very open about how liberal he is. So liberal – we don’t even get tests, there is no book for the class, and attendance – we’re lucky if ten people show up on Fridays. He’s a great teacher if your looking to actually learn though – and also great because he misses class almost as much as I do. I really do enjoy him as a teacher – and it’s making my last year at NKU a total joy. We also get off for all Jewish Hollidays….
I know that Dr. Weiss isn’t a follower of Jesus. He is very critical of all conservatives, evangelicals, the like – and a fan of Richard Dawkins. He teaches argumentation to meaning – he would be the type that would enjoy debating Christians…. He is the type – hes kinda done it in class.
I went to the Starbucks on campus, spent ten dollars on a gift card, and began to walk with it across campus to put it in his mail box.
I felt this overwhelming sense of shame. That I didn’t want people to know what I was doing…. That if I got caught with my gift card and little jesusy – business card I’d be ridiculed. Campus was pretty empty – the people there were in class – and yet I feel like something inside of me is telling me to NOT do it.
I realized – eithor my own thoughts or Christ in me – that I was being an idiot. I already spent the money, I don’t even like starbucks. I would have had no problem giving it to someone – but to Dr. Weiss??? and with the little card thing???
I made my way to his mailbox. I slipped the card in and left.
I don’t think getting a starbucks gift card is going to bring the man to Christ. I hope it does, and now am praying it does. But I know seeds are planted. I pray he checks out the website – and sees what happened and my motives behind it.
I hope he realizes someone cares about him. I hope he realizes that I care about him because God cares about him.
Thanks for the outlet to let me share.
Praying for Kylie
September 23, 2008
I was lucky to get a card which told me to ‘Give diapers to a new parent’. This was already in the back of my mind but the card confirmed that this was what I was suppose to do. At work there is a youngd lady who had triplets on May 12. One of them is still in the hospital. I went and bought both a case of baby wipes and a case of Pampers for her. The look on her face when I gave them to her really made it worth doing. It also let her open up and tell me what she was going through. The second little girl to be born was born with many medical problems as was only give a 50/50 % chance to live. She is still going strong after having part of her intestines removed. She is still in the hospital until she starts to gain weight which is hard since part of her intestines were removed. I told her that I would be praying for this little one and that I have seen God work miracles. I would love to be able to lay hands on Kylie and pray for her but I am trusing that God will still heal her as I and some intercessor friends are praying for her healing.
God is awesome.
Great Idea!
September 23, 2008
The Sunday we got the cards was the first time I visited the Vinyard. I am only 14, so I was glad when I got an easier card, give away free ice cream. So I grabbed my two buddies and we rode our bikes downs to a local ice cream cafe. We ordered and then we paid. I left the cashier with three dollars, and instructions to pay for the next person’s ice cream with it. And of course to give them the card. We heard the cashier tell the manager. I wonder if I was supposed to hear her? Then this mom with like three or four little boys walked in. She got her ice cream, and when she went to pay, the cashier told her everything. She sent her boys over to say thanks to me. It was so sweet! Great idea, guys!
Oh brother…
September 23, 2008
Last Sunday was by far one of my favorite services! Witnessing your excitement was infectious to the core. I so enjoyed calling my mom who lives in Virginia and telling her about your ‘kid in the candy store’ attitude for Jesus! (By the way, I’ve wanted to thank you & Joe for a while now… for everything you do!)
Anyway, a few hours ago my daughter, my husband and myself landed in a McDonald’s drive through. I had my, “Because You Matter To God” card ready. We ordered 3 dollar menu items, drove to the window to pay, handed the cashier the card and said we were paying for the SUV behind us and to please give her the card too. The cashier had already scanned my husbands credit card and said he couldn’t scan it twice in a row. I asked how much her order was for and I pulled out the $10 I’d been hanging onto for 6 days just for this moment! I knew I’d need it, if you get my drift. *wink wink*
So the deal was done, we drove up to retrieve our bag of food and I was then like a ‘kid in the candy store’ turned around in my seat to see the cashier hand the lady in the SUV the card. It seemed like time stood still, until my husband sped out and drove almost like a maniac for the next mile.. He kept saying, “stop looking back! She might think it was a practical joke and be mad..” Oh brother…
I guess I forgot to mention that my husband is one of the nicest unbelievers you’d ever meet. (We like to call him a pre-believer.) Hopefully these small acts of kindness not only touched the lady in the SUV but also my husband as well!
Rock on Vineyard!!!!!
Gettin’ over
September 23, 2008
This was a really great experience. I came home tonight feeling down after attending a get together that I really didn’t fit into. Then I remembered that I still had not fulfilled my commitment card from last Saturday night’s sermon. I came home, picked up my card and said just what I needed to hear: “Get over yourself.”
It felt really good to leave the positive small message of kindness at the gas counter for whoever would be walking up next. I hope it makes a difference in that other person’s life, but I know it made a difference for me.
God’s watch
September 23, 2008
I must say I was excited about my “easy” ticket of paying for someone in the drive-thru this week. Little did I know how difficult it was going to be.
I knew with the blackout this week it would be a challenge awaiting a drive-thru to open up, but finally Starbucks (God bless them!) opened up. I made sure to get up in time to go to the local Starbucks because it usually has a pretty long line in the morning. I prayed that God would bring the right person along who needed to hear from Him. I was really excited to get going for the day and to hopefully start someone elses day out in a nice way.
The problem was that there were no cars at all in line, not in front or back of me…I was it!! I couldn’t ask for that to happen in a million years 
I stalled for a long time waiting for another car to pull up behind me, but when the cashier is pushing the drink into your hands and basically saying goodbye (after a period of conversation)…I finally left unable to do the outreach I wanted to do. I couldn’t believe it and was disappointed.
However, I figured out during this week that the person God wanted to work through was a teenager and his mother who went through Wendy’s behind me later in the week. I had my window down and after getting the cashier to get over the shock of paying for people I didn’t know, and staring at the card for what seemed an eternity I saw the shock of 2 people who just sat there taking in what just happened.
I learned…God’s blessings happens in His time…not always our time:)
Kristin
West Chester
