Yesterday was a great day. Monday is technically an “off” day but I do wind up engaging in some ministry tasks usually. Yesterday was no different.
Monday seemed routine until around two O’ clock in the afternoon. I went to visit one of our members at the community center where she works. She is working through a couple of issues and so I thought I would stop by for a chat. It was a wonderful conversation and very encouraging for me as well. While there, she had a phone call to take. During her phone call I wound up talking to another lady who volunteers at the community center. This lady told me about growing up in a violent New York City neighborhood where negativity is a normal everyday experience. We wound up talking about God’s grace that helps us all overcome the challenges of a fallen world.
From there I stopped by my favorite coffee shop, Gimme! Coffee, on Cayuga St. The girl serving me coffee asked me what type of work I do. This gave me the opportunity to give her my business card and tell her about my mission and ministry with the Ithaca Church of Christ. She has a friend who just received her M.Div and now serves with a Lutheran Church in Albany. I invited this girl to visit us sometime. I don’t know where she is at in life but it is always nice to have conversations with people in the community where God becomes part of the subject.
Later in the evening I attended the Evangelist / Elders meeting. Our meeting began with prayer and ended with prayer. It is so nice to have elders who actually believe that God is acting through his Spirit as we pray. The meeting was very encouraging also as we talked about our developing mission. It is nice to have elders that are concerned enough about Kingdom business that they are trying to force themselves to think outside the box.
After this I came home and took the dog for a walk. While on my walk I met Rob. Rob is a homeless man who travels around camping out at different music festivals. After talking about the upcoming Grass Roots Music Festival in Ithaca, we started talking about life. Rob asked me if there was something good that he could do for me. Dumbfounded, I just said “pray for me.” Then I told him I was an Evangelist and said I would pray for him as well. Rob told me that he tries to do at least one good deed to everyone he meets. He said that the world would be a much better place if everyone tried to do at least one good deed to everyone they meet during the day. I think he is right.
Well, I proceeded home and on the way I saw a woman that plays on my softball team. We talked for a bit. She used to come to the Ithaca CoC. I am not sure why she stopped coming but it is nice to build connections again.
At last I came home and there was my beautiful wife and daughter. My daughter keeps me laughing and my wife keeps me on right paths, always encouraging me in so many ways.
This is a wonderful day for me. First, my day was wonderful because it was spent with people in the community. Though office work is a necessary evil, mission and ministry is about going where the Lord goes and the Lord always went to people. Secondly, my elders are encouraging to me. They make me want to even work harder and remind me once again of how glad I am that God brought my family and I to Ithaca. Last but certainly not least, I can and do come home to my family. As much as I love church ministry and mission work, I could go on without being a paid evangelist. But my family… I need them and love them. God has been and continues to be good to me.
Monday seemed routine until around two O’ clock in the afternoon. I went to visit one of our members at the community center where she works. She is working through a couple of issues and so I thought I would stop by for a chat. It was a wonderful conversation and very encouraging for me as well. While there, she had a phone call to take. During her phone call I wound up talking to another lady who volunteers at the community center. This lady told me about growing up in a violent New York City neighborhood where negativity is a normal everyday experience. We wound up talking about God’s grace that helps us all overcome the challenges of a fallen world.
From there I stopped by my favorite coffee shop, Gimme! Coffee, on Cayuga St. The girl serving me coffee asked me what type of work I do. This gave me the opportunity to give her my business card and tell her about my mission and ministry with the Ithaca Church of Christ. She has a friend who just received her M.Div and now serves with a Lutheran Church in Albany. I invited this girl to visit us sometime. I don’t know where she is at in life but it is always nice to have conversations with people in the community where God becomes part of the subject.
Later in the evening I attended the Evangelist / Elders meeting. Our meeting began with prayer and ended with prayer. It is so nice to have elders who actually believe that God is acting through his Spirit as we pray. The meeting was very encouraging also as we talked about our developing mission. It is nice to have elders that are concerned enough about Kingdom business that they are trying to force themselves to think outside the box.
After this I came home and took the dog for a walk. While on my walk I met Rob. Rob is a homeless man who travels around camping out at different music festivals. After talking about the upcoming Grass Roots Music Festival in Ithaca, we started talking about life. Rob asked me if there was something good that he could do for me. Dumbfounded, I just said “pray for me.” Then I told him I was an Evangelist and said I would pray for him as well. Rob told me that he tries to do at least one good deed to everyone he meets. He said that the world would be a much better place if everyone tried to do at least one good deed to everyone they meet during the day. I think he is right.
Well, I proceeded home and on the way I saw a woman that plays on my softball team. We talked for a bit. She used to come to the Ithaca CoC. I am not sure why she stopped coming but it is nice to build connections again.
At last I came home and there was my beautiful wife and daughter. My daughter keeps me laughing and my wife keeps me on right paths, always encouraging me in so many ways.
This is a wonderful day for me. First, my day was wonderful because it was spent with people in the community. Though office work is a necessary evil, mission and ministry is about going where the Lord goes and the Lord always went to people. Secondly, my elders are encouraging to me. They make me want to even work harder and remind me once again of how glad I am that God brought my family and I to Ithaca. Last but certainly not least, I can and do come home to my family. As much as I love church ministry and mission work, I could go on without being a paid evangelist. But my family… I need them and love them. God has been and continues to be good to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment