There are nights when my mind races and I think, "I should blog", but I'm too exhausted to do it. And when I get home at the end of the day and its either spend 30 minutes on the computer, or 30 minutes with my husband, my husband wins every time. I'm thankful to be best friends with my husband and be able to laugh and hang out at the end of the day even though we work together all day.
So after the title and first line of the blog, I'm sure you're like, "What the heck?" lol
This past Sunday was one I will never forget. Half of our staff was out of the country - 2 in Africa, 1 in Israel. It was extremely cold the night before and happened to be a full moon although I don't put much stock in the moon part, it was just ironic. And people coming into the building were just in a Class A Bad Mood. They walked in angry. Glenn and I oversee the kitchen teams and the serving of hundreds of people on Sunday mornings. Our day starts there at 6:30 am. We usually monitor the lines, make sure no one fights, and generally just keep the peace and be a friendly presence. I usually smile and tell each person good morning as they come through the line. Just to make sure everyone gets a smile that day.
Well this day, one of the first people I came into contact with was a man who was drunk. He was trying to ask me a question, but I couldn't understand a word he was saying because his speech was so slurred. I leaned a little closer to him to try and hear him better and when I leaned in, he opened his mouth and let out this huge breath/exhale into my face. Like a Dragon breathing fire. There was no reason. There was no need. Glenn was standing behind the man and I saw his eyebrows lift with a little smirk like.."really?" Needless to say....that was not the last of my friend. He later tried to reach through the serving line and grab the plates of food from the servers when he wanted seconds.
Following this older men got into a fight in line....it's the same guys every week. We break it up pretty easily. Then the cross dresser man who is sweet as can be came up to meet with a smile and a hug and said, "So....are y'all still newlyweds?" and when I said.."Well I'd like to think so, it's only been a month and a half"....he then went on to tell me about him and his partner, their amazing "wedding" night, and their first fight and proceeded to give me some marriage advice. He then walked across the room and said something to Glenn. I have no idea what it was, but we made eye contact from across the room and just laughed.
After I walked through the hall making my normal routes to make sure everything was running smoothly, a man in line grabbed my jacket by the arm and yanked me backwards to ask me what time service started. You just never know what the day holds. As I'm standing there going.."what the heck Lord?".... 2 of our volunteers walked up to me with a little boy who couldn't have been more than 10 years old, if that. He was precious, holding a binder and some paper. He had been sitting outside making paper airplanes and then women saw him in a short sleeve shirt shivering with his lip quivering. They brought him to me and asked if we had a jacket for him. I wrapped my arm around the little boy and took him to the clothes closet where I found him a very thick, comfy, warm jacket that was just his size. He put it on and I zipped it up and said..."Is that better?" He looked up at me with a huge grin and nodded his head multiple times. A coat. It was in the high 30's/low 40's outside and the little child had no coat.
Suddenly....nothing else mattered. Suddenly I knew for that moment why God had placed me there, in that place, at that time. I grew up going in and working in pretty affluent churches. The parking lot was decked out with nice cars, most of my friends lived in nice houses, we had no problem going out to eat after church. At some of them, not only did we have nice clothes to wear, but it was frowned upon to wear anything but "Sunday Best." I wonder what God thinks about "Sunday Best."
I think Sunday Best to God is seeing a heart broken before Him in praise and worship. And if a man in a suit doesn't recognize his own sin and need for God, I believe the alcoholic or cross dresser can be even more beautiful at an altar. That to me is Sunday best. Every week we have the opportunity to pray with people after the service who come forward. I've prayed with women who have been living under a bridge and tried to commit suicide to a woman who literally just sobbed and bear hugged me for 10-15 minutes. And I wondered.....when is the last time someone wrapped their arms around them and bear hugged them for a pure motive.
I'm thankful that the longer I'm here.....the more God allows me to see through His eyes. We use labels: alcoholic, drunk, homosexual, druggie, criminal, prostitute, etc. And maybe that's "what" they "do", but it's not "who" they "Are." No matter WHAT......they are precious to the heart of God and He LOVES them as much as he loves you and me. Unfortunately, Christians have done a horrible job, me included, at sending the message that if you are any of those things you are not "good enough" for God. And at some places you're not "accepted" in the church.
But how can they ever know if they never
come?
And how are you and I any different?
Who needs a "coat" in your life?
What are you doing about it?
Maybe it's even you.
We could all use a bear hug.
For His Renown,
Morgan
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