A Chance Encounter

Today I have a really cool story to tell you about something that happened to me very recently.   And you might even tear up ….. because I did, and I hardly ever do.

Last night we had a dessert gathering for the table captains for our upcoming Patrick Henry Family Services gala in April.  We were at the Neighbors Place, a local restaurant, and we had a side room that was packed with people.  It was my job to describe to them what they could expect at the gala and what their responsibilities were as table captains.  I was gearing everything I said to middle and upper class church people.

I explained that they would be hearing three stories of people who had been helped by our various programs.  I was explaining to them that one of the stories would be from a Safe Family host family and the mom of the baby they had hosted.   I then said something like this:  

“One of our goals at PHFS is to connect the church with people who are marginalized so that they can rid themselves of generalizations.  If you develop a meaningful relationship with a recovering addict, for example, you can no longer say ‘All addicts are bad people’ because you have met one who wasn’t.  Or if a felon becomes your friend, you can’t fear all felons, because now you know one who isn’t frightening at all.  And somehow the people that we have a church work to avoid — the people that Jesus actually hung out with when he was on earth — become a part of our lives and everything changes.”

I continued on with my speech, getting a few laughs and seeing lots of enthusiasm, and Mr. Day closed the night in prayer.  Then I talked to a few people in the room and I started to walk out to the car for my 90 minute drive home.   A young woman approached me and I realized that she was one of the two servers that had been assigned to our room.

She came up to me and said just a few short sentences.   “I just wanted to thank you for all that you guys are doing.   I work three jobs and I didn’t want to come in tonight.  But I am a recovering addict and I am a felon, so I know now that God wanted me here tonight.”  And then she reached up and gave me a big hug.   I hugged her back and thanked her for taking time to share that with me.

I walked away from that experience so grateful that God uses us, used me even, in the most unlikely of situations.  I had no idea this girl was still in the room when I was speaking and obviously knew nothing of her history.  But God used a Gala Table Captain Instruction Speech, of all things, to remind a young tired struggling girl that He loves her.

Yesterday morning a coworker of mine sent out an amazing email that ended, in part, with these words.   "It is not how much we do, but how small we can do, to touch a life and make a difference,”  I had no idea she was being prophetic about my life that very night.

After reading that email, another coworker sent me this song that I never heard that so applies to this story and to all of as we seek do do what God is asking us to do each day.  

Here are the lyrics.

"For The One”

Let me be filled
With kindness, and compassion for the One
The One for whom You loved, and gave Your Son
For humanity; increase my love

Help me to love with open arms, like You do
A love that erases all the lines, and sees the truth
Oh, that when they look in my eyes, they would see You
Even in just a smile; they would feel the Father's love

Oh, how He loves us
From the homeless, to the famous, and in between
You formed us, You made us carefully
'Cause in the end; we're all Your children

So help me to love with open arms, like You do
A love that erases all the lines, and sees the truth
Oh, that when they look in my eyes, they would see You
Even in just a smile; they would feel the Father's love

So let all my life, tell of who You are
And the wonder of, Your never-ending love
Oh, let all my life, tell of who You are
That You're wonderful, and such a good Father
Oh, let all my life, tell of who You are
And the wonder of, Your never-ending love
Oh, let all my life, tell of who You are
That You're wonderful, and such a good Father
You're wonderful, and such a good Father

So help me to love with open arms, like You do
A love that erases all the lines, and sees the truth
Oh, that when they look in my eyes, they would see You
Even in just a smile; they would feel the Father's love
Even in just a smile; they would feel the Father's love