"…remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35b
Occasionally I take our heavy laundry to the Laundromat at the corner of March Lane and Pershing Avenue. This past Monday’s visit turned out to be one that touched my heart and allowed me to serve our Lord and our church in an extraordinary way.
When I arrived and parked the car, I happened to notice the car parked next to me was in pretty rough condition. After getting a laundry cart from inside the laundromat, I gathered the laundry baskets from the back of our car, locked up, and pushed the cart into the laundromat. That’s when I notice a young mother with two small children, one little girl who had just turned two and her little brother who was 11 months old.
It didn’t take long to realize the mom might be in need of some help with diapers. So, I introduced myself and then told her I was involved in a ministry at church that provided diapers and food for those who might need them. At first, she wasn’t sure if what she was hearing was true, but we continued our conversation, as I told her about our Food For You Ministry and our congregation’s desire to bless those who might need some help. I then invited her to visit us this coming third Thursday while she entered the information in her phone. We continued our discussion for a few minutes more as we talked about her family and her life. Then I sat down and began reading the book I brought.
I guess I’m pretty thick headed because a couple of minutes later I felt the sudden prodding to “quit sitting and start doing” to address her family’s need. So, I got up, told the young lady I’d be right back and headed to church to pick up two packs of diapers, two food relief boxes, a bottle of laundry soap, a bottle of dish soap, a box of Kleenex, and a couple of small packs of cookies for her two little ones, then I returned to laundromat.
When I arrived, I told the young mom I had some diapers for her along with some other items and I asked her if I could put them in her car. She walked out to her car…the very same car I first noticed when I arrived… and opened the trunk. After placing the items in the trunk, I hand her a Food for You flyer so she would have more information about our ministry. As she looked at the flyer, I notice her turning it over and looking at the income requirements on the back for a family of four. She then said, “We don’t make anything near that amount,” then thanked me and gave me a hug. Needless to say, her statement and her expression of gratitude almost brought me to tears. You’re welcome I said, but please thank God instead.
God has given each of us the privilege of being His hands and feet. He has also blessed His body, our church, by providing and sustaining us with the ability and provisions to be a blessing to each other and to those in need. What happened to me at the laundromat that day is something I will never forget. God blessed me in a way that deeply touch me, He presented me with an opportunity to serve, then in no uncertain terms, when I thought I had done enough, told me, “she needs more… DO IT NOW!”
There have been so many times in my life when I’ve passed up the opportunity to serve God by serving others. I’m so thankful I listened this time and will be more attuned when He again presents me with an opportunity to show His grace and love to others.
One more thing: Our Lord, our pastors and staff, our Session and Deacons, and the members of our church have blessed each one of us with the opportunity to serve when we find someone in need. We have a storeroom stocked with the items I mentioned earlier to be used by any member of our church whenever a need arises. All you have to do is contact the Church office where you can pick up a Food Relief box. Or if other items are needed, they can be made available from the Food For You storage room. Think about how you can use the opportunities that God has given you to be a bridge to Christ and light in our community.