Engaging Detours
Have you ever experienced God’s ability to take the simplest of events and tie them together in such a way that shows the power of His love? Where you are just going about what you believe to be your own plans and God reveals ways to use you to extend His love to others? This happened to my family and I recently.
It’s an exciting time for us right now with our newborn, Max. Having a new baby in the house has brought fresh joy and vision to our lives. On February 24th, the day of our son’s two month check up, we headed into Philly with a plan for authentic cheesesteaks and a hope for adventure after our appointment! Having a background in culinary arts as a chef, it is next to impossible for me to eat a meal without analyzing, critiquing, and comparing. Naturally after eating a steak from Pat’s, I grab one for later from Geno’s. If you want to know where I think you can get the best cheesesteak in Philly, you’ll have to ask me in person! (Please ask me, haha)
My wife and I had a great time in the city that day. We even had the opportunity to have a conversation with the owner of Pat’s and his family, who generously gifted us a bib for Max. We didn’t realize it at the moment, but our lunch detour was the beginning of a string of great ministry opportunities. Our decision to stop for lunch may have been our plans, but God wanted to use it to bless someone else.
On our way home from the city, we received a call from a friend that I have been coaching over the past few years. She is now helping other people and needed to know how to get someone an ID. Guys, how awesome is that!?
Well, true to the statement that “ministry is life”, I saw our next ministry opportunity looking right at me.
In the middle of my call, I saw a man standing next to the entrance of I-95 towards Chester. In his hands was a sign telling us that he was homeless and in need of food and help. Remember that second cheesesteak I bought for later? I knew immediately when I saw this man, who I now know is named Anthony, God had me buy that extra steak for him.
Guided by the patience of my wonderful wife (she knows I’m always up to something), I pulled over on the side of the busy highway, called to Anthony, and told him, “I have a sandwich for you from one of the best places in Philly!”
It may seem like a small thing, and in a way it is, but small things in the hands of God can produce big fruit for His Kingdom. Similar to Anthony, I was once at my rock bottom. My life was saved from inside of a jail cell. I was a heroin addict, a prisoner, and I had no reason to believe that anyone cared for me. So when I saw Anthony, I felt eager to extend to him what God had once given me in that place: love.
Listen to this powerful description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
If my life could be changed by this love, so could Anthony’s! I told him right then and there that I loved him, that I cared for him, and that God had a plan for his life. We shared our stories and decided to keep in touch. Getting ready to leave and amazed at what God had done, I gave him a hug and told him, “Anthony, I came from the same place as you- homeless, hungry, and needing my life to change.”
Friends, I am so excited to see what God will do with Anthony’s life and thankful that God is able to do so much with so little. I want to encourage you, our great Savior’s plans extend far before us. Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but it’s every decision is the Lords.” This means that there is no such thing as luck; in Christ we can depend on him to work EVERYTHING together for His purpose!
At Greenhouse Project, we seek to be intentional in our day to day lives and aim to not be passive in our interactions with others. Instead, we want to use our lives to impact those around us by being receptive to the direction of God.
Whether you are new to us or have been here from the beginning, check out our website (CLICK HERE) We have updated it to reflect the current work we are doing in our communities.
As we continue with our mission, we are expecting to see generations of people transformed through Jesus, but we need your help to get there! So if you desire to partner with us, or already support our ministry, please continue to give generously (GIVE HERE) and pray for us as we focus on building relationships and walking life out with those in our communities. Also, check out our updated volunteer needs, we can use your skills to help in long-term transformation. (CLICK TO VOLUNTEER)
Finally, remember that while it is easy to be focused on our own plans, God often desires for us to take detours to benefit those around us. Be on the lookout for how God might be using the little things in your life to do great works for others through simple love!
At Greenhouse Project, we seek to be intentional in our day to day lives and aim to not be passive in our interactions with others. Instead, we want to use our lives to impact those around us by being receptive to the direction of God.