Ministry comes at you in so many different ways and sometimes it is extremely difficulty and challenging. Other times, ministry is not only a blessing it is FUN!! Today was one of the latter!!
After a full morning of PWOC for the ladies in my house and running ministry errands and doings some last minute paperwork, we borrowed a friends suburban and drove home. Now, yes, for a moment I felt like I was back in the states driving a full size suburban and it was FUN!!
Once we arrived at home in Idstein with the suburban, the three of us began to help our german neighbor moving a large armoire as well as her paintings and other boxes. She is moving after living there for over two and half years. We have only known her for four months and it has been great!
We have had several opportunities to practice our Deutsch with her and she her english with us. We will miss that! One thing though, Julie has had the opportunity to have a couple of spiritual conversations with her. She has experienced a lot of heartache and pain but despite losing her son to be with the Lord a couple of years ago, she knows that he is in heaven.
Knowing that, at the end of our day moving and literally wrestling the armoire down 6 half flights of stairs, we made it and got it set in her new house. We really wanted to give her something and I remembered that our friend and team mate, Randy Alcorn and given me copies of his Heaven book and Grace and Truth books in Deutsch. We presented them to her and as she left the flat on final time, she pointed to the title of the Heaven book and said...when I leave here, I will be there too!
With hugs and tears, we really found that ministry was FUN!!!! Hard and emotional but FUN!!! To know that she knows our Jesus, was a real thrill!! We will miss her and now, praying that the Lord brings another good renter to the small studio that Brigett has left vacant. Wish Melanie could rent it...that would be fun for her!!! Oh well, the Lord knows who He wants there that we can minister to as well.
So the next time you think about reaching out to your neighbor, do it!! It is FUN!!!
Ahhhhhhhh the blessings of reading your blog!!! it NEVER fails to bring me to my knees with thankfulness in just knowing you!!!! I mean that seriously!!!! I haven't got my skype set up yet, been super busy writing Bible lessons. I'm only one step ahead of my class!!! Yikes...
ReplyDeleteWell, i HAD skype, but have forgotten how to access it so i guess i need to set up a new account.
I'm getting ready for the next schoolyear .... wondering where on earth my summer has gone...
So, let's shoot for Sunday afternoon...hmmm what time is that for ya'll?????? or Monday of next week? i should be able to get it up and running by then
miss you............wanna do coffee with my friend
love and prayers
carroll