Fast Food and Encouragement with Jesus
Just about every weekend, our family travels from church to church to encourage the local assembly to be a part of world missions, through prayer, support, and action. A few weekends ago our travels were a little bit different.
Our typical rule is if we are going to a church that is more than two hours away from where we live, we will travel the day before. We have found that for our little ones anything more than two hours is a bit too much. A two-hour trip can easily be drawn into a three or four-hour drive. And trust me, it’s not fun when that happens.
This particular weekend we had a three and a half-hour drive to Nowata New Life Assembly. Bethany and I wanted to make this trip more enjoyable for our boys, so we decided to stop at the Tulsa Zoo. It was a good place to stop midway before we made it to the hotel in Bartlesville.
About two hours into our trip, it was lunchtime, so we stopped at a restaurant. As we walked in and were warmly greeted by the lady behind the counter. Not a typical occurrence during the lunch rush at a fast food joint.
“How can I help you today,” the lady said with a big smile on her face. We ordered our meals and started looking for a place to sit. Every table had a sign on it. “Table closed due to social distancing.” There were only three tables that had signs saying it was safe to sit there, but they were all dirty. So I walked around to the front counter and asked the lady for something we could clean the table off with. Once again with a big smile, she said, “give me just a second and I’ll clean a table off for you.” She hurried to clean off a table and even made sure that the seats were clean as well. Then I asked her if there were any high chairs for our youngest son. She said, “Yes Sir, let me grab one for you.”
As we sat there eating our lunch, I watched as more customers lined up at the counter. What was really interesting is how this lady worked. She kept a smile on her face and worked diligently to serve each person. Her kindness and diligence to serve did not change when customers were angry or agitated. When there were no customers in line, she kept herself busy. She was constantly cleaning and restocking the restaurant. I noticed that this was not the case for most of the other employees. They looked like they didn't want to be there.
But this lady was different, she seemed very happy and content.
After we finished our lunch we started cleaning up to leave. At that moment, I started feeling the Holy Spirit tugging at me to go pray for her. So I got up from my seat and walked to the side door that led to where she was standing behind the counter. “Yes Sir, can I help you with anything else?” the lady kindly asked.
“No ma’am,” I said. “What is your name?”
“My name is Jenn,” she replied.
“Jenn, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Adam. This may sound kinda weird to you, but I’m a pastor and I feel like I’m supposed to pray for you today.” I expressed to her.
Suddenly the Holy Spirit nudged me to tell her, “The work you are doing, and the good attitude you have here is not going unnoticed.”
“Jenn, is it ok for me to pray with you?” I asked.
With a stunned look she said, “Yes, please. That would be nice.”
“Is there anything specific that I can pray with you today about?” I asked.
For the next few moments, Jenn poured her heart out to me. She told me about how she had walked away from church 10 years ago when her husband walked out on her and her four children. Over the years she had made bad choices in relationships, and life. Her life sounded rough.
Without any prompting from me about church Jenn divulged, “I was born and raised in the church. I know that I have moved away from God, and now I feel like he has been calling me to go back. I’ve been debating on whether I should go back or not.”
Then she told me how she feels that God has been providing a way for her to get back to church. The tires on her car split over a week ago. Since then, two different customers have given her a one hundred dollar tip to purchase new tires for her car.
“I can’t help but to believe that God is up to something in my life now. Because God has not only sent the two customers with the money for my car but because He also asked you to pray with me. I can’t deny it anymore, I’m supposed to be back in church.” She uttered as tears filled her eyes.
Over the next few moments, I prayed for and encouraged Jenn. I told her about a church that I know of that is close to the restaurant. Then I gave her a few resources from Global University’s School of Evangelism and Discipleship to help her to rekindle her relationship with God.
When we finished, Jenn gave both Bethany and me a big hug and went back to work. As we were leaving to make our way to the Zoo, I overheard Jenn telling some of the other employees what had happened and how God is working in her life.
The longer I serve God and pursue His calling on my life, the more I feel that my role as a Christian is as an encourager. Whether it’s in evangelism or discipleship, it seems that encouragement is what is needed in every situation. It reminds me of two verses from Hebrews 3:13 and 10:24-25
Hebrews 3:13 Exhort (urge, comfort, encourage) one another everyday, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
These verses aren’t written just for those of us who are ministers. These verses are meant for the entire body of Christ. When we visit with fellow Christians, we are to help encourage and help them strengthen their relationship with Jesus. If we are talking to someone who is away from God, again we need to be encouraging to them and urging them into a relationship with Christ.
I’m not sharing this story about Jenn to toot my own horn. Instead, I want to use it, as an illustration, to encourage you to love and good works. If ministers were the only people doing the work, I think it’s safe to say that the work wouldn’t get done. It takes more than preaching on Sundays and the day-to-day operation of a church building. It takes “THE CHURCH,” everyone in the body of believers, to do the work. We all have to do our part to love those who God loves and to do good every day of our lives.
Jesus teaches us in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” This isn’t just the 10 Commandments we are to keep but is also the Great Commission. We are supposed to go out into the lost world to encourage people through evangelism and discipleship.
Jesus goes on to say in the next two verses, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (advocate, counselor), to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” When we follow through with Jesus’ commands, when we are living for Him, He will give us the Holy Spirit as a helper. When we receive the Holy Spirit, He becomes alive and active in our lives. All we have to do is take the time to listen to Him and obey. When we do, the power of God will be set loose in our lives as we encourage others to live for Christ. What happened with Jenn, is because I realized that it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me, and I simply acted on what He urged me to do.
As we work together we will see people like Jenn renew their faith in Christ, and see God change the world in ways that can only happen through the power of the One True God.
Things to think about:
(if you feel comfortable, please leave your answers in the comments.)
What is a time in your life that you were like Jenn, and were away from God?
Who are people that have encouraged you in your walk with Christ?
How did they encourage you?
What do you feel that your role as a Christian is both in and outside of the church?
Who are the people that God has placed in your life for you to encourage?
Do you have any stories of how God has used you to encourage someone?
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