Welcome to the Real Life Experience!In the fall of 2007, the Real Life community embarked on an epic journey to seek the Lord together. Here you'll find real stories of real people who are sharing their experiences...
Friday, April 4, 2008
Ok so today I was really struggling through my day. I was having one of those classic rough days.
I started by waking up late, nearly being late for work. And today's work was truly tiring. Exhausted, frustrated, tired, and irritable I headed to the burger king to grab a quick lunch.
It was a typical fast food day, people coming in and out, lots of construction workers joking and laughing. I noticed a guy pushing a bike up near the doors outside of the restaurant. Based on all of the stuff strapped to his bike it wasn't hard to guess he was homeless. Looking as dejected as possible the man came in, while letting others go in front of him he stood there in a pacing sort of way.
Once the line cleared he timidly approached the young man running the register and nearly in tears he asked if there were any scraps or food of any kind they might be able to give him. Explaining to the guy how he was in a really bad place and could use anything. Like a wave I felt this huge push from the Holy Spirit and without realizing it I was already moving. As I approached the counter I pulled out five dollars and handed it to the cashier and said get this man whatever he wants. The man just stood there looking at me like he had no idea what to think.
I returned to my lunch and watched the man get a couple hamburgers and pocket the change. After I was finished I realized he had nothing to drink. So, knowing I had some water bottles with me, I asked him if he would come out to my van, he reluctantly followed. I gave him a water bottle and asked him about his life, my heart cried out in pain as I listened to his story. I then asked him if I could pray for him, again not knowing what to think he just stared at me.
When we had separated he started to walk away, then stopped. He turned back to me and said, "Why did you do all this for me?" Not knowing exactly what to say, I simply said, "My friend, God has been generous to me and has given me the opportunity to be generous to others." He responded with misty eyes, I guess I just don't understand how...
As I got in my van to go back to my work day, it all kinda became clear to me. God had sent this man right into my path to show me how good I really have it. I was so frustrated with my day, and I was running late, but now I see that if I hadn't have been running late I never would have met Dave. That truly changed the rest of my day.
It's so easy to be focused on me and my immediate world and not see all that's going on around me. I don't give God enough credit for the things he teaches me on a daily basis. All this to say that God moves us in all different kinds of ways and being able to see these things seems like the hardest part. I just pray that I learn to be more aware of these opportunities.
POSTED BY JESSE L. AT 4:45 PM
Well. First of all this may be jumbled and may not make sense in places. I had another long day between starting back up with a new quarter of school this week and with being short staffed at work I'm just not able to sleep well lately. Secondly, I know for a fact that until a few minutes ago I hadn't stopped to really listen to what to God has wanted to reveal to me lately. As I sit here, monitoring my sister in the hospital, I realize how blessed truly I am. I feel so humbled to be able to sit here and help her.
In fact, it just dawned on me that with my own situation, help IS and WAS on the way all along I just never stopped, took time to breath, and really SAW it or truly believed it. I have been so caught up in my own sorrows, that I was missing the truth and positive things that existed in my life.
Because here's my situation: I am in my third year of college and struggling to past my most necessary classes. I’m afraid of failing even further and racking up more and more debt in student loans. I had to meet with one of my professors to explain to him that I am not simply slacking off in his class and that I am really trying. Talk about a humbling experience. I had to sit there, put my ego and pride aside, and explain to him that I desire to succeed in his class. It was all I could do to not burst into tears with all of my built up frustration. Luckily, he understood and is willing to help me out.
I have realized many truths about myself through these last few weeks. Not only did Christ provide grace through His death on the cross but He also created gracious people. To exercise the grace God has blessed me with; I can now practice this with this hospital I sit in towards the nurses and everyone I am surrounded by. God is seriously teaching me to be humble right now. Many things have happened in the last 24 hrs and man I am so grateful that HE IS a God of love and grace. I have definitely stumbled but God has picked me up off the ground and brushed me off the past couple of days.
POSTED BY KELSIE M. AT 2:07 AM
I met a woman named "Ann" today. I was in Wal Mart doing a little shopping and placing "Help is on the Way" cards all over the store. Ann and I talked for a while and I handed her a card. I found out that she's a Christian because of a tract she had found in a Fred Meyer store years ago. When she, herself, began passing out tracts, she met the man who later became her husband. Ann already attends Church, but, she felt that many people in the Care Home where she lives might be interested. She took eight cards and said she would put one on the bulletin board and give out the rest. I feel so blessed to have met Ann.
I was feeling a bit strange about just leaving cards all around the store without any personal contact with people. But, Ann reminded me that it was through such an act that she became a Christian. I'm trusting that God will lead people to pick up those cards and check us out on the website. I went into the store with 40 "Help is on the Way" cards and didn't leave until they were all gone. I'm going to get more cards and keep placing them where people can find them. It's been a great day.
POSTED BY SHARON U. AT 2:54 PM
I’ve been wearing my “HELP IS ON THE WAY” bracelet all week and yet I’m still bogged down with the same problems I had last week. Where is the rest Jeff and Mike talked about last week? Where is the rest I wrote a devotional about? My “to-dos” and “what-ifs” are becoming all consuming. I realized I am forgetting to take a breath and pray. My prayers are almost never about me. My prayers revolve around those in need of comfort around me. God put something on my heart tonight that made me stop in my tracks.
Tonight Trevor and I realized we need REAL HELP. Luckily we realized this tonight and not in mid-June, when baby number two is due. We have no family here in Vancouver, yet help is on the way. I know my REAL LIFE family will help and offer solutions and through prayer and much planning, there will be a plan (many, many plans) with what to do with Keatt when her baby brother is born.
God has had a plan for this baby all along. Within an hour after Keatt was born, the nurse said if we were planning on having more children, we should get to the hospital sooner. God had a plan for Keatt—she was born in the hospital; Trevor just didn’t have time to park! God worked through that nurse and I was listening; although, at the time I wasn’t thinking, “This is the voice of God.”
Even though I’m not ready for Wesley to be born (I never did get ready for Keatt), I am listening to what God is telling me. I’m hearing “don’t procrastinate,” “have many plans in place,” “reach out to those around you.” I don’t always hear Him; nor do I always listen. I felt compelled to share this because we are busy and often doing for others. If you take a few moments for yourself, you may hear something very important. Let Him work through those around you and be open to His message—whatever it is.
Lord, thank you for having a plan for us. Thank you for letting us place our burdens on you and letting us rest.
POSTED BY MEGHAN T. AT 10:03 PM
Wow! I am so excited to see what God is going to do through us! Did any of you see Cory's video? I just watched it for the first time! It was awesome! It brought tears to my eyes (surprising, I know). There are so many people at this church that have that story, I am so thankful that God brought us all here! We have a safe, caring, loving environment that is unshakeable! It's not Jeff telling us how we should be, it's God's vision and dream for this church! He is moving and orchestrating and leading us, it is so cool to be sitting in the middle of God's will! I am so thankful to be apart! So what's next??? Now that we found it... we gotta find more people to share it with!
POSTED BY KELLY A. AT 3:55 PM
CLICK HERE to read more posts...
