Attitude and a Free Restuarant

So what do you do when you feel God called to you to help an organization and later you realize it is not an OUT LOUD christian organization.

Yep that is the question I have been asking God since Joel and I started Volunteering for a Women's and Childrens free Restuarant. So this is the story:

THe last time Joel and I were in the great northwest together we had lunch with my aunt and uncle who raved about this "christian" group who feed a meal and give groceries to woman in need. So when JOel and I got off the mission field I felt kind of empty not doing anything for God. Yeah I know that God gave us this gift of resting but when I felt a stir in my spirit to do something for Jesus I, two weeks later, thought about the "Free Restuarant" my aunt and uncle told us about.

I was pumped and ready to volunteer for Jesus again. I felt this huge leading by the Holy Spirit to go in that direction. We contacted my aunt and it was a go. When Joel and I got to the church I was pretty pumped. I had never been on the end where we were actually giving to those that needed the food. WEll not in Los Angeles at least. We were always the one giving it to the people who would them give it to the needy, poor, hungry, and lost. So I was pumped to be able to pray and tell about Jesus while giving groceries to these women.

When we got there I said something about Jesus to my Aunt that is when she threw in the bomb. "WE don't pray for anyone unless they ask" I was sooooooooooooooo disappointed. THinking what kind of Christian are these? THen I asked the lady who was in charge of hiring volunteers about God in the mix and she said "This is not a faith base ministry but an organization with good people doing a good thing" She is a great christian who I talk with about God at times but if it had not been for the Holy Spirit promting me to go on by saying"This is where I want you" I probably would have done my first day of volunteering and then said thank you but we are done.

ON the car ride home from the first day I was nothing less than majorly disappointed with much signing and hming and haawing. Joel doesn't like me that disappointed and felt I was being too much of a drama queen or too judgemental. Later he explained to me that since they get grants from the government then it is probably rules from the government that they can't do any thing religious. Made more sense but I started arguing with God on the way Home (I had a little over an hour to have this discussion.) This is kind of the way it went.

"BUT God you know how I feel about doing a "GOOD DEED" Good deeds don't last but it is your love and doing things in your Name that last forever."

God "Dess I want to show you that even a good deed is a good thing."

Me "But God I want to pray for people and love on them and tell them about You and how great You are"

God "If you give a cup of cold water in my name ...."

Me" BUT . . . . (can't remember)"

God "This is where I want you every week for the rest of your time here"

Guess who lost the argument.

Later that day I had an old hymn back in my head that had been playing in there for a week or more "Freely freely you have received freely freely give. Go in my name and because you believe, others will know that I live"
That is when the Lord spoke to me again "I put that in your head to prepare you for the work I want you to do at the Woman's and Childrens give out."

I later looked up the scripture about the cup of cold water thinking it was in Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about the goats and sheeps I later found the real scripture the Lord had given me, "If you give a cup of cold water to the least of these little ones as my disciple you will surely not lose your reward."

Wow I thought I am your disciple and the reason I am doing this is because I want to let the world know about You.

Then I saw a frame I had made for my sister and brother in law. We had put scriptures all over it and one of the verses popped out at me. It says "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" Isaiah 12:3

WOw Lord, I thought, if I have your joy over flow from me to the women I interact with at the organzation then you could bring forth waters of salvation for these women. Oh Lord show me how to tell about you with out using words that could get me in trouble. Or show me how I can tell them about you or give me oppertunities.

Later Joel and I spoke. He kind of rebuked me for being disappointed and I just shared what I was struggling with by not being able to ask if people wanted prayer. While we were in Los Angeles I saw major miracles from simple prayers. I saw a marriage be saved from praying 20 minutes a day for 5 days a week, I heard people tell Joel and I about healings and attributed it to the prayers we were praying, I heard about break throughs for salvation by praying with the people who were on the front lines once a week. I felt the power of God with each person I prayed for. SO it was hard knowing that some of the women we meet could have major life changing break throughs with just one question and one answer "Can I praying for you and yes"

But the Lord knows my heart and still has a purpose for me even though I am not allowed to ask if people want prayer. ON our second visit Joel and I were able to talk to the workers about Jesus and the mission work we did and how good he has been to us.

SO what ever the Lord has, I am game. All you and I have to say is "Here we are Lord, here we are!!!"

Still Learning GOd's lessons in Life,
Dess

Pets and Gas Money

Joel and I left Friend Ships over a week ago and it is pretty crazy.

A lot of old Friend Ships crew gave me advice and said if I needed to cry about leaving Friend Ships that they would be there for me. I actually haven't been very sad about leaving Friend Ships. It is crazy how God works. I am way more emotional, sad, upset, etc about giving up our pets. Yes yes I have been bawling like a baby every other day about giving up our three cats and dog. I thought I would be over the cats by now.

So a few months before we left Friend Ships the Lord really put on my heart that we had to give up our pets. (I cried right then and there) So Joel and I went throught the process of trying to find really really really good homes. Man it was hard but at the last minute of the last day it all worked out. One went to Grady and Ivy's home town to a really good friend of theirs. And Sheba and Patch went to one of my closest friend in Los Angeles. Her husband offered to take them to find good homes but when they got them they said "we might just have to keep them" WHo knows what will happen . . . It is now fully in God's hands not mine.

And my friends husband is allergic. Wow what a blessing it was for him to take them. But when I call my friend she told me he is the one that goes looking for the cats and pets them. And Sheba warmed up to him first. Thank you my God. But I still cry.

I have learned that animal movies are very bad for me. I knew this after the first time seeing an animal movie and bawling like a baby so when my nephew wanted to want alvin and the chipmunks (yeah i know they are a fur-ball cartoon-give me a break) I said no. But I went to get dynamite outside and passed by the TV in the middle of the movie (big mistake Big HUGE) I probably saw less than 5 seconds and it was the part when Theodore wanted to sleep with dave and he indeed up sleeping on dave's shoulder . . . I started weeping. I mean mega weeping.

So following GOd isn't always easy and it isn't always fun.

But He does bless and my favorite scripture right now is "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD"

But God has been so faithful. I didn't tell any one this except Joel, Kristin, and Rebekah Larson but before we left Friend SHips I was freaking out about getting home. We didn't have enough money for Gas to make it from Los Angeles to Washington state. Shoot I wasn't even worried about eating I thought "I can fast" The problem was gas money. SO I emailed Rebekah and asked her to pray for me. I knew my problem wasn't gas money it was my fear of God not providing. That is a way bigger problem than gas money. And During the months before we left I read in Deuteronomy 28 about "Blessed in the city blessed in the country. Bless when you come and when you go." I was like Lord I give you my finaces but as of now I don't feel blessed with us leaving. But with Rebekah and Joel praying for me I really calmed down and gave it to my God who is my provider. I didn't want to tell any one else because I wanted God to provide and not telling people so they would provide.

SO what happened? We got 100 dollars for gas and Jim and Kristin got us a hotel room for on the way to my parents. I was like thanks Lord. Then in one week I got 14 orders for my handcrafted jewelry. I was like wow that is so awesome we may have enough to make it home. But God was pretty much like Dess I haven't even started yet.

ON the last day we were at the warehouse and I mean the very last day people came to say good bye and each time they did they brought us money or gift cards. The first guy that came and gave us money I felt the Lord say "There's more Dess" THen another guy came and gave us money "THere's more Dess" THen my friend gave us a gift certificate "There's more Dess" Then a really great friend from church had gotten the whole church to get us cards and gift certificates for gas and food stops. That is when the Lord said "That is it, Dess" By the end of the day the Lord had blessed us through people with over 1,000 dollars. I was blown away. On the car ride leaving Los Angeles I started crying asking God to forgive me for doubting that he would take care of me who is His child.

WE truly never have to worry about tomorrow for God our Father who loves us so much and never leaves us nor forsakens us will truly take care of us.

Love ya'll
GOd's Daughter,
Dess