Skip to main content

Spiritual Sundays ~ Got Coffee?


It was early Sunday morning and much of our town wasn’t up yet. We stopped the car suddenly when we saw her. She pushed aside the boxes in the back seat and climbed in and thanked us for rescuing her from the cold. We talked a little bit during the drive. So you’re on your way to town heading for church” she said. “Why do you go to church?”
I paused, realizing that she was dead serious.

I've been thinking about this middle-aged hitchhiker whom we met last week. Her slacks were worn and her big sweater wasn’t adequate enough for the cold morning. I was glad we could give her a lift. Rarely am I ever face to face with someone who has never been to church. Her question caught me off guard.

I thought about this…Why do I go to church? I go to worship God. He saved my life; I need Him and want to sing Him my praises. The Bible teachings are inspirational and measured with a plumb line of accurate biblical truth. I need direction for my life! The love of God flows through the people who congregate there and I feel a sense of closeness to them. I feel love for them, too. I need to be with God-fearing people. This world is crazy.

So how do I communicate this to this woman who has never experienced a church service and, further, never experienced a personal Jesus? I kept it simple saying that the service will revolve around a biblical teaching and it lasts about an hour and a half. Would you like to go with us? Her response tickled me: “Do they have coffee there?” Her greatest need was warmth. She was freezing!

No, she didn’t take us up on our offer to spend the next few hours with us in church; she wanted coffee at the mercantile. Church may be too scary for some, but Jesus is what everyone needs!
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17

Spiritual Sundays is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

Comments

  1. DeniseJanuary 9, 2010 at 10:10 PM

    Thanks for sharing, be blessed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nikki (Sarah)January 10, 2010 at 5:25 AM

    wow Saleslady, loved this. Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  3. DebbieJanuary 10, 2010 at 6:37 AM

    Who knows what seed you planted...great story...Blessings, Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 10, 2010 at 7:06 AM

    Even though she did not join you for church, the seed was planted.
    She saw Jesus in you. I would be scared to pick up a hitchhiker but obviously, the Holy Spirit was prompting you to do so. Alleluia. Amen.

    ReplyDelete
  5. SmilingSallyJanuary 10, 2010 at 7:28 AM

    LOL My church has coffee! I've always thought that it was unnecessary, but today I understand. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. rcubesJanuary 10, 2010 at 12:09 PM

    She might not have gotten the coffee from church but she definitely received some warmth from the love you had shared with her. Just praying that it won't die down and would make her change her mind next time you come across her path...God willing. She will long for God's love instead of coffee next time around. With your brief encounter, God will do the rest...Love and blessings to you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Musings of A MinisterJanuary 10, 2010 at 12:35 PM

    Good post. Thanks for sharing your experience and your words of wisdom concerning going to church.

    ReplyDelete
  8. nannykimJanuary 10, 2010 at 1:27 PM

    It is a good question to think about--the generation that is in their 20's and 30's have often left off going to church. Somehow we have failed to teach them or something? At times I do think there has been a feminizing of the church and it has failed to provide for the men in an adequate way. ..and yet our main purpose is to worship God with other believers and to encourage each other as the body of Christ. I think it is important that the church is about relationships God-ward and man-word...

    ReplyDelete
  9. ReneeJanuary 10, 2010 at 1:53 PM

    How wonderful you were able to witness ever so gently with this woman...planting seeds and showing the love of Christ in offering her a ride and answers to her questions. Thank you for sharing this...God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  10. CharlotteJanuary 10, 2010 at 3:37 PM

    This experience was a blessing for you and for her. Hopefully she will give it a lot of thought in the future. Who knows, maybe this was God's way of showing his love to her through you. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think it is true. Thank you for sharing it with us.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ginger~~Enchanting CottageJanuary 10, 2010 at 5:58 PM

    I'm sure that you said something that would bring her to contemplate her citation. I would of been off guard as well.
    God Bless,
    Ginger

    ReplyDelete
  12. christy roseJanuary 10, 2010 at 7:38 PM

    What a great question for everyone that goes to church to ponder. What is the reason? hmmmm

    I wonder if she was an angel. Did you entertain an angel this day? With a question from the Lord? hmmmmm :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. CathyJanuary 10, 2010 at 8:47 PM

    Thanks for sharing that, Dear. Blessings ~

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dayle ~ A Collection of DaysJanuary 11, 2010 at 4:16 PM

    I'm a sinner saved by grace. You planted a seed.

    ReplyDelete
  15. KayJanuary 12, 2010 at 6:44 AM

    Doesn't God present us with some of the most interesting tasks? Thank you for being obedient in so many ways, Mary! I've always said ... as a church/christian, if we find a need and MEET IT, they have seen the face of God. The rest is up to God! Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Peter StoneJanuary 13, 2010 at 3:14 AM

    Hey Mary,
    You planted a seed there, and the Lord can do amazing things with seeds.
    Sounds like you guys are having some winter over there! I just got back from Japan, so from almost freezing winter to scorching summer over night!
    God bless
    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  17. JackieJanuary 14, 2010 at 11:12 AM

    Oh, yes - seeds were planted and He will send someone else to water. Maybe the person at the coffee shop was the next Divinely ordered laborer in her path!

    Thanks for sharing!

    He is Faithful!
    Jackie

    ReplyDelete
  18. prashantJanuary 22, 2010 at 4:48 AM

    great story...Blessings

    Work from home

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Trade

My best friend’s husband died, but she did not place her wedding ring in a draw.  She designed a new ring, an everyday kind of ring, and incorporated the diamonds from her wedding ring.  I cheered her on for her ingenuity to keep his memory close at all times. A gal in my critique group wrote about the best Christmas present she ever received.  She inherited her late mother-in-law’s mink coat.  She loved her dearly, but when she put on the coat, she felt like she stepped out of the 1950’s.  She hated the thought of it placed in a box and stacked on a closet shelf.  Her husband took it to a furrier and surprised her at Christmas with a brand new mink stole.  I choked up when I read her words of love for her mother-in-law and the beautiful mink cape she wore for a classy event in frigid Flagstaff during the holidays. The Spiritual Trade off I don’t have a mink coat or extra diamonds to create something new.  I do have some thin...
40 comments
Read more

Spiritual Sundays ~ Not Just For Prophets

I smiled when I heard Pat Robertson on the 700 Club make this remark: “Doesn’t everyone talk to God?” He was referring to the jab that Joy Behar gave to Christine O’Donnell, running for Senate in Delaware. Christine was asked by one of her supporters why she goes out on a limb defending her conservative Christian convictions in such a hostile campaign. “Because God told me to” she replied. And for that, Joy called her crazy because she hears from God. The cry of my heart is to be able to hear God’s voice. When God speaks personally, there’s nothing else like it in the whole world. I studied the 25th chapter of Genesis this week and noticed how troubled Rebekah was during her pregnancy. She said “Why is this happening to me?” She was referring to the jostling in her womb. So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her: “Two Nations are in your womb, And two peoples from within you will be separated; One people will be stronger than the other And the older will serve the y...
27 comments
Read more

Spiritual Sundays ~ Shalom!

On Monday at sunset we will celebrate our Jewish Roots for the 27th year with a Passover Seder. We have a lot of memories over the years and I always look forward to eating this special meal with its unique foods and order of celebration. One of my favorite memories over the years is the hiding of the Afikomen matza. The Rabbi, or my husband in our home, places three pieces of matza (unleavened bread) in three pockets of a bag called the Afikomen. The Afikomen is placed on the table with other elements. At the beginning of the Seder, the rabbi removes the middle matza, breaks it in half, and hides the half in a linen napkin somewhere in the room. Towards the end of the night, just after the Seder meal is eaten, the rabbi turns to the youngest person, usually a child, and asks him to find the hidden matza. He then rewards the child usually with some chocolate candy. We’ve asked Jewish people why this is part of the ritual and most reply that they do not know what it represents. I’ve rea...
23 comments
Read more