The Woman At The Park (Not The Well)!!
Last Saturday our church did an “Concert Outreach” to the College Hill Community in Bramble Park. Our Praise Team & Praise Band set up and sang and our church family served hot dogs, chips, donuts, snacks and ect. to those who showed up. We enjoyed getting to “mingle” with the people, had the opportunity to pray with some of them about some needs in their lives and just “hang out” and love on ‘em in Jesus name. While there I noticed a woman and spoke to her. She immediately “stiffened up” and seemed VERY reluctant to approach the area we were in – much less take any food from us. Many of our people spoke to her and most got the same “stand offish” reaction. While mingling with the people I again got near her and tried to strike up a conversation. I eventually invited her to church at Life House and she let me know VERY QUICKLY that “church wasn’t her thing”. I thanked her and assured her that she was always welcome at Life House. I then said – “If you don’t want to come to church at least come in the morning for our huge country breakfast that we serve ever Sunday morning to the community. It’s free and if you want to stay for church afterwards it’s fine and if you don’t it’s fine – the breakfast is always free with no strings attached.” She didn’t promise me anything. Sunday morning rolled around and as people began to come in for breakfast I noticed that this lady and a man had reluctantly come in the building. I watched her and she walked over to another lady that she apparently already knew and said, “I hope the roof doesn’t fall in.” I stepped over and told her not to worry about the roof because I had been in the building many times and it had never fallen with me in it.” – we both laughed. After breakfast people began to move toward the worship center and lo and behold she and the gentleman she was with slipped in the back of the worship center and sat down. I couldn’t see her during the worship service but when it came time to deliver the message I noticed her. She was all eyes and ears. I shared God’s Word in my plain way and you never know what to expect during the altar call at Life House. Many people came and filled the altars. Many praying, some seeking prayer. A line of people had formed in front of me asking me to pray for them and after praying with two people I noticed the next one in line was this woman. She said she needed to “get things right” in her heart. I motioned for one of our ladies to come and she took her aside and led her to the Lord. Following the service, this same woman walked up to me and said she needed to do that “water thing”. I was shocked! She was requesting to be baptized!! I told her that we would be doing believers baptism that very night and she could be baptized then if she wanted. She was READY! Sunday night we had the blessing of baptizing three new believers and she was one of them. The “neat thing” is that I saw her again on Tuesday for our Life House Community Cafe’ meal and when she came in – she came in with a big smile and came and hugged me. She had been telling her friends about getting saved and about her new church. What a difference Jesus makes!! I wasn’t there when the woman at the well got saved – but I can say that I was there when the woman at the park did!! Keep praying for more “God Moments” like that one at Life House in the near future ! Pastor James