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The Food Line
Richie
Shaw heads up a team of people planting a new church. Last weekend he
told Brad’s story.
This
past Easter—less than two weeks ago—Brad and a team of folk from Real
Life Ministries, Spokane, WA (the church plant) decided to serve the
poor and the homeless at a local soup kitchen. What better way to share
the love of the risen Christ? The team prayed for opportunities to
share their faith and Brad specifically prayed for someone he might
lead to Christ.
That
morning a 19-year-old young man walked into the facility looking for a
hot breakfast on another cold Spokane morning. Brad recognized him. It
was his son standing in the line for food!
Three
years ago, Brad’s 16 year-old son left home. Justin chose to live on
the streets and cut off virtually all contact with his family. Brad had
spoken to him only a few times and very briefly over the last three
years. Throughout that time he didn’t know Justin’s whereabouts or
circumstances. As you might imagine, it was a constant source of
heartache for Brad.
When
the two saw each other in the homeless shelter, the tears flowed.
For
two hours they shared tears and apologies … and Brad also shared Christ
with his son. Then, in an answer to prayer that surpassed anything Brad
had imagined, he led Justin to Christ and baptized him that same
morning. He had prayed for someone to lead to Christ—and never imagined
it would be his own estranged son.
That
true story is also ours.
Are
we not as aimless, as homeless, and as estranged from Christ as Justin
was from his dad? Even those of us who have enjoyed the warm fireplace
of the home may have drifted back onto the streets; sometimes
aimlessly, sometimes rebelliously. It doesn’t matter how we got there.
But the Father keeps showing up at “the food line” to meet us, embrace
us, and reconcile with us.
And
every time we join the line and “bump into Him” is another resurrection
morning. The old has passed away; behold, new things have come.
That’s
gospel. That’s good news for today.
In
HOPE –
David
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