BANANAS? NO, BLESSING!

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

1 Peter 3:9-10

…bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do…cultivate good…

Yesterday is was, in a word, BANANAS at the JEREMIAH TREE. We had people moving furniture from across the street and for a FREEDOMER who just was blessed with a new apartment. (THANKS TP and BL!)

A homeless woman stopped by to do laundry. We had conference calls with our benevolence teams and our wonderful St. Vincent ladies and more appointments than I care to count. W and N came through once again and fed over a dozen hungry folks an awesome lunch! We delivered food, kept a few lights on for folks in crisis. It was rapid-fire; like I said BANANAS!

But after I got home late last night and unpacked the text messages I missed, I was grateful for my day in the “banana TREE".

Here is why.

It was the message from LL. And that message was a blessing that made all the “bananas” bearable!

LL walked in a beaten down and very tired lady. Several nights in a row sleeping on the floor will zap the life out of the most energetic let alone one who was exhausted to begin with. She shared a story of chronic addiction, an estranged family, missed opportunities and trial. Through the tears and the sniffles it was obvious she had hit the wall. She grew up knowing Jesus, but had been running from Him for years. Now she was back; a prodigal daughter at the end of the driveway looking for her Father.

Now I will be honest, her problems were much more than we could possibly have begun to unpack or solve alone, but like we say in the TREE, “How do you eat an elephant?”

“One bite at a time”.

So we bit on the “sleeping on the floor” part.

And GOD made a way for us to “bless” her!

Through the help of our wonderful team, a real treasure in TS, a group of ladies from Hawker Road United Church of Christ and a little creative thinking, LL is no longer sleeping on the floor and neither is TL her daughter! GOD provided. In this case He provided what she really needed; REST! But we shouldn’t be surprised.

GOD does that sort of thing!

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST.

Yesterday GOD said it this way, “Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will arrange an air mattress and a sleeping bag for you!”

I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. GOD provided. We blessed and we received an amazing blessing! GOD was (and always is) true to His WORD!

Philippians 4:19

…God will supply every need…

LL had come in looking for a handout, but what she received was so much more. She received a blessing from GOD and so did my team at the TREE.

LL realized that GOD was invested in her and if she trusted Him to go where He was leading her to go (BACK TO HIM) He would begin to change things for her. I’m convinced this morning that is why I was open yesterday; to be a messenger of GOD’S rest.

In fact, this was her text back to the TREE late last night.

Thank you Pastor Delaney my daughters coming home tomorrow and that is all due to the fact that you donated an air mattress for her to sleepon. maybe all those people i let aleep at my house in the past IS being paid forward... thank you for being part of that I won't forget it…I know its kinda late but I want you to know that you were the messenger today thanks:-) we will probably talking again goodnight…

I share this little story to encourage you today. All of us have “banana days”, days where chaos and craziness rule. But keep your eyes open. In the midst of the crazy may be the opportunity for you to pause and be GOD’s messenger of hope, possibility and blessing. Don’t get so busy that you miss it. Look for those chances to bless. It doesn’t have to be a huge deal. It can be a sleeping bag or a cup of coffee.

You will be a blessing and as the passage promises, you most certainly will be blessed; even rewarded!

Matthew 10:42

And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney