No Strings Attached

My sleepy kids awaken sluggish from restless, excited sleep.

Quick showers...

Quick breakfast...

Quick dressing...

Today is the day for which we've been preparing. Vehicles line up in front of our house behind ours like a fourth of July parade.

Grab the paper plates and plastic silverware.

Load the coolers.

Get the water.

By all means, don't forget Gary's-farm-grown-pop-in-your-

mouth-sweetest-sweet-corn-ever! 

 

The grills are tied down in the backs of flatbed pick-ups, and the caravan is off.

 

***********

 

Our kids, slowly waking, chatter along with the soothing vibration from the engine of our car. My husband drives while I finish applying mascara and lipstick on the way. We're almost there.

The caravan of cars follows us through the back gate between nomadic homes on wheels. Generators hum to run the air conditioners in the traveling bunk house dorms to bite away the August morning heat. The Ferris wheel is serene in the morning sunshine. The quiet carnival rests as the rest of the world busies itself around it.

While workers sleep, we quickly prepare. The grills are fired up. Tablecloths are laid out readying the tables for our guests. Homemade salads are placed on serving tables, and Kathy's-to-die-for-chocolate-chip-cookies are placed on pretty trays alongside jellos and puddings for dessert.

A group of 7 or 8 teens and kids takes prepared flyers from traveling house to traveling house, and from fair stand to fair stand.

The flyer simply says:

FREE LUNCH to ALL fair/carnival workers

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the fair pavilion

NO STRINGS ATTACHED!!!

Hot dogs, hamburgers, sweet corn, salads, and dessert...

We'll see you there!!!
 

***********

They begin to trickle in one-by one, at first, skeptical.

Each one carries the weight of the world, and the weight of their own story. Most carnival workers don't get here through the path of an easy life. It's no easy life, still, to have no permanent home... no permanent roots.

Genuine kindness and compassion go a long way, and serving a meal to those who might normally be forgotten awakens me. Our heart is to simply bless.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED...

At 11:30, we've only served a few people, but word of mouth spreads quickly, and by noon all of the skepticism has turned to dust. The pavilion is full of hungry people, genuine laughter, and happy conversations.

A sun-baked toothless man touches me on the shoulder and says, "Thank you for this meal today. I haven't had a home cooked meal in months, and those cookies were so good." I gave him a few more cookies and a smile to take with him.

One lady, weathered beyond her years, asks, "Why are you doing this?" Eyes shining, the kind-hearted pastor replies,"We, simply, want to thank you for all of the hard work you do. Thank you for helping to make fair week so fun!" 

 

The same pastor braves fair admission prices and sweltering afternoon heat to cart his wheeled cooler filled with ice-cold bottled water to share with the workers each afternoon of the fair. Some workers recognize him from the free lunch, and by the end of the week almost all of them know him by name.

 

A FREE MEAL...

 

FREE WATER...

NO STRINGS ATTACHED...

No strings attached, because we believe that when Jesus said give a cup of cold water in HIS name...in HIS love... that HE meant it, and HE meant for it to be done with NO OTHER AGENDA other than loving each other.

***********

This month marks two years since God called us away from Michigan. This week is Branch County Fair week there. I have been reflecting on the six consecutive years we were honored and privileged to serve the fair/carnival workers in this very small way with NO STRINGS ATTACHED. I hope that in the simple giving of a meal they will remember the kindness, and it will become part of the story they pass on to their children and grandchildren. Our heart was to simply bless, and in our serving, we have been the ones who have been blessed.

I anxiously await the vision God is beginning to unfold in our hearts for Colorado. I feel as if our time of "rest" might be coming to a close. Whatever we do, and wherever we serve, we will always remember to give a cold cup of water in HIS love and in HIS name with NO STRINGS ATTACHED. 

 

 

"Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty...the smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing." (Matthew 10:42 MSG)

 

ALL IS GRACE,

 

 

I Met Jesus Today

I MET JESUS TODAY.

I was standing in front of a tree weighted down with stuff.

Literal stuff.

I was strategically balancing a Rubbermaid tote, my purse, a blanket, several items my kids asked me to hold, and a backpack. In front of me on the ground was a cooler, a guitar in its case, another blanket, a casserole container and a box of doughnuts.

Yes, a box of doughnuts.

I was waiting patiently beside the tree, and I heard a kind voice say, "Hi, how are you today?" I looked up, and there was a bearded gentleman in his mid to late forties with kind eyes and a nice smile... in a wheelchair battling obvious symptoms of muscular dystrophy.

I replied, "I'm having a good day. How is your day?"

He said, "Mine is good, too. Thank you," and he continued on. I watched him as he did the fastest u-turn I've ever seen maneuvered in a motorized wheelchair. Actually, I didn't know until today that a wheelchair could move like that!

He was turning back towards the tree and me. He looked at me and asked, "Where are you going? Do you need any help?" As he held out his hands in a helping gesture he assured me, "I really don't mind."

I MET JESUS TODAY.

Jesus was in a wheelchair, and I was leveled. Jesus wanted to relieve me from my obvious burdens.Why is it that those who have, perhaps, the most need are the ones who are the quickest to volunteer help when others seem to be in need? Why is it that true giving comes out of our poverty and not our wealth? I was floored at this man's generosity. His kindness. His heart.

I MET JESUS TODAY.

I am going to figure out how I can be Jesus to others and have it flow from me with ease. I want compassion and helpfulness to be my first response to every situation with others. I am going to scratch, kick, and claw my way if I have to to get THAT to be my natural bent and the overflow of my heart, not only in words but action.

I MET JESUS TODAY.

As he zoomed away in his wheelchair, I realized just how beautiful His heart really is, and I want to be just like Him.


Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (NLT)


ALL IS GRACE,