Dude! Share The Food!

something cool is happening….

a couple of weeks ago, i told rick, who used to take lunches on tuesdays until his work schedule changed, to let me know if he could go downtown on any of the upcoming tuesdays.  (i know, tough sentence to translate from english to english)

so, sunday after church, he tells me “hey, i can’t go on tuesdays, but, i can go on fridays if someone will prep the meals.  i miss going”

then, minutes later, i asked lynn and karen (2 ladies who are highly involved with food prep) if they wanted to change the prep day from tuesday to friday.  they both said no, that they thought tuesday prepping and sharing should continue.  and that friday would somehow work itself out-  just like everything else works itself out.  (with God doing the working….)

then, literally as i was walking away, chris, from our “missions team” said “hey erik.  we need to talk to you for a minute!”

so, they told me that they’d like to help out, maybe on sunday.   we discussed it, and yet, somehow, they realized that there was more of a need for meals on friday…. (no idea where the thought came from)…. and they jumped right on board!

result:  in the next few weeks, they’ll be prepping meals that will be shared on friday!!!!

so, i was crazy excited!  within 20 minutes, we had an offer for a  food-to-the-streets-taker, a shot-down-idea-to-stop-food-on-tuesdays, and a whole new crew-to-prep-meals-for-friday!!!

coincidence?  no, chris reminded me “providence”.

God is soooo cool!

eh

“Croutons? Sure! We’ll take them.” What in the world are we going to do with a few hundred small bags of croutons? Lynn will kill me if I refuse free food. Erik thought to himself as he was driving away from The Pantry.

God had a plan. (As always)

Erik brought the container of croutons back to the church and several of us stared at them for a while. “We could use them as salties?” someone suggested. Erik made a command decision. “We are taking them downtown.” God must have been working because Erik rarely makes “command decisions.”

We get to the parking lot downtown, set-up and start serving the hotdogs (with the fixin’s), chips, ice-cream, desserts, etc. Everyone had a plate-full, so the croutons were not in high demand.

Then…another group sharing food pulled in across the street and they were serving… salads (among other things). Karen and Erik smiled and proceeded to take the entire container of croutons across the street.

You see, God was in the mood for salad and he wanted croutons with his salad. That’s right, God took two groups of people (and don’t forget about the people at The Pantry) from different parts of town and put them across the street from one another on the same day at the same time so we would praise Him just a little bit more. He did it so we could share this story with others and inspire them to praise Him.

I pray that God continues to show His power and continues to use us. I pray that we would all listen to the little voice that says “Take them downtown.” I pray we will all be friendly to one another and walk across the street to say “Hello” and “Want some croutons?”

Praise God for croutons.

wil

how awesome is this post???

two years ago today, some friends teamed up to begin this “Dude! Share the Food!” thingy.  since then, we’ve been able to share more than 42,000 meals!!

it’s just a simple idea: make up some meals, share ‘em with the homeless and hungry around Atlanta, and spread the fame of Jesus.   and when necessary, we use words….

since then, many, many others have joined in this quest.  and the quest is still simple:  to do what was stated above, in a consistent AND constant manner.

to all who have joined in:   thanks.  i know you are blessed for it today, with more blessing to come…

sorry.  no comedy in this post.  just a great big WOW!!  ISN’T THIS GREAT!!!

eh

this time, i chose to stare.

usually, i look away from those who have the obvious physical disabilities.  i guess i think that they’ve been stared at way too many times, and i shouldn’t add to that number.  so i look away.

but today, while sharing food in atlanta with my good friend Wil, i chose to stare.

we were trying to go to our next “regular” stop, and we were stopped at a light near a bridge/exit ramp.  i saw some “panhandlers” on the other side of the road, and, if i had been driving, i would have just continued on toward our destination.  and i’d have wondered if they were scammers.

but, wil saw it as a need, and next thing you know, we’re stopped on the street.

one guy was helping a blind guy ask for money.  one lady was helping another lady in a wheelchair ask for money.  we gave them lunches and cups of cold water.

when i was back at the truck, after giving out a couple more lunches, i looked over and realized that she had no legs…! both of them missing just below the knee!  had i noticed before, as i handed her helper the water?  i had noticed that she was counting through some pennies and some silver coins on her lap.  maybe i had noticed her missing legs.  but, now i REALLY noticed!

and i stared.  (from a distance, of course)

from one shoulder i heard “don’t stare”.   from the other i heard “no.  don’t look away.  not this time.  look at her”.

they struggled to cross the street.  i wondered what her days were like.  all of her other struggles.

as i got back in the truck, i said “she had no legs!” and i reached down and touched my own.  i was thankful again.

for my own legs, homely as they may be.

for my recently repaired knee.

and i’m thankful that Wil chose to stop,  when i might have just seen “scammers” through my jaded eyes.

and i’m thankful that this ragtag group of “food-sharers” continues to push me and take me and bring me to the streets.  to the poor.  to the needy.

actually, to the face of Christ.

i’m so, so blessed.

eh

HOW DID I FIND MYSELF IN A BETTER PLACE?  I CAN’T LOOK DOWN ON THE FROWN ON THE OTHER GUY’S FACE.  CAUSE WHEN I STOOP DOWN LOW, LOOK HIM SQUARE IN THE EYE, I GET A FUNNY FEELIN’, I JUST MIGHT BE DEALIN’ WITH THE FACE OF CHRIST – chris rice.