Riggs, Jill

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-29 (NASB) – “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Message: On the last Friday, of October, just finishing an exhausting week of preschool fun at Asbury Early Learning Center, we (teachers) were completing our parent pick up at the Asbury lakeside parking lot. It was a beautiful clear, and finally cooler, day. Along rides a gentleman on his bicycle with personal items balanced on the handlebar. He called out to us… “is the church office open?” I said… “Not today, they will be in the office on Monday”. He said in a disappointed mumble “I just wanted to pray, with the man I met here a while back.”

I’m typically cautious about interacting with strangers, but this day, after a slight hesitation, I yelled back to him… “Can I pray with you”? He answered… “Really?”

God’s plan may surprise us… just do your best to listen. I walked down the driveway, where we sat on the curb of the parking lot (don’t worry… my fellow teachers hung back for my unspoken security!). The first thing the gentleman said was “I can’t believe you’ll pray with me.” His name is Steve. He told me a little bit about his life living in the woods (unknown), and was struggling to readjust to life after prison. He appeared clean and very articulate. Steve expressed his struggle with questioning God. He just wanted to pray about finding his way in this world. I know God put me in that place at that moment, so I could pray with Steve. Are you ready to respond with kindness when someone least expects it?

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for giving us strength to share Your love with others. Our fellow humans need our caring interactions, right now more than ever. Please guide each of us to give a little time and heart felt sharing in our community. We ask Your blessing on those who are struggling through their journey. We thank You for the Asbury team that surrounds us. No matter how different we may appear, remind us to never hesitate, to take the time, to love one another! In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Jill Riggs

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