Issue #39
Serve! Spotlight
SE TIP OF THE MONTH
Ask Dr. Savant
Living In The Outflow
Billy Bob's Movie Reviews
Deep Thoughts
Looking Outward
Practical Insights
Servant Evangelism: Advice From a Pro
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| SERVING THOSE THAT SERVED | |
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Given the recent tragic events at Ft. Hood we should all take a moment to pray for all of our soldiers and their families. Veteran's Day is coming up and if you haven't already planned a focused outreach for those that served our country, let me encourage you do to do this. By the way, you don't need to wait for the calendar to tell you to serve those that served our country. Just keep your eyes and ears open. More and more soldiers will be returning home over the next few months. Whether you are in a small group or out on your normal rounds alone, it is always a good idea to serve folks that are in uniform. Hey it is even in the Bible--look at how Jesus interacted with the Roman Soldiers. It is really easy to do. Just make yourself available. Heck just the other day we did an outreach after an outreach. After we do a SE event, we usually head over to a Chipotle’s to enjoy a few burritos together. Just as we were at the peak of the zany fun of packing the place out with our motley crew, I noticed God’s presence bouncing off the tin wa  lls of the small restaurant. I looked up and scanned my eyes along the curved line of people waiting to order their burritos and saw what the buzz was all about. Eight young men and women in desert fatigues had come in for lunch. I don’t know if you have ever experienced this before, but when God really wants to get my attention, it is like watching a movie when they do that tunnel-vision camera angle for effect. My vision focused suddenly and sharply on the yellow and black patch on their arms. My eyes took in the horse and slash of the Air Calvary icon and I felt God whisper emphatically: “Their money is no good here.” My friends at the table saw the twinkle in my eye and the direction of my gaze. Even before I could finish stating that we should kick in together and buy those soldiers lunch, folks were getting out their purses and wallets. Here is what was really cool. People sitting near us, that weren’t a part of our bible study contributed as well. This isn’t the first time I have seen the contagious effect of God’s grace. I walked over to the counter as the first young man, a corporal, paid for his lunch. After he pocketed his change, I slapped a ten-dollar bill in his hand. “Your money is no good here. God wants to buy you and your comrades lunch today.” His jaw dropped. The other soldiers in line protested politely that they couldn’t possibly accepted the offer, but that they were very moved by the gesture. I felt a boldness, I haven’t experienced in a long time and boxed out each young soldier that tried to pay for their own lunch. I thanked each of them for the sacrificial lives they chose to lead and told them the least we could do as Christ followers is to buy them lunch while they were stateside. A quick glance at their chests showed many of them had already completed at least one tour in Iraq. One of them, a sergeant, put a quick, but gentle arm lock on me and managed to hand the cashier his credit card before I could pay for his burrito. I followed him back to to his table and slapped the rest of the gathered money on his table and walked away. After the troops finished eating they came over to our tables and thanked us, trying to give us some money back. We all took turns refusing the leftover change and invited them to stay with us. We listened to their stories and had a chance to pray for a few of them this simple prayer: “Lord, Thank you for Sgt. Jackson. Thank you that he has decided to live a sacrificial life for our community and country. I ask that you would protect him wherever he is dispatched. Hover over him and his comrades. I ask that you give him strength to do duty and give him peace and rest. Make the sad and dangerous things he sees fade, but fill his memories with the fond times he has with his friends and the adventurous places he gets to visit. Amen"  After a few prayers like that, there weren’t many dry eyes left in the small café. While Veteran’s Day is next month, November 11, 2008, we don’t need to wait for the calendar to remind us to honor those that served our country. I am not talking about politics or even patriotism here. I just want to follow Jesus’ example in Mathew chapter eight. After all, it was a man that marched in mud and blood that “astonished” Jesus with his faith. You can do this outreach today. All you need is a little bit of money in your pocket, and keep your eyes out for someone in uniform the next time you go out to eat.  Ken Glassmeyer is the Editor of Serve! Magazine. He has been doing SE outreach in the midwest for over twenty years. He currently leads a "not-so-small" group bible study in his community. You can visit his website, SERVACITY.COM for more information. He lives at the foot of Mt. Rumpke with his wife Cathy and Denali, the Border Collie. | |
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