Emily's story (Bryan, Emily, Joyce)

Post date: Jun 12, 2011 4:28:28 AM

Joyce, Bryan, and I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with our guest at McDonald's. Originally, I had been quite nervous about meeting up with our guest because I had attempted to chat with him several times during the Thursday Nights that CCCTO had Homeless Ministry during the winter, and he had always been very quiet and avoided giving anything more than just one-word responses. I also knew that in the past, he tended to open up more to other men; originally, the only people who were able to meet up with our guest had been Joyce and myself. Given these circumstance, I had been worried on how fruitful our conversation would be.

Thankfully, God showed me that He would always provide in every situation. At the very last minute,Bryan was able to join Joyce and myself, and it was amazing to see how much our guest opened up to Bryan. This was a great reminder to myself that I should not rely on my own abilities but on God to reach out to others, as He always knows who and in what situation would be the best to touch the heart of another.

Our group ended up chatting with our guest for almost two hours, and we were able to hear about his past, his current struggles, and also his relationship with God. When we asked him about how he thought his relationship with God was, it was really heart warming to hear him joyfully answer, "I think I have a really good relationship with God!" and how he always remembers to thank and pray to God. For me, meeting with our guest really reminded me that at the end of the day, the most important thing is that we love God and trust in the Lord above all else, and it is not any of our own works or intellectual reasoning that save us. This reminder especially stood out to me because our guest was a person who perhaps did not really have the opportunity or resources to explore in depth theological debates that others have spent a lifetime studying about, but he loved and trusted the Lord.

We will continue to pray that he would be able to share his love for God with those around him, as well as continue to grow and nourish his spiritual walk.

- Emily