Entertaining Angels

Another great week finished up here in LA.  Just one story i want to share about the work of God this past week:

On Tuesday my group and i were eating dinner at one of our restaurant and a man that was highly intoxicated and physically injured was walking along the outside of the restaurant.  He was leaning against the building for balance as he walked by and looked like a man in severe need.  As we were loading into our vans to leave the man was walking down the sidewalk.  As the kids were loading i was asking the parking attendant at the restaurant if he knew what was wrong with that man because he was talking to him early and the attendant said the man was very drunk and hostile so i thought it was probably best not to approach the man and my group drove away without saying anything.  That night when i was debriefing with my kids they all kept bringing up this man and how they wish we could have helped him and wish we could have done something.  I then started to realize that we missed an opportunity to minister to someone in great need.  Because i was uncomfortable in the situation i chose not to approach this man and we did not have an opportunity to share the love of God with this person.  We prayed for the man that night and then prayed that we would not pass up others opportunities presented to us to serve God's people.

So...

The next day my group was serving at an after school program and I after they were all settled in and working hard I stepped outside to go get some lunch because i didnt have an opportunity to eat earlier.  I was talking on the phone to David while i was walking down the street and a woman approached me and asked for money.  I said i was sorry, that i didnt have any money and then walked away..like i do often..but then i stopped.  I said to David i would have to call him back later and i turned around to talk to this woman.  I asked her what she needed and she said she wanted some shampoo.  So we went in the store up the street..got some shampoo, conditioner and a toothbrush  (i asked if she needed toothpaste too but all the tubes were too big and she didnt want to carry it).  As we were in the store i learned that her name was Karla and she had been living in the street in LA for 8 years..before that she had been all over the United States...but never to South Dakota.. :)  I told her she wasnt missing out on too much..hehe We chatted a little more and then purchased the items and walked out the door.  I asked her if she had eaten and if she wanted to join me for lunch.  She said she would love to so she showed me a really cheap place to eat with good food.  We went to eat together..she got milk and pastries...i just got some Snapple.  She shared some of here pastry with me and we talked and talked.  I was with her for about 45 minutes.  She told me about life on the streets..we talked about God and the Bible...she told me about her family...we talked about how she didnt like the mission and homeless shelters in LA..she told me there was a really nice bathroom at the police station down the street that let her wash her hair in the sink...she told me that she hasnt left this 6 to 8 block radius since coming to LA...she lives on 7th street...between Maple and the 7-11..i learned alot.  I told her about South Dakota...I told her about college...i told her about what i am doing this summer...i talked about my family.  We shared about our lives.  She wanted me to come with her to the police station but i told her i had to get back to my group.  I told her though if God wanted us to, we would meet again.  I am in her area quite a bit and i said i would watch for her between Maple St. and the 7-11...and then we walked down the street.  We got to the corner that we had to seperate...she shook my hand..i asked her if she needed a hug...and she was thrilled to have a hug...so we hugged..  :)  I walked away and then turned back to look and she said.. "Hebrews 13, entertaining angels." and she walked away.

Hebrew 13:2 reads.. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware."

All the praise to God..who gives us second chances..who gives us chances to bless and be blessed by others.

I love my job!