This story was shared by Group Coordinator, Tammy Loos, this past Sunday as she led the huddle in The ReignForest. Thanks Tammy for your sensitivity to your surroundings and the Holy Spirit's leading. Thanks for your leadership in The ReignForest, for being an awesome mother, and living the example of a follower of Christ.
My daughter, Cassidy, was singing “Jesus Loves Me” while we were at Walmart. Two employees walked by, one woman was crying. The crying woman started to follow us down an aisle. Cassidy was still singing. The woman came up to Cassidy and asked “What makes you so happy?” Cassidy smiles really big and opens her arms and says loud and clear “Jesus!!” The woman fell to the floor. I am really scared now. The woman opens her heart and tells me: her husband left her because he doesn’t want kids and she is 4 months pregnant, he took all of their money & car, canceled her insurance, she is alone and doesn’t feel good & she wanted a better life for her baby than she had. I was at a loss for words so I just told her that she is not alone & that Jesus loves her and that we attend NewPointe Community Church where everyone is welcome and loved. She asked what I did with my baby while I was in church. I told her that we had a wonderful program for all ages of children & that Cassidy went to her room in The ReignForest and she loves it. Cassidy starts singing “Jesus Loves Me” again. The woman said she didn’t grow up in church so she didn’t think she would fit in. I told her that I didn’t grow up in church either. NewPointe was for everyone, wherever they were in their life journey. We care about a relationship with God, not what people know or don’t know or how they dress. The woman said she might try...I told her that we would pray for her. Cassidy heard the word pray and put her little hands together and said “I pray!”. I held the woman’s hand and said a simple and short prayer as if Cassidy was praying. When I was done Cassidy says a heartfelt “Amen!” The woman thanked me, told me she felt better and that she just might go to church with her neighbors she knew they go to NewPointe Communty Church.
Last week when Faye had asked me to lead huddle time I said yes & that I had a wonderful short devotion about God’s Joy. Throughout the week I prayed about what I would say and felt that I was prepared. Sunday morning, it seemed like everything was against me getting to church and I left later than I wanted. A mile down the road I realized that I forgot my name tag. I turned around & went back home, frustrated at yet another obstacle! I grabbed my name tag and underneath it was an email with a story that I had printed out earlier. I grabbed that also, not knowing why. All the way to church, I couldn’t get that email story out of my mind. As we walked into church, I saw the crying woman from Walmart entering with an older couple. I knew I was supposed to tell the story on my email and Cassidy’s story. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to say. I just knew that I wanted everyone to know the power our small children have and the influence that we have on them in the ReignForest.
The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son and daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his step faltered, his eyesight was blurred.
The family ate together at the table. But the elderly man’s shaky hands and bad eyesight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon, he spilled his milk. The son and daughter-in-law became very irritated with the mess. “We must do something with Grandfather!”, said the son. “I’ve had enough of spilled food and noisy eating!” So the son and daughter-in –law set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his son gave him his food in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat all alone. The only words the couple had for him were sharp and unloving. The four-year-old watched in silence.
One evening, the father noticed the four-year-old playing with some scraps of wood. He asked the child “What are you making?” Sweetly, the small boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The child smiled and went back to his work.
The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. The tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though n word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening, the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days, he ate every meal with his family. And for some reason, the son and daughter-in-law didn’t seem to care any longer when a fork was dropped or the milk spilled.
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