The Food Drive!! A couple of months ago, Pastor Brian challenged us to grow in our evangelism, and my outlet was the organization of Doxa's First Food Drive. I was overwhelmed, though the input was small in comparison to the others' outreaches. But I became something more of a responsible adult as I crawled just a little ways out of my comfort zone to coordinate with a few folks in charge to organize the time and place of the drive. I got some nos, which made the yes an awkward surprise.
Here's what happened: Grocery Store A told me no. When I went into Grocery Store B, I learned that big corporate businesses need first a formalized business letter to begin the process of requesting the use of their premises. So I wrote that business letter, submitted it, and they did not respond via telephone. So though I expected denial, I walked in like a timid fool girl and reemphasized my request. When the manager of that Grocery Store B effortlessly approved what I had asked for, I plainly said thank you and walked away like an idiot! As I departed, fists clenched in embarrassment, I harshly questioned with the intensest whisper why I hadn't stayed to confirm with important questions. But we weren't denied!! Wahooo!! And everything cleared itself up, mainly because God is good.
So then, with the help of some pals, I made some handouts, decorated some boxes and set up a table to execute my part in our unified attempt to grow God's church.
We got there just before 5 to set up our sweet little table-booth, just where management told us, to start handing out invitation-included fliers to suggest a list of donate-able goods. It wasn't until later that we learned that women are grumps when you are just slightly in the way of the public mail box; how I wish older women would choose a sweet "excuse me" over a facial expression that made obvious the desire to kill. As expected, we got a handful of rude folk, but mostly some real givers! I think I had overlooked the obvious reality that people would donate, and donate they did! Jake's pickup wasn't big enough to hold all the food; a gent even wrote a $500 check (the sly part of my wicked soul wishes he had made the check out to Corianne Castagno...I mean Doxa Community Church... instead of the to Renton Food Bank)!! But seriously, Renton is home to quite the diverse crowd, and how honored I feel to have seen more of the faces that my city is full of.
How fun it was to share this memory with some of Doxa's most selfless members to give their time to help me. We are yet to see the outcome of our true intent - that is, the sharing of the gospel by the proclamation at Doxa. I am praying hard for the folks that we met to give us a visit, for the Holy Spirit to incline their hearts for a rich love for the good God through whom all blessings flow!!
Pray with us, if you will!! And by all means, stop by our church to hear some words about the Jesus who makes hope beautifully graspable :))
PS -- Big thanks to The Posey Family for their abundant assistance; could not have done it without this radical, young couple!
