Did You See Her?
by Michele Husfelt on July 22, 2024
It went off without a hitch. We had a grand time and from our guests' comments, they shared our excitement, as well. From the invitations to the decorations, the food to the fellowship, the showcasing of many churches’ efforts to reach their neighbors by the canvas prints on the walls, the greeters at the doors, and the offices that sparkled, we were ready to show off our new workspace to those in our Network.
Asked about a target group and specific goal for the afternoon, we probably would have mentioned the pastors and lay members of our many congregations, along with our staff, connecting those from large, thriving churches to those representing small gatherings of God’s people, often worshipping in native languages, with humble means and resources.
We might have known one church staff member who recently started a food pantry and introduced him to a lady from another church whose passion is ministering to those experiencing food insecurity in her area. This is what we do, after all, we connect those in our Network, “energizing churches as they carry out their God-given vision.” We strive to resource and encourage smaller churches, helping them to realize they are an integral and grand part of God’s great kingdom-building taking place right in our little slice of the world. And we challenge larger churches to think outside the box and create innovative ways to share the love of Jesus.
But we’re also asking God to make us aware of the divine appointments that are all around us, the bonus blessings we don’t intentionally set out to accomplish but are somewhat hidden and revealed as we sense the Holy Spirit’s movement. And that’s when we saw her.
In the middle of our Open House, the elevator doors opened and out she walked, a stack of mail addressed to us tucked in the pocket of her heavy satchel. She is our postal carrier, and we see her most days we’re in the office. She is friendly and goes out of her way to deliver our mail to us rather than leave it downstairs when our mailbox is overflowing. And on the day of our Open House, the Holy Spirit reminded us that she is just as important to our ministry as the pastors of our largest churches.
Motioning her to come to the conference room, (she is deaf and the space just off the elevator was very crowded), we handed her a plate and invited her to fill it and sit for a few minutes. She willingly obliged, and after a much-needed break, using universal hand motions, she let us know she had been out in the heat for three hours and was very thankful for a few minutes to sit and rest and eat. As she left, we, in turn, thanked the Spirit for giving us the opportunity to care for our postal carrier in the same way we care for our pastors and church members.
Who in your little world, who might be so easy to overlook, needs to be seen today, and who has God given you the opportunity to bless?