Jenny: Hippie Pilgrims
So I've recently discovered how much cheaper iced coffee is at Starbucks vs. Vanilla-froo-froo whatchamacallits are (sweetened w/milk for only two whole dollars & fifty cents cheap!). So being an 80 degree kinda day in beautiful San Diego, I decided to read a book and grab a cold one before work today. Since God has been revealing I am called to be an awesome big toe instead of an arm, nose, or whatever other body part I was trying to be (Cool fact my friend pointed out as I was celebrating big toes everywhere: The body would fall over w/out the big toe! It's for balance!); I've quite enjoyed resting in Him for EVERYTHING and as He has put it, "Finally now we can get YOUR work done."
Still stuck in some bad habits, I walked into the Starbeezy right next to my house and my brain was immediately taken captive buy the Impulse-Buy-Ninja-Attention-Stealers lined up screaming, "Buy me!" as I am waiting in line.
Nope, still to expensive... I glance up for a second and my eyes meet with a hippie looking brown skinned girl. There's about a .7 second awkward stare before she cracks and smiles first.
Maybe she's my stranger....Eh, probably not .
What? I only had about 40 mins to squeeze in some good reading time outside!!(God's working in my life, I swear...)
I get my coffee and head outside to find a nice quiet table to sit, read, and pray at. A random guy comes and plops at the next table with a mini poodle, (no kind of dog a man should have on his leash IMO)...but that's neither here nor there...Is HE my stranger? I steal a glance & of course he looks up at the same time & proceeds to smile.....mmmm, Yeah, nope God. (I pray that God blesses him anyway)
I can't get my mind off the hippie girl inside. She was gettin her study on, seemingly, I don't want to interrupt that w/some random "Sooo like, I do this thing...." shenanigan I decided to start doing. (Yes, this is me making excuses). Fast forward ten minutes later & I find myself inside spinning my heel in front of her as I started to walk outside. As she pulls her earbuds out, I give her my spiel "So you're...like, my stranger. " (Not my finest," I'll pray for you moment") She's a little confused at first & I can't figure out whether or not she thinks I am crazy till she blurts out, " Wow!! Really?! I feel like, so lucky!!" She starts telling me how "My sister does this sorta stuff w/her church..." and her long wonderfully thin black hair trails down the front of her shirt merging into 3 different colors: Blue, purple, & pink. So, pretty!! I'm listening again. Can I sit down?
"Whats your name again?"Ahh, so can I pray for you about.....anything?
"I'm terrified actually." She looks realllly stressed suddenly. "You can pray for that." About what?
"I start school in the fall, San Luis Obispo..." We make small talk as she shares her fear of loneliness, failing, & all that other stuff you are terrified of when you are suddenly "on your own". Unlike my friend Bobby, I instantly know what to pray for. Friends. Support. Community. I ask for her hand and ask God for all these things plus a few extra like "Grace for school work load"
After we're done, we hug and say goodbye & she thanks me again for choosing her (I protest how I didn't of course) & I silently pray again as I walk away, really reallllly praying God would bless her with some friends there in her new world to come cause they truly are a part of Gods grace for us as we search, long, hurt, and grow on this journey. Again, I sense that familiar feeling of peace & total joy as I walk to my car. I wonder how much I missed being trapped as an arm, probably in a sling I'd guess. That doesn't matter, I hear a whisper of reassurance, but I ask to be forgiven anyway.
It matters that I responded today. That I saw the good works He prepared for me Today.
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
& I feel glad. Glad He opened my eyes. Glad I met Jenny. & I prayed again. I prayed for that beautiful blue, purple & pink hair.
Face first into Good works
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