Feel good stories of the day

1. Being Missional....first hand experience!
I was with Michy and Pammy today at Eaton Centre and we were having lunch. After we were done lunch, a homeless-looking middle-aged woman came to our table and asked us for money for food. She didn't look super dirty or smelly, but she did wear a pretty beat up jacket and had dirty hair and crooked teeth, so she was one of the "less-fortunate" ones in downtown Toronto. So anyway, we didn't want to just give her money, so we offered to buy her a sandwich. It was an interesting opportunity because we had the chance to talk to her and see where she came from. Shocking enough, she said she was a Christian and does attend a "Metropolitan Church". Now I don't know if she's telling the truth, but it was still a good opportunity to talk about Jesus and I'm glad that she knew who He is. Anyway, we got her the sandwich and she was really thankful for it. I'm glad that she was grateful for it, but I'm kinda disappointed that we didn't get to pray with her, but in the end, I felt really amazed by how God can use a simple unexpected event to show us about the mission field in our city. I have to say this was a great first hand experience of being missional to the people around us. Especially because this was so unexpected, it taught me to always have my eyes open and to try to see the less fortunate because those are people that need to know Jesus. I feel like this is just a stepping stone for something greater this year. I really hope for more amazing things in 2009 as God continues to show me the little things that I can do to impact other people's lives...including mine!

2. Was lost...Is Found
I attended Revival Night 2009 tonight and though there weren't many people who attended (surprisingly), I still felt the night had its impacting moments. The topic shared by Bern/Dave/Emmanuel centred around the parable of the lost son, and focused on the three main characters: the younger brother, the older brother, and the father. I have a lot of thoughts, so I'm just gonna type them out in points. Hopefully they'll connect itself!
-The younger brother: The main focus was on how far away his life was from God yet somehow he was willing to take a 180 degree turn and go back to the father. Anything is possible with God, and it made me think about the chair #1 and chair #2 I have for this coming year. It's something Pastor Tim encouraged on Sunday to commit this year to have three people to sit in your 3 chairs. Chair #1 is a person who doesn't know Christ yet, but is our focus to bring him/her to church some time this year. Chair #2 is a person who does know Christ, but has fallen from his/her spiritual walk and need encouragements and guidance to come back to God. Chair #3 is for a person who is spiritually strong with you and would keep you accountable with the tasks for chair #1 and chair #2. Anyway, so I kept thinking about my two chairs and that no matter how impossible I think it is, somehow God has a way and I just need to give Him a chance to work things through me. The younger brother somehow turned his life around back to the father. God has His way of making things work!
-The older brother: The main point I got from him was about his jealousy and ignorance of what his father wants. Somehow he neglected that the important thing that made the father happy was the return of his lost son. In a way, the older brother showed how lost he was as well in terms of his spiritual connection with his father. But somehow, God used these two lost sons to show us what makes God, our Father, happy, which is whenever the lost is found. I also kept thinking about my two chairs throughout Dave's sharing about the older brother. God delights when the lost is found. He celebrates whenever a lost sheep is found. As Christians, we need to obey God and honour Him by devoting our lives in bringing the lost to Christ. This is definitely something that I can work on this year.
-The father: The main theme from this character I got was his characteristics. What amazed me the most was the reason why the younger brother turned his life around. It was because he remembered the father taking care of his servants, and how that treatment was even better than the pig sty he was working in. God is just like that father. God is a loving and caring God who longs for the lost to return to Him. The compassion that God shows when the lost returns to him is the essence of love that truly overcomes the blemishes in our lives. We are sinners, yet God longs for us to return to Him. Truly amazing indeed.
-I think overall, there were many thoughts in my head. I felt God telling me that there is still so much I can do with my life in terms of missions for the people I know as well as just those within Toronto. It's something that I'm really looking forward to. I believe I will have many opportunities to give my service to help those in need and those who are lost. I only pray that I will have the courage and strength to accept these challenges this year and do my best no matter what it takes for God's glory.