Interrupted!

One of the best statements I've ever heard about how to handle interruptions in our lives--those annoying little things that seem to pop up just when we seem to have our own plans worked out so well--came from a presentation I heard on a women's retreat several years ago. We listened to a recording of a very inspirational presentation by Gloria Gaither in which she mentioned that, if you read the New Testament, you will find almost everything pertaining to the life of Christ was an interruption. So, she feels interruptions are the best part of her life, letting God do what He will in her life, and presenting her with the opportunity to touch someone for Christ. We don’t need to view ‘interruptions’ in our plans as something bad, but something brought about by God so that we can touch the lives of others.

I had not planned to do any grocery shopping this afternoon. As a matter of fact, I had not planned to do much of anything! After a busy, busy day yesterday, I was very tired. The only thing on my agenda after church today was most likely a nap! I have a feeling that many of our other 5-2 Ministry volunteers had similar plans: if not a nap, maybe watching a little football, doing some yard work, reading a book...but probably not clipping coupons and grocery shopping! When I received an email about the bare shelves at the co-op, however, there was no doubt that those of us who are involved with 5-2 Ministry would want to respond in whatever way we could. I wasn't sure how much we could do: I had an idea of what our available bank balance was (about $400), but I had no idea what the sales at the grocery stores would be this week or how many coupons we would have to match up with those sales. I prayed that the Lord would provide what we needed to enable us to make a difference, and I also prayed that God would move the hearts of His people--not only at SUMC but also in the community at large--to give generously to help meet the needs at the co-op. When I sat down to compile the list of items we would shop for, I was amazed to find that the sale items at the grocery stores matched up incredibly with the items that were most needed at the co-op: soup, vegetables, fruit, cereal, rice, pasta, canned milk, tuna....it was amazing and definitely a GOD thing!!! Not only that, but we found once again that we had abundant coupons to go with the items we needed to shop for: Thank you, Lord! By mid-afternoon, we had received monetary donations in excess of $1,300 and had MORE than enough money available to purchase all of the items on our list, and even add in a few more much-needed necessities!!! PRAISE GOD!!! As we delivered in excess of 1,400 items this afternoon, it filled my heart with joy to see that not only had 5-2 Ministry stepped up and responded, but many, many churches and individuals from throughout the community had done the same. By the time we were through counting, sorting, and putting items on the shelves, we found that not only were the shelves full in many areas, but there was back-stock as well.

God does amazing things through those who respond to His call. Thank you, Lord, for caring enough to interrupt our lives and give us the opportunity to touch others for YOU, and thank you for those who love you so much that they are willing to respond to your call and see you in the interruptions!

Spotlight on Volunteers: Coupon Clippers

There are a lot of different ways to use your talents when serving with 5-2 Ministry. In the previous post we mentioned the wonderful (and many times, anonymous) "Coupon Angels" who generously donate their coupons each week to our cause. Well, that is just the first step, because in order to use those coupons, we must first locate the ones we need to use and then they have to be CLIPPED! Fortunately, we have a group of folks who are very generous with their time, and who also happen to be really good with a pair of scissors. These individuals gather each Monday evening to locate the necessary coupons for that week and clip them from the coupon inserts. These people are amazing.

There is no stack of coupon flyers too high for these brave souls! Each week they cheerfully gather and commence to clipping, and before you know it they have turned stacks of coupon flyers into neat little bundles of coupons to be used in our shopping trips that week, and they seem to have fun doing it! It's truly an incredible sight to see, and I just love the joyful hearts that these people bring to this task each week. Who knew that a pair of scissors in the hands of a willing volunteer could be such an effective tool in serving our Lord? When you witness the fruits of the labor of these wonderful "Coupon Clippers" it is very apparent that He has taken this seemingly menial task and turned it into something significant for the good of His children. I am so thankful for these wonderful volunteers and their willingness to serve. God is so good!