J.R. Briggs

two stories worth sharing

November 25, 2009

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Sometimes stories are worth sharing. Here are two of them:

[1] As many of you know, we’ve had the opportunity to provide Lansdale with a Farmers Market every Saturday this summer and fall. (Read why our church got behind this idea). Hundreds have come out each week to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables. This past Saturday was the last Farmers Market of the season. Thanks to everyone for your help serving and getting the word out, as well as supporting the local vendors. It is a ton of effort and the entire thing was pulled off entirely with volunteers. I certainly will miss walking to the market each Saturday morning and eating the fresh foods we purchased on Saturday evening. It was a great first season. We’re excited for another season in the spring of 2010.

[2] Last week a young woman who is a part of The Renew Community was in a car accident. Everyone was okay, but her car was totaled. With little money and an insurance haggling nightmare on her hands, she was left with few options and was worrying a great deal. So she sent out an email to friends asking people to pray and help her come up with options. A few people from Renew lent her their car for a few days. Some offered to go car shopping with her, others offered to help her look online.

While help is great, I encouraged her to take it a step further and to actually make a bold, big ask. Like, really big. I encouraged her to pray that God provide her a car. For free. It’s not a name-it-and-claim it, prosperity gospel that I’m proposing, I told her. But God is a powerful God who loves to hear the needs of His kids – and provide. God has every right to say no to this request. There’s no guarantee that he will provide this big ask. But nonetheless, we’re encouraged to ask and pray, to tell him our needs.

I’ve been reading and wrestling with Luke 11:1-8 and its really been messing with me. It’s where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray and encourages them to pray with “shameless audacity.” Why not pray that God would provide a car for free? (That’s pretty audacious, isn’t it?) But I told her that I wouldn’t pray this prayer for her if she wasn’t praying also. She agreed to pray to this end with me.

Five days later she left me a voicemail message. A family in New Jersey was looking to bless someone who needed some transportation. Free car. It’s old, but it works.

Prayer answered.

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