Whipping Cream on the Narrow Path

MONTHS ago, my pastor preached a message titled,

When We Know Where We're Going, Our Steps Are Sure

 

I still had my notes from this sermon, so I'll share them with you. . .

 

The narrow path is not made for our comfort,

the narrow path is made for His glory.

 

The Narrow Path will take us places where we seem out of place.

 

Will lead us to love people who reject us.

 

Will require us to humble ourselves and respond with kindness and compassion.

 

Will demand flexibility and faith on our part.

 

God will give us strength to go where He asks us.

 

The goal of the Narrow Path is living out the pure heart given in the Gospel as much as it is in getting to the destination.

 

Call me crazy, but I feel I saw this sermon played out tonight at the bridge with whipped cream and one of the volunteers.

 

 

Linda is a good friend of mine and a volunteer with the Bridge Ministry for the Homeless.

Louie is one of our bridge guests, a great Italian guy who rides his bike down to see us every week and enjoys his hot chocolate with a meal.  Louie smiles and is good natured and asked one time, "Where's the whipping cream'?  Linda told him if it was cold enough the next week, she would bring it.  Well, wouldn't you know, after weeks of wearing 5 layers of clothing, this week warmed up to just a one layer.

 

But Linda's pure and good natured heart thought of Louie and went out to the store to buy whipping cream just for him.

 

I went back to the notes up above. . .

 

Some people might feel out of place at the bridge. . .

but Linda does not. . .because she has a huge servant's heart! 

 

The bridge is not always a comfortable place to be, especially in the winter, but she is always there sporting one of her favorite team colors in her coat and headband.

 

She is flexible and has faith and God gives her the strength to go where He has led.

She has bad back pain, but still shows up every week and stands for a couple of hours on concrete ground. . .and never complains.

 

When the whipping cream came out and into Louis's hot chocolate, I smiled and thought to myself. . .

this is the Gospel being lived out with a pure heart.

This is living on the Narrow Path.
And God gets the glory for this simple and yet profound act

And who knows?
 

That whipping cream might just be a key into Louie reaching the great, Heavenly Destination someday.

 

Charles Stanley says this. . .
  There are only two options in life. We can either live for ourselves and produce “chaff which the wind drives away” (Ps. 1:4) or bear lasting fruit that glorifies God and benefits others.

I believe my friend bears lasting fruit and it's just been sweetened with whipped cream!

Linda and Louie

 

Are you ready to serve and love with the love of Christ with whatever the Lord gives you? 

:)

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