Wow! Keeth! keep it up! Hey keep on shining for the Lord! Arlene ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith P Hodges" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 10:21 AM Subject: A cool experience Dear Friends, I had a cool experience today. I went outside onto my veranda where there are two armchairs. I live in a flat above a shop, four such flats share a veranda which is semi-private. We are known in the area I live as Christians. It doesnt happen all the time, but people do drop in asking for prayer, usually drunk. One would not think it in our very well to do area but even only last week my van and house were pelted with eggs and my wing mirror was vandalised... anyhow back to my veranda. There, quite unexpectedly, I found a local lad and two strangers. One was a very sweet young woman and she asked me if I thought that God could be "out to get someone", because that is what her friend had told her. She told me that she and her children had been taken in by an older woman and how God had given her a family and a loving home overnight. I was able to explain, and come to a realization as I spoke, that I thought that what she was experiencing is exactly what knowing Jesus is all about, that is essentially the whole point. (ministry of reconciliation) She said how she felt that all the pain of her difficult life and her bitterness had been melted by the experience of becoming part of a family, being loved. She asked me many questions about the Lord and she asked me to share my testimony. When I said "it is like a love affair, God is wooing you,", she said that that was exactly what her friend (her spiritual mum) had said to her. There were several moments like that in our conversation, and I felt very encouraged that I was able to play my part in what was a genuinely spontaneous God moment, and to be able to share of Gods goodness in a natural non-preachy way. yours in Christ Keith