The Church's Chicken and a Tank of Gas.

Well if you read my first blog you know that I had been praying for an outlet for creativity. That’s not entirely true. I have been praying for that and a lot more!!! I haven’t been feeling satisfied in my daily life. I was praying that God would supply me a way to be creative, serve those in need, continue my education, and see the world. I wanted all these things and wasn’t sure how God was going to provide them.

Lo and behold, this blog came along and my creativity was satisfied. It wasn’t at all what I had in mind but here it is. Well I am fairly certain God answered another prayer yesterday. A way to serve those in need and believe me it was definitely not what I had in mind at all.

Tuesday at lunch a new way to tangibly serve others in my community was placed at my feet. I took my lunch break a little early because I had to go downtown and pay for a speeding ticket I got last month. As if you can’t tell I am always in a bit of a hurry and want to do things my own way as opposed to the way that is best for me and just in case I wasn’t sure which way is best I got another ticket today, ugh.

Anyway I left the municipal court and headed to my house to have a turkey sandwich because I am a little bit broke and saving money. As I drove past the Lubbock Mahon Library I remembered that I had a late charge and thought I should stop while it was on my mind. When I slowed down I noticed a man standing by the door with a dirty backpack and ragged clothes. The Lord told me he was hungry and I needed to get him lunch.

What? Not me.I can’t walk up to a stranger and give him food he’ll think I poisoned it. Still the small voice came He is hungry and he wants chicken. Chicken? But God I am on a budget I don’t even eat out, I go home and eat PB and Js and turkey sandwiches. Why should I spend my money on his chicken when I get cold wal-mart brand lunches. Chicken, Robynn, get him some chicken. But God I only have $20 left until my next pay check what am I going to do for gas? There is a Church's Chicken around the corner, Robynn, get him chicken. Ok ok Lord I’ll get him chicken then I wont have money for gas then I’ll lose my job and it will be all your fault and then I’ll be the one with the dirty backpack and ragged clothes. And then I’ll get you chicken.

As I drove up to the window I felt silly I didn’t know what to buy. So I just ordered a number 5: chicken sandwich, fries and a coke. When I pulled around they told me $3.25. Ok, $3.25 that wasn’t too bad. As I opened my wallet I was surprised to see that I had exactly $33.25. I was sure all that was in there was a twenty. And I never keep change I always drop it in the tip box. Wow that was weird.

I drove myself (and the chicken) back to the library and asked the man standing by the door if he would like some lunch. He smiled very largely and said, “ Oh thank you thank you Miss., Lord knows I didn’t have money to buy this.” I thought to myself yes you are right, he did know, and from now on I shouldn’t be such a chicken.

I went into the library to pay my fine and remembered that I can rent movies or free from the library. Why not? As I was checking out I almost laughed at the thought that it cost me just as much to buy that hungry man’s lunch as it would have cost me to rent a movie. As I drove home feeling wonderful, on my giver’s high I thought I could do this. I could totally rent movies for free and take that money that I would have spent and give a hungry person dinner or lucnh or what ever food, even chicken. This is it this was my answer a way to serve those in need.

As if that gift of an answered prayer, and the joy I'd recieved from giving wasn’t enough the story isn’t over yet. When I got home and opened my mail there was a check in there. Apparently my work had sent a check to me back in July that went to my old address. When I opened it, it was worth nearly 20 times what I had spent on that hungry man's chicken, and with this new check I could fill up my car with a tank of gas.