Last Saturday, Zack had this outreach planned for the youth group that I was a bit skeptical about. It was a soda and water outreach. We took a few hundred sodas and bottles of water in coolers of ice and went to the busiest intersection in Spring Hill and passed them out to people stopped at the light. They were free to anyone who wanted some. Along with the drinks, we gave them a card that said "We hope you enjoy this free gift from Third Degree student ministries of Family First Assembly." On the back were some scripture verses, one of which was the one in which Jesus says "He who drinks of Me will never thirst again." We held signs up that said "Free Water and Soda." Seemed simple enough.
It wasn't. This outreach impacted me more than anything has in a really long time. Why? Because people wouldn't take them. We would tell them they were free, that we wouldn't accept any donations, that we just wanted to bless them, and they just wouldn't accept them. At first, I didn't think it was a big deal. Then it sort-of started to hurt my feelings for some reason. Then I started to see so many spiritual analogies that I kept getting choked up, and I almost had to stop at certain times. It was a free gift. Why wouldn't people just take it?
Some people would roll their windows down, ask what it was about, then say they didn't need anything to drink. Some people assumed it was a scam or that there was some sort of catch, and didn't believe what we were saying. Some rolled their windows up as soon as they saw us approaching, or were too busy talking on their cell phones to notice us. So many times, the kids in the back seat would hear us explain to their parents that it was a free gift, and we would hear them say, "I want one, mom," but the parents wouldn't allow them to have it. My heart broke. It was hurtful to offer something to someone as a gift and have them reject it, even though it was just a drink.
I couldn't help but think about Jesus' free gift that so many of us assume comes with a catch, or are too proud to accept. I thought about kids who would willingly come, but whose parents prevent them. I thought about the people who wouldn't even look in our direction because they didn't want to be bothered or were too busy, and missed out on a gift of love.
There were some who tried to pay us, and even after we told them we wouldn't accept it, wanted to give us money because they couldn't accept it for nothing. And those we literally had to beg to take it. There were some who said "Oh, you're just trying to get us to come to your church" when they found out what we were doing. When people asked why, we told them we wanted to bless them, that it was free like God's gift to us. Most thought it was strange or asked how we expected to make money that way.
There were those who already had a drink in their car, and refused to accept ours because they said they didn't need one. One lady actually told me she didn't want one because she only drinks Pepsi products. It seemed that once one person at the beginning of the line rejected our gift, everyone after them who saw what they did, chose to do the same. They assumed if the person ahead of them didn't want it, they wouldn't either. They must know something they didn't. There must be a catch.
And then there were a few who saw a sign that said we had a free gift to offer them, and they wanted it. Some asked for more than one drink. And we loved that. We gave them as many as they wanted. Some seemed so moved by our act of love, and told us how much it meant to them to see love in action. Some thought it was strange, but still accepted it. One lady said, "I was just thinking to myself 'I'm so thirsty, I really wish I had a bottle of water,'" just as we walked over to hand her one. There were people who had probably been scammed before or fooled before or hurt before, and they still chose to give it a try. Those who genuinely appreciated what we were doing and saw that they needed what we were offering. It seemed the same was true of this group--once people saw those ahead of them take the drinks, they figured they would take one too. The choices made by those around them affected their decisions.
We loved it when people accepted our gift. It made us feel so good. And it was discouraging to see so many people miss out on a blessing out of ignorance or bitterness or busyness or pride. And I saw the heart of God that day. And my heart broke.
Matthew 7:11 says "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (NIV)
May I ever recognize my need of Him, ever be grateful, ever be watchful of my Father's gifts. The heart of the Father is the heart of a Giver. How it must break His heart for His children to reject His most precious Gift.
4 comments:
I'm probably like one of the ones who tried to pay for it because I feel like I need to pay for my salvation. Jesus isn't much like our culture...go figure.
Thanks for posting this, Whitney. I think we're going to do this in the next couple of weeks too with hot cocoa & apple cider. I guess this was a bit of a reality check and thing to help prepare my heart!
I love this outreach idea.....who knew it would have been such a challenge. It makes me cry to think how we treat God's grace.
You will never know the impression you made on all those you came in contact with. Pastor Jimmy and several from the youth group used to do this at Palatka High school. We would then see those people at church, in grocery stores, or at the mall. They recognized who we were and that we had given them something they would have purchased for free. The bottom line is: People might act stiff or cold but they really are watching how we react.
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