Last Wednesday night, myself and 4 other women went to a nearby market to paint pictures for people and encourage them. This market is beautiful and has long cosy benches surrounded by numerous food vendors so we found a seat in the middle, put out our art supplies, and began to pray for God to make people He wanted to encourage stand out to us. I felt very led to paint for a woman running a bakery but first God told me to go buy a cupcake from her, eat it, and then paint what it made me feel He was saying about her. I know, so random, but I did it and as I bit into the delicious cupcake instantly a picture of a childhood teddybear I had came to mind. It was a brown bear with a red ribbon around it's neck. So I started painting and the words came later. What I felt was that not only did her food make people happy by deliciously meeting the need of their allergies (it was a completely vegan, gluten free, sugar free, everything free bakery) but it also made them feel safe and wanted, loved and accepted like a favourite childhood toy. I felt like there was a big thank you for her from God in that because He was so happy she made His children feel so good. That He was saying, "Good job!" I wrote all of this down on the back of her picture but her stall was often busy with customers and I didn't want to interrupt so I painted another one and waited. In the meantime a friend I was with actually also had a picture for this same woman and went quickly to give it to her and encourage her. She was very touched and was fighting back tears and then moments later I went to share with her as well. She was double touched and so thankful for the encouragement. Both of our pictures were completely different but they reinforced each other and brought even greater depth to what God was saying. My friend's picture was of blended stripes and the interpretation God gave her was how life can have different seasons, some good some bad but when you step back and lookout the greater picture it all looks beautiful. Then I gave her my teddy bear picture and since no customers came I asked her why she had a stall for vegan food. This is the best part! She said it was because she was vegan and allergic to gluten and her son was celiac with extreme allergies and on that particular day it was actually 5 years since her son was diagnosed with the disease. It had been a hard day for her thinking back on the journey they had been on since his diagnosis and how she had come to open this food stall. Her eyes welled up with tears as she told me how proud she was of her little boy for dealing so well through all of it and how she had been discouraged thinking that her food was not making much of a difference even though it took so much effort. She said no one ever told her she was doing a good job and that she just kept working because she had to make a living. She gave me the biggest hug while I blessed her and said everything we said was from God, that He sees her and knows what she needs. She even gave me two brownies she made because she was just so thankful and wanted to bless me too. They were made from chickpeas and seriously two of the best brownies I have ever had, ask Jason, it's true. Encountering her made my heart so full! God is so good that out of the literal hundreds of people in the market he chose her to get two words of encouragement because He knew what she needed on the day she needed it most. He is actually so so good!
Something I really want for this blog is for it to be a place of testimony. A place where God is glorified through sharing of His goodness and His heart for people. It is not about me, I am just a tool or a vessel to bring His love. Don't marvel at me or the people in these stories but at God who does amazing things because He unendingly loves people. He goes above and beyond for us all the time and He already sacrificed His life for us in Jesus. We are a people most loved.
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