We dont play at AAA
For the past whole week I have been in East Dublin Ga, staying with Jeffery Aaron at his furniture refinishing and cabinet shop. This has been a really incredible stop in my journey. As I said in the last post I got hooked up with Jeffery through the past of Mt. Zion Baptist church in Jeffersonville. Jeffery's open accepting responce towards me was almost imediate and as complete as I could imagine. He told me that he fealt a spiritual conection, and well, for Jeffery and I that was all it took.
The very first day that I was here, we went out on an "errand run." This involved running all over town meeting with different clients and taking care of lots of small things. In addition we made several stops so that he could introduce me to people that he thought that it would be worth my while to meet. He was right. Let me interject here that Jeffery is an ordained minister at his church, his title is pastoral care minister. He views his ministry as one into the comunity and even though he works full time at his cabinet shop he is truely never doing anything that to him cannot be ministry. He is an amazing example of what it is to live out your faith in the day to day dealings we have.
To illustrate just how throughly accepted I was by Jeffery, the first day after I got dropped of at his shop and we had ridden around for the better part of the day we stopped by his wifes office so I could meet her. She was really excited about what I was doing but while we were all talking it came up that the childrens sitter needed to go soon, and that neither of them would be back at the house in time without rearangine thier plans. "Thats alright" was Jeffery responce, "Will can watch them." After having known me for only the better part of a day I was watching their children and really just a part of the family.
Here at the shop I have not been able to be super helpful, but I have been able to do some cleaning and other manual tasks here and there. Mostly I have been helping the painter, Albert. Albert lives at the shop and for various reasons doesn't have his drivers licence. We have been hanging out all week, it has been great. Jeffery told me that I can take out any of the trucks at the shop whenever I want, Albert knows his way around town, and I drive. It let both of us get out and take care of errands and just spend some time hanging out too.
Jeffery has introduced me to a ton of people throughout the week that he though would be interesting people to talk to considering what I am doing and trying to findout. I have really heard some pretty incredible words spoken to me by quite a few of the people that I have come in contact with. Words of encouragement, wisdom, teaching, and friendship. Last night I got to talk to a menonite freind of his, it was really interesting how allot of his belief structures paralell allot of the bigger questions and issues that I have been trying to find answers for over the past three or four years. Our outlook on our roles as Christians and the need for us to have developed an understanding of what we belive, without the ridgidity in our beleif structures that does not allow us to discus and learn from one another was also very similar.
I should be leaving East Dublin in the morning. Bob Keuhner is driving over today to deliver a care package from Life Christian Fellowship and I am excited to get to see him tonight. We are all going to the the "believers meeting" at the Sanctuary of Dublin, Jefferys church. Allot of the staff and others from the church had been gone on Sunday when we went, but I have been told that wednesday is their real service anyway. It is supposed to be a more freeform meeting as far as worship and planning of messages and such goes. I am excited about it. So far there has been absolutly no rhyme reason formula or anything else to where I have gotten great acceptance and where I have not. Every where I go however, God is showing me allot about his people and those who claim to be apart of his church. One thing that was obviouse to me was the stark contrast between two of my meetings last week, one that seemed to be motiveated by fear one fearless. While I do not think God wants us to be nieve or foolish, I hope that I can learn to listen to Him in strange and dangerous siutations, and that that will make me fearless as well.
I have included more paragrah breaks in this post at the request of Chris Baker.
The very first day that I was here, we went out on an "errand run." This involved running all over town meeting with different clients and taking care of lots of small things. In addition we made several stops so that he could introduce me to people that he thought that it would be worth my while to meet. He was right. Let me interject here that Jeffery is an ordained minister at his church, his title is pastoral care minister. He views his ministry as one into the comunity and even though he works full time at his cabinet shop he is truely never doing anything that to him cannot be ministry. He is an amazing example of what it is to live out your faith in the day to day dealings we have.
To illustrate just how throughly accepted I was by Jeffery, the first day after I got dropped of at his shop and we had ridden around for the better part of the day we stopped by his wifes office so I could meet her. She was really excited about what I was doing but while we were all talking it came up that the childrens sitter needed to go soon, and that neither of them would be back at the house in time without rearangine thier plans. "Thats alright" was Jeffery responce, "Will can watch them." After having known me for only the better part of a day I was watching their children and really just a part of the family.
Here at the shop I have not been able to be super helpful, but I have been able to do some cleaning and other manual tasks here and there. Mostly I have been helping the painter, Albert. Albert lives at the shop and for various reasons doesn't have his drivers licence. We have been hanging out all week, it has been great. Jeffery told me that I can take out any of the trucks at the shop whenever I want, Albert knows his way around town, and I drive. It let both of us get out and take care of errands and just spend some time hanging out too.
Jeffery has introduced me to a ton of people throughout the week that he though would be interesting people to talk to considering what I am doing and trying to findout. I have really heard some pretty incredible words spoken to me by quite a few of the people that I have come in contact with. Words of encouragement, wisdom, teaching, and friendship. Last night I got to talk to a menonite freind of his, it was really interesting how allot of his belief structures paralell allot of the bigger questions and issues that I have been trying to find answers for over the past three or four years. Our outlook on our roles as Christians and the need for us to have developed an understanding of what we belive, without the ridgidity in our beleif structures that does not allow us to discus and learn from one another was also very similar.
I should be leaving East Dublin in the morning. Bob Keuhner is driving over today to deliver a care package from Life Christian Fellowship and I am excited to get to see him tonight. We are all going to the the "believers meeting" at the Sanctuary of Dublin, Jefferys church. Allot of the staff and others from the church had been gone on Sunday when we went, but I have been told that wednesday is their real service anyway. It is supposed to be a more freeform meeting as far as worship and planning of messages and such goes. I am excited about it. So far there has been absolutly no rhyme reason formula or anything else to where I have gotten great acceptance and where I have not. Every where I go however, God is showing me allot about his people and those who claim to be apart of his church. One thing that was obviouse to me was the stark contrast between two of my meetings last week, one that seemed to be motiveated by fear one fearless. While I do not think God wants us to be nieve or foolish, I hope that I can learn to listen to Him in strange and dangerous siutations, and that that will make me fearless as well.
I have included more paragrah breaks in this post at the request of Chris Baker.
posted by jmpingspyder at 5:42 AM
5 Comments:
Hooray for updates and paragraph breaks! Glad to hear this last stop was such a good one. I hope you don't get caught in the rain tomorrow!
glad to hear things are going well! i like the increased paragraph breaks, also. Can't wait for the next update. Stay safe!!
One of your better written entries.
Chris Baker is a good man; you should probably do anything else he tells you. The breaks really do make it easier to read.
It is interesting to read about the contrasts you find. Not surprising, really, I suppose. At the end of this the contrasts and the drivers behind them will definitely be worth some writing.
Thank you sir!
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