160th RAK – Excellent RAK…Thank you God for using me in this way.

160^th RAK – 6 Jul 2022; 5:40 pm.

• Wow…Oh my gosh!! I truly desire readers to know/understand just how Blessed it feels to Bless someone else. I had no idea that it would feel this fantastic to be a part of what God is doing right now, down here on earth.  On our website, if you click the “About” link, towards the bottom of the page you will find these words: “Can you imagine how different the world will look after 1 whole year of helping people with something as significant as some strange man walking up to you and giving you 200 dollars cash and leaving as quickly as he arrived.” What I did not realize when I pinned those words nearly 6 years ago, was that I was changing the way the world looked to “me”. As hard as the world is, with as many things that trouble us, it can still be beautiful. Since I wrote that, we have had a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and countless gun deaths. We have experienced wars and rumors of wars. And still, God is on the throne.  He has never left us. He is ever-present. He is my strength, He is my shield, He is my rock. To bring different people, together at the same time and in the same place is truly a miracle of God. Through this journey, He has shown me repeatedly, that I am not nearly in charge of the things in my life, as I would think. One red light or a little traffic would have me in a different location or a different time, and He controls it all.  Not some of it…but ALL OF IT!! This time when I look at all the things God had to orchestrate to have me precisely there at precisely that time, I am left in awe and wonder. Saying to myself, “How do you do it God?” the intentionality of God is sometimes overwhelming. 2 hours before I met Pastor Donte Lastrapes and his lovely wife Genesis I was on the phone with Brother Zabe Mouton, from the Men’s Prayer Line Ministry. I love this brother. He is helping me coach my 14-year-old son Korbin in basketball skills development. He suggested that I get my son some gloves or mittens to dribble in. That would help him dribble harder, which would in turn teach him more control of the basketball. So, I thought to myself, with my big ole head, “Gee let’s go to the Dollar Tree, right in the same parking lot as Food Town. And I can do a RAK at Food Town after I get these mittens.” Little did I realize/know that God put the thought in my mind to go there at exactly that time because He knew Pastor Lastrapes and his wife would be there at that exact time. As I pulled up to the store, I saw the pastor and his wife going into the Dollar Tree. Of course, I didn’t know who he was or what I was sent there to do. All I saw was a man and a lady going into Dollar Tree. So, I followed them into the store. They went one way; I went the other way to ask the clerk if they had mittens? She said she didn’t think so because mittens are seasonal, and it being July, they probably didn’t have them, but I was free to look down aisle 5. Guess who was down aisle 5? The man and the woman I just saw entered the store.  Side note: They were not down aisle 3 or aisle 7 or aisle 1. They were down aisle 5. Guess what? There were no mittens. I looked extensively trying to find the mittens but there were no mittens. Probably, because they are seasonal…Dude!! After all, it is July. By the time I finished looking and headed out of the store, this man and the young lady were already at the checkout. Mind you, I am a retired service-disabled military veteran. I parked in the handicap spot right in front of the door. I got ready to get back in my car, and I felt Holy Spirit say, “Go ask them the 3 questions.” To know how fast I listen to His direction would surprise you. Doesn’t surprise me though. As they walk out of the store, I approached them, introduced myself, and asked, “What church do you guys attend?” they said they were pastors, and they attend Freedom Church. With that, I said “since you go to Freedom Church, I have three questions for you, and I already know your answer to these questions. First, do you believe in God?? Of course, you do, you believe in God you go to church. Second, do you believe in Holy Spirit? Their reply was yes. Finally, I asked, “Are we supposed to listen to the Holy Spirit?” Again, their reply was yes. That’s when I showed them why I was sent there. At this point, it obviously was not to get mittens. How do I know that? Because Holy Spirit knew there were no mittens there when He sent me. I thought that was where He was sending me and what He was sending me to do. Turned out that Donte and his wife Genesis were pastors. His wife started crying, overwhelmed with God’s goodness. We all praised His Holy Name right there. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.