Jesus Freak!

I am not afraid to be called a Jesus freak.
One day, I was walking through Menard's when gruff looking old man shouted, "HEY YOU JESUS FREAK!!" down the hall. I slowly turned as I tried to place the voice..."Ponch!" I replied (with much less enthusiasm than he had greeted me with). It turns out it was an old friend of my mom's whom I had not seen in a few years! Incredible that he even remembered me. It is funny how God can put those people in your life in the right place at the right time. Actually, this is far more than funny. It is amazing! He was just the person I needed to see that day. I was not having a very good day, but as we talked about God that day in Menard's my attitude was changed for the better.

God can speak to you and lift you up by placing those people in your life at the right place, and at the right time. It is not coincidence that you just run into people you know at stores or shopping malls. I believe God puts them there for a purpose. Whether it is to just lift your cheek muscles in a smile or to allow you a chance to brighten their day, I usually never know until our conversation is finished and I am through the checkout line. But this I do know - nothing happens by coincidence.

That day I was having a really bad day. It was one of those time that nothing is seeming to go right, and I had some bad news in the family as well. I was just in a sour mood about God's work in my life. Yet as I searched for the light-bulb isle that day in Menard's, God brightened my life in more ways than one. That day, I made a new friend in an unexpected way, on an unexpected day, and in a very unsuspecting place...

What you may not know about Ponch is that he is a biker dude. That's right, a Harley Drivin', leather wearing, gray beard sportin' sort of dude. He also runs an outreach ministry for bikers in the Twin Cities. He GLOWS with the love of the Lord! It made me slightly uncomfortable that day to be talking about God and spiritual matters in a Menard's isle. People walked by and looked at us funny. But you know what? Afterwards, I was glad we did. Praying for others in public places like this is one thing that we can be thankful for being able to do! 
When I look back on that day, that intellectual conversation in that everything-shopping-store, I could not have ever expected such a simple happening to change me. It brightened my day to see that Jesus cares enough for me to "go out of His way" to cause an old friend to stumble into my path to talk about God.  And you know what? I was encouraged so much that I was able to in turn bless others that day with my joyous attitude.

These simple happenings mean so much to me! To know that God puts people in places to cross your path at the right time is simply awesome. Whether you are to impact them, or they you, it usually turns out that both are blessed. I know I was able to bless Ponch by praying for his biker friends and outreach that weekend, and he was able to bless me by smiling and brightening my day with that sometimes harsh label of JESUS FREAK.

When feeling weak, remember that it is OK to be called a Jesus freak! So if someone calls you by that name, do not hesitate to return the greeting. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much God can bless your day through an unexpected source.