Hope's Happenings - To Those Who Gather Hope

It is always interesting when providence enters the picture in a life. Sometimes it is just in the nick of time. Sometimes one wonders what would have been if that particular sign/event had never happened. When I went to Azusa Pacific University as a freshman I was like a fish out of water. I watch this happen now sometimes to other freshman students now that I am older; they have a sudden feeling of homesickness and upheaval. The hardest thing when one feels thrown off in a life situation is that you don't always act like yourself. So here I was at Azusa Pacific University, coming off as shy, quite, serious, and as someone WITHOUT a sense of humor. Other students were noticing and jotting me down as the "loner" kid, others were simply paring up to have fun with those who liked to have fun  And suddenly I met another student, who happened to be in a class with me....and we hit it off. Our humor was exactly the same, we ate together, we went out to events together, and the two of us, with our combined sense of humor, gathered others within the dorms who became lifelong friends. I still look back on that moment of finding this friend as influential on my future life and purpose at that moment;  Why did I find him? Why did he find me? What would have happened if I had not? 

Later that week, my Grandmother called me to ask me how I was doing. I said I was doing fine now (as I was), and just before she ended the conversation she said, "You know, you have a relative there at the school.....He is your cousin....and his name is Carl....You should look him up and tell him I said hello." Now guess what the name of the friend was whom I had met and had turned my college life around: Carl. He was a relative that I didn't know I had, but it explained his care for me, our common humor, our common bond...but neither of us knew it at the time. What are the chances?

We continue in the book of Ruth on Sunday (Ruth 2:1-10;13), in which Ruth is seeking to survive with her mother-in-law Naomi. She goes into the work of gleaning the fields of a man named Boaz; but unbeknownst to her Boaz is not just another land owner....he is a kinsman of Naomi, and therefore of Ruth. A kinsman/woman is someone who is distantly related to you, but more importantly, someone who will look out for you because of tribe loyalties. For Christians, Kinsman/woman has been associated with another term.....that of Redeemer. How do these kind of coincidences happen in life? What are the chances they are not chance? Who has been a kinsman/woman to you in your life? Come together to hear more of the wonderful story of Ruth this Sunday....All are welcome!

Pastor Jay

PS:  We had a good discussion of the indigenous Cuban's introduction to Christ last week, even as it is a hard one.This week let's continue to unpack the history of the people and land of Cuba, with the introduction of the Afro-Cuban experience....The Santeria face of Christ....Sound exotic? I'll try to make it more so! Come to the back and lets continue our conversation.