Entertaining Strangers

Last night just as church was ending I became aware of a quiet commotion on the side of the road in front of our sanctuary. A big chartered bus had broken down, and a large group of people in matching purple t-shirts had gathered outside. Soon it became evident that a mass choir had been delivered, quite literally, to our doorstep.

It was hot, so I invited them to come into our fellowship hall where it was cool and we had water and facilities. One of our church guys opened up the coke machine and Billy dug out cookies and chips left over from last week's vacation Bible school. Someone made coffee. We visited while they rested and waited for help to come.

After a little while they gathered around the piano and their pastor, a kind old man, played while they sang soul gospel songs "till the building almost caved in," Elizabeth said. I think she meant they raised the roof. In any case, they led us into the presence of God right there in our old fellowship hall with their bus broken down on the side of the road.

When it came time to leave, they hugged us and thanked us for our hospitality. The thing is that we are probably the ones who received the greater joy. The last lady to leave said, "God is so good. He puts His people everywhere to take care of each other."

There are no coincidences in the Kingdom of God. Their bus could just have easily broken down a mile up the road. But He let it happen right there on a hot Sunday night when church was running a little late. He let us entertain strangers, and as a result we have new friends who are also friends of His.