One
more Bethlehem Street Market is in the books.
After long months of planning and preparing (I know because I live with
the event coordinator for this particular extravaganza), everything seemed to
come together and make for a success on all levels.
A
large team of Seasiders in our signature blue t-shirts (with long sleeves or
sweatshirts underneath – it was really cold) gathered to make this day
happen. How? Directing traffic, handing out gift bags
(with a New Testament inside, among other things), setting up tables, posting
signs, helping vendors, working booths. The Sweet Shoppe and Food Court - run
by a team of Seaside’s own, of course - did especially well. We ran out of Ed’s Awesome Brisket and also
the chicken noodle soup. In fact we had
so much participation in terms of people providing soups that we are able to
have a Soup Sunday today and invite people to join us after church for
lunch. We sold a lot of the honey from the
used-to-be on-site bee hive, and we still have numerous jars of honeycomb left
for sale. We’re hoping to recoup some of
the cost of the removal. The vendors
seemed to be selling stuff throughout the day.
We didn’t get to set up the bounce house for the kids due to the high
winds, but, being kids, they found a way to enjoy themselves out on the
playground.
On
an entirely different level, several local families expressed a plan to attend
Seaside. We’ll be looking for them this
morning. One attender said they were “impressed
by how all the blue shirts seem to really care for each other and get
along. This must be a good church.” I talked to one of the vendors who had recently
had open heart surgery. I shared the gospel
with him, and his response was, “Oh, I’ve given myself to him.” And he proceeded to share with me a beautiful
tale of his near death experience. He
remembers a lot of light, and a door, “like that light fixture up there. As I got closer to it, I felt like
light. Then suddenly, the door closed
and I was back here.” It was a special
moment for me to hear that. I like to
think that I would give myself to Him after an experience like that as
well. I was also able to share the
gospel with another guy who approached me because he saw the fire department
hat I was wearing. He had been a fire
fighter at one point and was hoping to find a comrade in arms. He told me he found the Lord at his absolute
lowest point. Sadly, that’s how it often
happens. We have to get so far down that
the only possible way to look is up. And
there He is. Waiting with open arms.
You
know, I don’t know how much money we made for local missions. Kind of beside the point. There was a great community response. The vendors want to come back next year. People saw Seasiders loving each other and they
made The Jump. They attributed it to us
being God’s disciples. Sounds awfully
familiar …
John
13:35 says, “By this all men will know
that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Father,
thank you for all the Seasiders who worked so hard to put this event
together. Thank you for the chance to
meet and hear from those guys who have met you in drastically different
ways. Amen.
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