Awe

As I reflect on the Noelridge BBQ on Friday evening, the word that comes to mind is Awe! I'm in awe as think about what God did. You can click on this link to see a slideshow of the event.

The concept was simple enough. Put on a BBQ, invite the neighbors, and build relationships. New Covenant teamed up with Eastview Christian to plan the Noelridge event. It was great working with Pastor Bill Holley and his team. James Wartian was the New Covenant point person and I was his helper!

We reserved the shelter at Noelridge Park just in case it rained. That was a good move! Eastview planned out the kids games, we put in our food order, went to 1300 homes with door hangers inviting them to the gathering, recruited volunteers, hung door hangers again the week of the BBQ, prayed and then waited.

This all seems simple enough, right? Yes, except it's never been done before in this neighborhood. Would anyone come simply because they got a door hanger? What would we do with 500 hamburgers, 200 hot dogs, 27 large bags of chips, 560 bottles of water and cans of pop if nobody came? I have to admit, there were times that I began to have some doubts!

Like on Friday morning when I woke up, went to the weather radar and saw the huge storm front coming our way. I followed it all day, and it wasn't going to miss us. And sure enough, at 6:00 PM, right as we began to serve, I felt the first sprinkle!

We began to make contingency plans. We moved the serving tables inside. We got the New Covenant umbrellas out and I began to wonder what we would do with all the extra food. Bummer!

And then God showed up. He had actually been a part of this all along. There's no other way you can explain what began to happen next. I stood in awe as He began to work in spite of the weather and my lack of faith.

I was in awe as:

1. I watched people begin to stream into Noelridge Park. The parking lot soon filled up and we sent a parking team out to direct people up to the Noelridge Pool parking lot! We filled up half the pool lot!
2. I watched people walking in the rain from the parking lot to the pavilion. Soon the pavilion completely filled up. Yet people continued to arrive. At one point, the line was 50 feet long out the door as people stood in the rain waiting to get their food!
3. I watched our people serve with grace, patience and joy! It was so much fun. I met some people for the first time from New Covenant. And we made some new friends with the folks from Eastview!
4. I watched Pastor Mark Eades and his team make and serve 250 snow cones to those who were standing in line for food! It brought a bit fun and enjoyment to what could have been a discouraging wait!
5. Bob Dye, Pastor Bob and our cooking team grilled up 500 hamburgers and 200 hot dogs! Bob Dye called earlier in the week and offered to bring the Youth For Christ chuck wagon to help with the grilling. We couldn't have done it without the chuck wagon. It even had an awning that kept the cooks dry!
6. I watched all the food we brought being served! Earlier in the day I was making plans on what to do with leftovers, and now I was worried about running out! But that didn't happen. We had enough for everyone, with a few hamburger patties left over. We used 650 paper plates and we probably served around that many people!
7. I met people from the neighborhood who showed up to eat. One woman and her three children were driving by, saw our sign that advertised Free BBQ and stopped to eat. They were early but waited 30 minutes and were one of the first through the line!
8. People asked me who sponsored the picnic. One person wanted to give a donation. Others stopped to introduce themselves and say thanks before they left!
9. As I talked to a woman from the Noelridge Neighborhood Association. She said they struggle to get ten people out to their meetings. And then she commented, as she pointed the people standing in the rain, "Look at this!"

Make no mistake, Friday night was a God thing. And it wasn't just at Noelridge. The same thing happened at some of the other venues around the city!

Friday night the rain showed up just as predicted. But something unusual also happened on that soggy summer evening. God showed up, and that changed everything!

Friday night I witnessed a miracle. To some, it may have looked strangely like a picnic, albeit a wet one. But to me, I was standing on holy ground in the presence of a mighty God. The Spirit of God was in that place and we served with a sense of awe!

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." Luke 5:26