Meeting Some Sweet People in Texas
By now, it's been 5 days since I came to Texas for the first time. I came with my friend Jennifer to spend some time with her and her family. We've been friends for about 3 years now and I had never been in her hometown, so we finally took the opportunity to come down together from Tuscaloosa. There have been many adventures, laughs, and discoveries here in Texas, but one of my favorite things of this trip has been meeting some sweet people.
On Thursday, I got to meet one Jennifer's friends, named Buffy. She is a sweet 90-year-old lady who loves Jesus, people, music, and cats. The two unlikely friends met through the church they go, First Baptist Dallas. We had good conversations, went out to lunch, and went shopping at a craft store. I was inspired by Buffy's sweet appreciation for the ability to go out to enjoy a simple hamburger. She also expressed just how she sees that music is such a gift from the Lord. She played a little bit on piano for us. Even though she had said it wasn't much worth listening to, we thought it was still a simple, yet beautiful melody. I asked her how she came to know Jesus, and she smiled and said, "Oh, it was wonderful!" Her passion and joy was so evident as she recounted the details. It was beautiful to hear her story of how she found true life in Jesus Christ. I tend to take the simple things for granted... good food. music. musical ability. knowledge of salvation in Jesus. Buffy's joy causes me to say, "God, remind me of these gifts, that you are the good giver"
On Friday, we went to downtown Carrollton, where there were some quaint little shops and restaurants. We walked into this tiny antique store that Jennifer had never noticed before. It was so tiny that when we walked in, we were face-to-face with some customers who were about to pay for there items. Once they were done and had left, the man working there welcomed us to the store. He showed us some of the items that he was excited for us to know about. We learned that this place had a bit more than just antiques. He made an effort or two so we could feel at home, telling us that we could wash our hands at the kitchen sink after we had tried a few samples of local honey. He told us about a lot of different places around town, as well as some events that Jennifer had never heard of. I ended up buying some produce to cook for the next week. We talked about how roasting vegetables is the best way to cook them, and I found out that his name is Mike. We were impressed that he put in effort to talk with the customers and let them know that they are welcome to his store.
Lastly, today was cool because I got to meet some kind people at First Baptist Dallas. One of those sweet people told us the story of how and why she ended up moving from Virginia to Dallas, Texas. Her name is Joan, and she is a host, or greeter, at the church. When we said hello to her, we ended up in a fun conversation. When Jennifer asked why she moved to Texas, she was happy to tell us the brief version of the story. She highlighted how God brought all the pieces together and provided for her when she came to the city without knowing anyone or much about the environment. I was glad to hear her story of how she had seen God's faithfulness. It was an unexpected surprise to hear a neat story like that in the hallway of that church, even before the Sunday School or church service had begun!
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| A couple of pictures I got of First Baptist Dallas... wow. Definitely the biggest church I've ever been in. There are 7 floors and 5 parking garages! |
~Kthnxbai!
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