{"id":1267,"date":"2014-11-24T14:49:29","date_gmt":"2014-11-24T05:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/timandreajohnson\/?p=1267"},"modified":"2014-11-24T14:51:57","modified_gmt":"2014-11-24T05:51:57","slug":"happy-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/timandreajohnson\/2014\/11\/24\/happy-thanksgiving\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Thanksgiving!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GR<\/a><\/p>\n

First Evangelical Covenant Church in Grand Rapids, MI during a recent missions festival with colleagues Jay & Ellen Haworth as well as Shunichi & Masako Miyamoto. The Miyamotos are serving as missionaries to Japanese in the greater Detroit area and beyond\u00a0through a ministry called NAJO (North American Japan Outreach). Lots of laughter and memories in both languages!<\/em><\/p>\n

In the last prayer bulletin, I (Andrea) offered a suggestion of a way to pray using the body to give our concerns to God.\u00a0 Thanks to those of you who noticed and wrote back. Not all prayer is quiet or contemplative-many of you no doubt have had experiences like mine below….. prayer under pressure?<\/p>\n

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I’m driving toward O’Hare on my way home after a great 10 days connecting with churches and friends in Michigan and Illinois. Actually, I am trying to turn in the rental car.\u00a0 I take an exit off of I-290; as I curve down the off ramp, I see the exit sign I really wanted \u00bd mile beyond…too late to go back. Soon I’m driving through Schiller Park, but not seeing Mannheim Road. Sigh. I begin to panic because I’ve still got to fill up with gas, find the rental return, catch the shuttle for the airport, check a bag, and board my flight in the remaining hour. I’m starting to stress because the morning traffic was slower than expected.\u00a0Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner. Please help me.<\/em>\u00a0I repeat truth:\u00a0Even if I miss my plane, I’ll still get home, just later. Even if I dent the car distractedly looking for road signs, it’s not the end of the world. Even if…even then, your right hand will guide me<\/em>.\u00a0Finally after a few more criss-cross Battleship-strategy attempts to find the street, I stop to ask at a gas mart:<\/p>\n

Me: Excuse me…could you tell me where Mannheim Road is? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Cashier: Nope. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Me: Hmmm. I know it’s around here somewhere. Do you have a map I could look at or buy? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Cashier: Nope.\u00a0<\/em>(this time with a shrug.) \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Me: Hmmm. I don’t have wifi, and I need to find Mannheim Road… \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Cashier: (gives another disinterested shrug, and turns away)<\/p>\n

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I’m\u00a0desperate. No point getting back in the car till I know where I’m going. Just then a woman rushes by me and says,\u00a0“Hey, I go right by there-give me a second and I’ll take you there.”\u00a0<\/em>As I wait by the Cheetos and beef jerky for her to come out of the bathroom, I’m startled by the tightness in my chest and the heat of my tears as relief wells up inside. \u00a0I’m not used to such quick answers to prayer. I wonder whether I should hug her, try to pay her what a map would have cost, or just gratefully accept her kindness. As we head out to our cars, I see a road atlas for sale on the bottom rack-maybe the cashier didn’t know it was a map. I try to slip the woman a small gift “for a cup of coffee,” but she laughs it off and says she has to go that way to work anyhow. I find myself sobbing in the car, utterly overwhelmed by the variety of human experience in the city and by the grace of God when I didn’t expect it. I think I’ll pay the grace forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

GIVE THANKS!<\/strong><\/div>\n
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We’re so thankful for a ton of things…. as usual. Hard to know even where to start. From our long list here are just a few:<\/p>\n