Last week I sat at my desk at work, trying my best to hold back random spurts of tears as I thought about our friend we had lost in Hollywood. The weekend started with passion to tell people about Christ before it was too late…and Satan used that time of sadness to instill fear into me, and discouragement that it’s hopeless and too much work and tiring and made me not even want to go to Hollywood last night.

This week, I sit at my desk, again thinking back on the events of the previous night, this time a smile coming to my face as I recall these words, “Father…..Thank you for allowing me to meet these people….I’m going to sleep better tonight than I have in weeks, ecstatic…I am so happy to have met you…Thank you for making me feel like I’m a part of something.” The words of a man we met on the street this week.Wow.

Satan is good, but He is no match for God. Last week was difficult and sad, we lost someone with so much despair and hopelessness. This week God brought a specific person across our path who truly believes that he was brought to us for a reason, can’t wait to come back next week to our bible study, and was probably more happy to meet us than anyone I have seen down there. His heart is already open and softened and ready to hear more and be loved. Several people had great conversations with him, we had a great time of prayer and sharing together, and it was so evident that God had been at work and this person had been greatly touched by his time with our group. I can't wait to see him, as well as a few others, next week. Satan had me doubting, and God brought us encouragement and hope.
God never fails to make me laugh with his irony. As I parked at the house that we meet at to go up to Hollywood together, I thought, "I don't really want to go tonight. Something is making me scared and worried. At least there's no "GO" trips coming, I can just hang out with the regulars so I don't have to use so much energy meeting new people." When we arrived in Hollywood I saw the large group standing outside of Del Taco and realized we had another "GO" trip out tonight. Meaning, I would be in charge of leading 2 other people that I had never met. However throughout the night I saw how God gives us responsibilities and tasks that we are not ready for sometimes, but always gives us what we need to handle it. A few minutes into the night I was excited to spend more time with a guy I have been getting to know, and the chance to get to know some great people from church, and introduce them to this friend. We all hung out at Del Taco for a while chatting and getting to know each other better and hearing more about "John".

A few minutes before midnight we headed over to our bible study. Once again, we were blessed with a large group of people because of the "GO" trip. I had the chance to meet some new people and then sit and listen to the message for the week which once again had few distractions or interruptions, and people seemed to listen pretty intently. After a short talk, we broke into small groups to share and pray together.

This was where I saw God at work, as I grouped up with the people around me, one new person from Hollywood, the rest Rock Harbor folks. They asked, "so, what do we do? who's going to lead our group". Oh, I thought silently. I'm the only Broken Hearts person here. I guess that makes me the leader." Funny, because I'm not much of a leader, and this evening I had hoped to stay in my own little box and not venture far out. But God placed me in this position, and it really was no big deal, not hard, and actually pretty cool. So I started us off by sharing some of what I'm going through and struggling with and asking for prayer, and set the precedent for others to share. This was the time that our new friend, "Ian", shared that through his conversations with some of the Rock Harbor and this "chance" meeting, he felt better than he had in weeks, he was going to be coming back next Thursday, and he thanked God during prayer time for bringing him to us and that he would actually sleep well that night. Someone with such a smile and such joy in meeting us is rare...God was doing a great thing in his heart that night.

I wasn't looking forward to the evening when it started, and by the end I had had many great conversations, laughed, smiled, prayed for friends and felt hope, and wasn't even very tired or anxious to leave. And now, I can't wait to go back next week!