Feed My Lambs - Pastor Monica Ledford
Christ First, ICCC Gainesville, GA
John 21:15
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
January 19, 2008
3:30AM - My alarm clock goes off and my body reveals what I already know; I slept fitfully during the night due to the nervous excitement that made sleep hard to come by. As I sat up in my bed to the “Beep! Beep! Beep!,” I could only think, it has finally arrived! A quick, warm shower, a layering of clothes for warmth, and I am off to the kitchen to get my pre-packed lunch and pot of coffee lovingly prepared by my dearest Christy who sends me out into the cold in the name of Christ who bids me, “Feed my lambs.“
3:55AM -As the first sip of piping hot coffee meets my taste buds, I sigh deeply, reminded that God smiles upon all who wake so early every morning to bring bread to those who are hungry on a cold morning. All is still and quiet in my house at this hour, until I hear the faint pitter patter of little feet coming towards me. It is my son, Chandler, meeting me at the door to bid me farewell with a wet kiss and the encouraging words I need for my day, “I love you Mommy.” I am off on a great new adventure!
4:05AM-I am inside my cold car, and I do a quick temperature check…41 degrees. As I hit State Route 17, I begin to contemplate what this day really means. Today is the first distribution day of Angel Food Ministries at Christ First. This has been a dream that has been years in the making, and God has at last brought it to fruition. Today we will have the privilege of bringing food to the needy, and I am filled with the realization of just how important the task at hand really is. On the 20 mile drive to Mt. Airy, all I can hear are those words again, “Feed my lambs.” I believe that I have reached a pinnacle moment in my life; a brand new beginning that comes as our church answers the call to serve. We will do our part to help feed the hungry in our world and bring the message that God truly is a God of abundance who has given us all enough to have our share.
4:25AM- I am arriving at Tracy and Jean’s home. Tracy and Bud are already making the morning plans for our trip to Angel Food Ministries in Monroe, GA from the front porch. As they stand on the porch laughing, their breaths rise into the dark morning air.
4:30AM- We are on the road, and it doesn’t take long to see that I am not the only one who is giddy with excitement. We are going to pick up food that will bless the lives of many people in our community. What else could get the likes of us out on a cold, morning like this?
6:00AM We arrive in Monroe, GA at Angel Food Ministries. The temperature is dropping and it has begun a steady, cold rain. We back the truck into bay 29, and go inside to find that there are already people who have come from church after church who are busy at the work of taking food back to their people. As our pallets are being gathered, I am granted a tour of the facilities. Such hospitality so early in the morning! I am most drawn to the fountain in the lobby of the church. It is a cascading waterfall filled with clear, blue water which reminds me why all of us have come. It is this same water that brings us all to this place on a Saturday mid-January morning, the waters of our baptisms. This moment is my reminder that we are all chosen to be servants of Jesus Christ who bids us, “Feed my lambs.”
6:30 AM- The distribution warehouse is incredible! There are perhaps 50 forklifts maneuvering the pallets of food to their prospective loading dock. As I speak to the employees, I see my own breath rise, even though I am inside the warehouse, and soon my cheeks begin to ache from the cold. These are all reminders that the food here is kept at sub-zero temperatures to help ensure that we will safely transport it back to our communities that will soon be coming to be fed.
7:00AM-Each item has been counted and double checked, and it is now time to say good-bye as the fork-lift loads our pallet onto the back of our truck. The rain is coming down harder now, and we are forced to get out the tarp to cover the food. After we get it tied, we notice that a rear tire on our truck is flat, and we come dangerously close to a moment of panic, but we soon remember that there is a gas station nearby. We go there and put air in the tire, choosing to carry on, believing that God will see us home.
7:30AM- A quick check on the tarp reveals that it has torn from the wind pressure. The blue plastic is now flapping loosely on both sides of the truck behind us, and it appears that we are being carried now by angels wings.
8:20AM- We arrive back at Christ First. The rain has changed to sleet which is bouncing off the truck and off of our special delivery. In our zeal, we have arrived an entire 40 minutes ahead of schedule. We are just glad to be home!
9:00AM-The faithful volunteers have arrived; Tracy, Bud, Jean, Trevor, David, Kim, Michelle, Stacy, Brian, Lisa, and Michael. The truck has been unloaded, and we still have a whole hour before distribution begins. We gather around the registration table and find that our volunteers are just the right number to form a circle around this table of welcome. We gather and hold hands as we reflect upon what this day means for our church and for our community. We have been called to participate in a new thing; a ministry that extends beyond our doors, and together we have heeded the call, “Feed my lambs.”
10:00AM-Everyone’s in their places. It is time to begin! The sleet has now turned to snow, and it is falling in huge cotton-ball sized flakes. As I take my position as the parking lot greeter, I cinch my coat around me a little tighter, and I am stopped by one particular snowflake as it makes its way slowly and gracefully through the air. As it drifts downward, it lands softly on my face, and in that instant I realize what all of this means. Not only have we carried bread to feed God’s people, but we bear witness to the fact that it is a faithful and loving God that is still providing manna right here in the midst of this wilderness. We are simply asked to only gather enough for our people just for today. As the first car pulls into the parking lot and an unknown lady steps out of her car, I can only say with a huge smile, “Welcome to Christ First! I am Pastor Monica, and we are so glad that you have come!”
Peace,
Pastor Monica
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