Not Forgotten, But Forgiven: Part 2

To read Part One of Erica’s and Lisa’s story, click here.

Life Turned Around

Lately I have been helping Lisa work to find a job. Another member of the Vineyard connected me with her husband, the general manager of a local fast food restaurant. That night she texted me to say the restaurant was looking to hire. I picked up Lisa and we went to the restaurant to see about a potential job. She sat down for an interview with the general manager and about 30 minutes later she walked out with a uniform! Ever since Lisa has started her job and joined Street Team, her attitude has shifted to one of hope and joy. She is so excited to come to church with me when she can and has a countdown to Street Team every week.

This has been a true testament of faith for me, evaluating my walk with God through constant prayer and the desire to be his hands and feet for Lisa and her friends. It’s exhilarating and exhausting , as I literally feel the Spirit working through me and pouring out on others. A few Saturdays ago, I picked up Lisa for church. We ended up sitting near the back, as I also had the young son of a friend with me and I let him choose where we sat. Lisa and the boy immediately got along, and both listened intently to the sermon. Before the service started I noticed that another guy from Street Team had made it to church. He has been going to Street Team for about three years but has never made it to a church service.

After the service, the young boy noticed the communion table and asked a few questions about it. I got to explain to him what communion was about in a way that a 7-year-old might understand, while Lisa also listened and soaked in the information.

Spirit Filled Conversation

After church we ran a few errands and an incredible conversation unfolded. “It was so awesome to see someone else from Street Team in church tonight!” I said. Lisa told me she shared a bus route with him and a couple days earlier had invited him to church. She also mentioned that a couple of days ago a homeless man had asked her for a few dollars, and she ended up taking him out to eat to a local restaurant and told him about the Street Team and the Vineyard. We talked about everything from opening a safe house in Duluth to the reality of the Bible. She has opened up to a life of hope in a way I don’t believe she even thought was possible.

Lisa said that she doesn’t know if she is praying right and that she often calls Jesus “Dude,” and so we talked about what faith looks like. She said that she keeps asking God for proof of his existence and that she keeps getting the proof she is looking for. She had many questions. She asked about heaven, about the Bible, about whether or not God is selfish, and how to navigate friendships and relationships with people who are not Christian believers.

I wish I could recount the conversation that we had, but I simply can’t. It wasn’t me speaking; it was God. I all of sudden was saying Bible verses I didn’t know I knew. I referenced worship songs and books that I haven’t heard or read in years. I shared more of my story and how my faith has gotten me through some hard times.

Through this new friendship built on mutual trust and the love of Jesus, I told Lisa how powerful her story is and that with Jesus she can move mountains. I told her how proud of her I am, that her selflessness speaks to the love of Jesus, and that is the truth of Christianity. I told her that Jesus wants to take care of her, and that he probably loves being called “Dude”! I said that as a Christian we often get stuck in the haste of making disciples that we forget the most important thing of all: loving unconditionally. She mentioned that because of this typical religious response, she had decided she was an atheist — until she met us on the street.

[bctt tweet=”in the haste of making disciples we forget the most important thing of all: loving unconditionally – Erica Baker” quote=”we often get stuck in the haste of making disciples that we forget the most important thing of all: loving unconditionally”]

This conversation was about three hours long. Near the end of the conversation I asked if she had accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Her response was a resounding “Yes!” I can’t adequately put into words what it felt like. It was the most beautiful, Spirit-driven conversation I’ve ever been a part of.

Six weeks ago the Street Team met a teenage atheist on the streets. And on this Saturday night, I met a whole and new Lisa, a sister in Christ. It cost me nothing and everything: my time, my money, my resources … which I would gladly pay again and again to serve people like Lisa, who is no longer forgotten, but forgiven. As Lisa continues this new and exciting life, she will have many more questions, and her story will bless so many others.

[bctt tweet=”It cost me nothing and everything which I would gladly pay again 2 serve people like Lisa – Erica Baker” quote=”It cost me nothing and everything: my time, my money, my resources … which I would gladly pay again and again to serve people like Lisa”]

My Vineyard church says, Love God, Love People, Period. I’m proud of my church and the power that that simple statement holds. I think it is divinely inspired. What freedom! And what a truly amazing God we serve!

Erica Baker is an active member of The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota. She volunteers as part of the Love Justice ministry and is a member of the Street Team, both of which minister to underserved populations of men and women of all ages lost in the shadows and streets of the city.