Have you ever expected to find rest during the weekend only to be met by a broken AC or unexpected leaky roof?

Since the pandemic, this has possibly been most of our lives. We expect one thing and discover another.

In our scripture for this week from Acts 16, the disciples go to Philippi and expect to discover a place of prayer. Instead, they encountered people. The disciples encountered a group of women and began to listen to them, and the women listened to them and the message of the grace of Jesus in their lives. One woman among them, Lydia, was transformed by their message, and at the same time, God “opened” her heart. She was then converted and offered her home for the disciples to stay in.

The disciples could have arrived at what they thought was a place of prayer and then turned around when they discovered it was something different. Yet, they accepted the change and used that time to get to know the people around them. Through this experience, new people got to know Jesus and were transformed.

This week and these days, we are used to the unexpected. This week I wonder how God might use your unexpected moments? Might you take the time to get to know the people around you and even share the love of God with them in some way? I pray that we all might use our unexpected moments and opportunities to glorify God and be God’s presence in the world around us. Knowing that when we do, a small piece of heaven is found here on earth!

See you this Sunday at St. John’s!

Pastor Audrey