Day 8 - "Finding Heaven in Hooters" 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge

I know yesterday I indicated that I'd be giving hacks and tips for the linen closet, but I remembered I signed up for four hours a week to sew blankets for the battered woman's shelter. I also realize that many of my readers have children, and you might want some tips/hacks in cleaning out your children's closets - and since I'm an expert on children and having them in my home - NOT, I found a great how tos here to help out:

1. http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/closets/kids-closet-organization

2. http://www.parents.com/parenting/clean-your-kids-closet/

3. http://www.cleanmama.net/2015/08/how-to-organize-and-maintain-kids-closets.html

Don't forget to subscribe to win the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge. I'm giving away the following:

1. Roomba vacuum

2. Smart living steam cleaner

3. Essential Oils Spring Cleaning Pack

Today's Devotion/Thoughts for the Day "Ashes to Fire"

1 Corinthians 3:10-11New International Version (NIV)

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

My husband and I both love wings (who doesn't right?). When we moved to Florida, we found that there weren't many places to go in our little town to get good wings. Luckily, we had a Hooters, and would often frequent there. We never thought anything about going to Hooters until a few people from our church mentioned that it wasn't an appropriate place to frequent because of the scantily clad waitresses and the alcohol that the establishment served. I was pretty perplexed by that reasoning since many of them spent Sunday after church eating at the local Applebee's which touts itself as the "Neighborhood Bar & Grill". They also spent time at our local beaches where many women wore a lot less than the Hooters' gals. But, I refrained from being a jerk about it.

We had been going to Hooters off and on for over a year, and on one visit we met Carly. Carly was a young single mom who worked her tail off. On one of our visits we noticed a table card that indicated a fundraiser for Carly. She had been diagnosed with Stage 3 of an aggressive form of cancer. Carly was our waitress that day, and so we asked if she would mind if we prayed for her - not realizing that she would take that to mean we would want to pray for her right then and there. But, she did and promptly kneeled down at the table for prayer.

The next time we were there, Carly was once again our waitress and asked if we could pray for her. So, we did. This went on for several months. Then, one Saturday we realized the last few times we had been to Hooters, we hadn't seen Carly. The fundraising table cards were also gone. We feared the worst, so we called over our waitress and asked about Carly. Turns out she was in remission, had been given a promotion to District Manager, and was doing great. We were ecstatic, and said something about the power of prayer.

Our waitress asked if Dave and I were the couple that prayed with her when we came in. She then asked if we would mind praying for her. So, we did. She then went back to work. As she left another waitress came over and asked for prayer. So, we prayed. It happened over and over. Before we left most of the waitresses and a few of the kitchen staff gathered around our table and we led in prayer. It was awesome.

When that happened, Dave and I had begun attending our local Nazarene church, so on Sunday we shared with them what had happened. They were so supportive and excited. Heaven had come down to Hooters.

Pretty soon, Saturdays was prayer day at our local Hooters. For those that don't know, college football in the South is a huge deal. Saturday football at Hooters is an even bigger deal. Yet, every Saturday when Dave and I arrived, there was time for prayer. Customers were polite and courteous. Nobody complained that their waitress left for a bit or that more often than not, a small circle gathered and we said a prayer. Nobody complained that the kitchen staff took a small break to give us their prayer requests and even praises.

This went on for nearly a year until Dave and I moved to Australia. I will always look back on it with fondness in my heart because God showed up every Saturday at Hooters. He answered prayers for these young men and women, He restored relationships, and He met their needs. Some of them found church homes. Some didn't, but they were all shown love.

The reading from 1 Corinthians reminded me of that time. As Christians, we are all called to share Jesus with others. Sometimes we will see the fruit of those experiences, and sometimes we won't. The point is that we are all called to share - no matter how big or small.

There is a world out there searching and wanting something bigger than themselves, and we have the answer, Jesus. The last thing the girls needed was someone telling them that they were being objectified or that they weren't living life right. They didn't need a heavy three point sermon or a big theological discussion. They just needed to know someone cared.

I've read that for every adult it takes an average of seven different "touches" of people authentically sharing Christ with someone (not preaching to them, shouting at them, etc.) before that person wants to become a Christian. We aren't always going to be the person that leads someone to Christ, but we each have the responsibility like it says in our reading to build each with care.

As we continue our challenge, remember that we are just one touch, and it might just be the touch that changes someone's life.

John Wesley wrote, "God will do his own work in his own way with different persons."