The Man Who Prays for Us is Here

One of the stops we make with our volunteer teams is Cultural Heritage in Arusha Tanzania.  This is a place where one can buy carvings, paintings, shirts, blown glass, jewelry, Tanzanite, etc.  It is a "one stop shopping place" for all your souvenir needs.  There is also a cafe which serves food varying from coffee and tea to small snacks to a full lunch buffet.

On a recent trip, we went to Cultural Heritage for shopping and lunch.  I make reservations in advance so they will be prepared for our groups.

On this day, the lunch was superb as usual.  We went and thanked the cooks and the managers for another meal well done.

The head manager thanked us and then proceeded to tell me about his current problem situation.  A group of 28 had come in and ate at the buffet.  The problem was that they ate without his prior permission and without a prior reservation.  Then our group of 16 ate our meal.  Another group of 20 was following us. They had made advance reservations.  He was very concerned that he did not have enough food for the last group.  The leader of the first group was "apologizing" to the manager for this inconvenience while I stood and listened.  The manager then proceeded to tell that leader that there was no problem because "the man who prays for us is standing here.  He prays and God works out our problems and difficulties.  He is from the church and he knows God and God knows him".

How do you respond to that statement?

With humbled silence and gratefulness to God!

The other group leader left in disgrace.

The manager and the owners of this establishment follow another world religion.

How humbling it is to have God recognized working in your life by other people.

This also demonstrates the importance of building relationships.

Perhaps one day this whole family will have the relationship with God Whom I know and Who knows me.