Ben--part 2

I had to ask Ben to leave. You can’t see it from there, but he has quite an inflated ego and we could not get along with each other. I'm guessing that whoever he was with last, got sick of him, and that's why they put him in my mailbox. The only reason I agreed to work with him is because I have a ton of respect for Al. I had to do a lot of editing and rewriting for Ben, but he did better than usual, because most of the time, I find him to be quite flat.

So let’s talk about the multiplication of dollars that go to the food pantry.

Basically, the directors make a purchase from the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Their investment makes a chain reaction that I will loosely describe for you. The food program will, of course, get a good return for each dollar. But they don’t only get the items they purchased. The Northern Illinois Food Bank also makes donations, based on their surplus and how many people each food program serves.

Local restaurants like KFC, Olive Garden and Panera do their share as well. For example, have you visited Panera? Do you remember all those fresh-baked breads and pastries? They can’t keep them overnight, so on Wednesday night, the local Panera empties its shelves and puts all of that good stuff in large plastic bags for our food program. At the end of every business day, they must donate it or toss it out.

A nearby Red Lobster test marketed plateware. They ran their program and when they finished collecting their data, they contacted the food pantry to pick up vanloads of free dishes. The pantry volunteers counted and sorted the dishes, and there were 55 sets of dinner plates (6-each), soup bowls, dessert bowls, saucers, cups, and other things like platters, salt & pepper holders, sugar holders, and more. Mrs. Craver tried to come up with a dollar value for the plateware. She figured that the whole shipment would have retailed at $4,500, at least! ($80 to $100 X 55)

Volunteers come to the church throughout the week to stock shelves, fold clothes (The clothing closet resembles a thrift store with racks and all!) and do a lot of behind the scenes stuff to make it all come together. It has been so cold outside, that For now… and son brought a crockpot of delicious homemade soup for our guests.

My part at the pantry is to make sure that we all get the connection this ministry has with God, our provider. You can’t put a price on what God does when we pray about people’s hurts and especially the presentation of the gospel. At the Christmas meeting, 25 people said they placed saving trust in Jesus Christ!

Ben--part 1

Hi all! Ben here. You know… “early to bed… a penny saved…” that guy. Well, not literally. That Ben died a long time ago, because he was made of flesh and blood. I’m the Ben made of paper and ink. I’m a one-hundred dollar bill. Got it?

Anyhoo, I heard about this $100 project thingy some of you are doing. My buddy Al and I convinced Craver to let me do a post from my own perspective.

Somehow, people got the idea that they can own us greenbacks. That’s ridiculous! Nobody owns me! No, you see, I visit folks for a while. In reality, I belong to God. I (money) existed in some form or other before we enter into partnership and I’m still around after you flesh and blood types turn to dust. No offense.

We greenbacks are too easily influenced, because we always end up doing what you want to do. I am ashamed of some of the events in my past. (Yup, picture that… a greenback with a red face!) I can’t count how many times I woke up in a strange place, unable to remember what I did the night before. Sorry, that’s not really what I wanted to talk to you about.

A few days ago, Craver said something about how God can surprise you with $100 as he watches to see how you invest in His kingdom. The Lord put it on someone’s heart to put me to work on this, so I anonymously showed up in Craver’s mailbox. For real!

My Caribbean compadre did as he said, and launched me into the ride of a lifetime with the Seeds of Hope food and clothing pantry. I hope he doesn’t get proud and take any credit, because all he did was let go, and God orchestrated a whole bunch of other people and programs to do the rest.

Each week, 40 to 70 families will receive free assistance from the Seeds of Hope ministry at New Song Church in Bolingbrook. These guests will get several bags of food, including frozen meat. They can get some lightly used clothing, and sometimes toys for the kids. While they are there, they can sit for a while with Craver or one of his assistants who treat their guests to free hot chocolate and delicious pastries. Some of these souls are carrying heavy burdens and Craver’s crew do what they can to lighten the load and point people in the direction of Jesus Christ. This week, the visitors will receive an unexpected bonus. Each family will receive a free set of dishes!

gotta run!

There is a strange and wonderful universe where Neverland and The Matrix collide. It is not in the physical world, but it is a real place nonetheless. Look at me talking about this place as if it were ethereal and far away; it’s right here, of course! Today, I am casually enjoying a stroll in this special place, the Blogosphere. Here, it’s a beautiful day; it almost always is.

Looking up, I see a familiar face in the distance. It’s Al! He’s the author of The Suburban Christian. Great book! Normally, he has a rather urgent gait, but now, what would you call it? Meandering? No, it’s like he’s preoccupied, looking for something.

Then, in the next half-a-second, he sees me, and I get ready to do the nod. You know, when you say, “tsup.” But wait! His demeanor has changed. I think he found what he was looking for, and he’s got a determined look on his face right now, and his picked up the pace. He’s coming this way! Is he gonna try to sell me something? Gotta dodge him!

No “tsup” for you, my friend! I pretend I didn’t see him. I gotta get outta here! I’m afraid he’s gonna ask me to do something. Hmmm… it’s probably a skit where they make me wear something goofy and laugh at me. How do I shake him off? Man, I wish I wasn’t wearing these loud clothes! I zig, then I zag, but he’s still with me. Rats! What could he possibly want from me? It could be one of those catalogs where you buy something that you never need… like that apple peeler, corer, etc. Forget it, man! Looking over my shoulder, I notice that he’s smiling. He thinks this is some sort of game! I don’t think he’s getting tired either!

Okay, next year, I’m doing diet and exercise for my new year’s resolution. I can’t believe… (whew) how winded I’m getting. He’s closing the gap!

Is that a dollar he has in his hands? Yes! He’s holding money. Well, maybe I dropped it and he’s giving it back. Hah! Who am I kidding—I never carry cash, except fifty cents for the coffee machine… I couldn’t have dropped the cash. Maybe he wants to give me the cash. But why would he do that? Whoaaa, it’s not a dollar, it’s a $100 bill!!!

STOP!!!

Oh man, my lungs hurt from running! Look at him—still smiling! Hey Al... ‘tsup? (still gasping)

Oh that! The hundred dollars wasn’t for me, it was to remind me about the hundred dollar project he did on his blog. An object lesson… great. Tagged?!! I shoulda kept running. Okay, if I had $100 to invest in God’s Kingdom, and hopefully multiply it, how would I do it?

(between breaths) Lemme... catch my... breath. Then I’ll think about it. Hey Al, call 911 if I go into cardiac arrest okay? (Geez, he’s not even wearing gymshoes!)