Joe Cool & the Team

I was talking to a friend the other day about being ‘cool’. Of course we all know that I am cool, ya know I’m down wit dat! Well, whatever. I decided to look the word up in the dictionary. Found the following slang definitions: great, fine, excellent; characterized by great facility, highly skilled or clever; socially adept. We came to the conclusion that anything cool about me & my friend comes from the ultimate Joe Cool himself, Jesus! Which brings me to the point of this blog today: I am blessed to be a part of one of the coolest ministries ever!

I help cook breakfast as often as possible. Mr. Randall always has coffee made for us when we get there @ 5 a.m. We bake 4 big trays of biscuits, cook a gazillion eggs, make gallons of Tang and a gumbo pot full of special recipe grits that will make you slap yo mama. After it’s cooked it gets put in to-go containers and loaded on the truck. Let’s not forget about washing the dishes and packing the boxes with jelly, sugar, cream, plates, forks, etc. Lot’s to do and an awesome group of people that work as a team to get it all done.

There’s a core group there every week and then others who come when they can. When I do show up, I’m always amazed at how happy everyone is. Come on, can you really be happy getting up at 4 in the morning (or earlier) to cook for people you don’t even know? These people can because they know the poor matter to God. They know that they are not just stirring grits or making tang, they are touching the heart of a hungry man, woman and child.

It really hits home for me when I do get the humbling opportunity to meet the people we cook for. Most that I’ve met have a good attitude despite their living conditions and are truly thankful not only for the food, but for the friends they have made. They see people who serve them every week. Not just a ‘one-time to make my conscious feel better’ kinda thing, but an on-going relationship where people go extra miles to help them.

From the people that cook, clean, serve or roam, No Place Outreach is one part of God’s team that is truly reaching the world one person at a time. I really do feel privileged to be a part of this great, fine, excellent, characterized by great facility, highly skilled, clever, and socially adept, all because of Jesus, outreach!

Thanks Jesus!
miss bernie