I don’t always take advantage of promotional texts. However, today I got one from Shane’s Rib Shack and since I had not eaten there recently, I thought I would take advantage of it. I got inside and placed my order and sat with my intern to talk about the workings of the day.

Once we found a seat, I saw someone at the counter I had not seen in a while…at least I thought I knew who it was. Once he finished his order, he walked over toward the drinks and then I could see him clearly. I knew him. Even though I recognized him, I had forgotten his name because I had not seen him at church in a long time.

He told me his name again: Mack. Mack was in a bad car accident recently and had also had a stroke that inhibited some of his speech. We had not yet started eating, so I invited him to sit with us. The intern and I worked our way through lunch and conversations, listening in closely, deciphering words as best we could from what Mack was trying to communicate. It took some work but we managed to connect and understand almost everything that was shared. We talked about his accident and situation, his daughter and wife and how he has been blessed to still be able to drive even though his body isn’t functioning at 100%.

After finishing lunch, I realized that the focus of the Shane’s Rib Shack experience was on Mack today. Running into him and sharing the table was a blessing for sure. It reminded me of my recent challenge to church members to invite someone out to lunch during the week. I had already invited my neighbor a few days ago, but was turned down. This experience served as a reminder that God is Sovereign and the person we may need to invite to lunch might already be there.

George Lockhart is the lead Pastor at New Vision Church and President of Vision2Hear Ministries. He has a dog named Samson and loves Banana Split Blizzards.