Day 17: Walking in Fear . . . I mean, Faith

Sometimes, God puts something in your heart that scares you to death. It’s that “thing” you think about and then go, Yeah, right! I would never really do that. I can’t do that! Before you know it, you have built a pretty strong case for the reasons this “thing” is unattainable, not a big deal, and eventually, just an afterthought.

My boyfriend, Jamey, and I had one of those thoughts over the break. Sitting by a warm fire, reading, most likely, an inspirational Christian book about how to live better and pursue the life God has called you to, we had the “thing” conversation. We decided that since we both work for the church, we don’t have obvious opportunities to “invest and invite.” So we wanted to be intentional about meeting “the Buckhead community.” For us, that was a general term . . . the people who work in the high-rises; the stay-at-home moms; the young, workaholic dads; the singles that jump the bar scene . . . you know, the community. But all that changed over some burned cookies and a front door.

On Tuesday night, Jamey and I decided to meet his neighbors. Since it’s not exactly pool weather to hang in the sun and greet people as they walk up in flip-flops, we went to plan B. For us, that meant knocking on doors. After work, we met at his apartment and baked some cookies. (Don’t worry, only one batch was burned.) We put some hot chocolate mix in a container and wrapped it with silver ribbon for an added bonus. Then, we prayed together asking God for courage and an opportunity and then we stepped out into the frozen tundra. That night, we knocked on 21 doors and met 12 new friends. Our line: “We made a New Year’s resolution to meet Jamey’s neighbors. So, we just wanted to say hey! Oh, and here are some warm cookies!”

Although Jamey and I are far from shy, this was not natural. We were anxious and paranoid that people would think we were nuts! We wrestled with what to say, what to give them or not give them, and most importantly, how to knock without sounding like we were coming to arrest them. This experience for us started out pretty scary. But God took our fear and replaced it with a strengthened faith. Now, during this 21-day journey, we don’t just pray for “the Buckhead community.” We pray for Abby, Bryan, Tommy, Heather, and Wade. We can pray for Sylvia and her daughter. Our community turned into real people and we are praying those people will turn into relationships.

Sara Manny

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