A Current-Day Upper Room

            When Jesus first sent the disciples out to spread his message he instructed them with the words: “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.”  (Mathew 10:11-14)

            As the “Pearls Girls” traveled from bookstore to bookstore to spread the word about the Pearls of Promise Devotional in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas, we felt a lot like the early disciples. Many were extremely receptive and wanted to carry the book; a few were not as open and we had to shake the dust off our feet as we walked out of the building. We trusted that God would place the devotional where there was the most need.

            However, there was one act of hospitality that we were still talking about as we made the five-hour journey back to the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex.  Several of my friends encouraged us to stop at the Viva Bookstore, a Christian bookstore attached to an art gallery and restaurant, tucked away at a very busy intersection, Loop 410 and Broadway, in Alamo Heights. The manager, Carla, graciously took a number of books to sell at the store, but then she went the extra mile. Our next stop was at a San Antonio Christian radio station, KSLR, where I would be interviewed by the morning talk show host, Joy Miller.  We needed a place to prepare and pray about the interview.

            Carla offered us a room with a large table and beautiful Christian artwork surrounding us. It was a sanctuary and she told us whenever we were in town, that we were to consider this place our home and could use it as a location to meet and rest.  We were blown away by this 1st century-like hospitality. We were weary travelers spreading the word of God and she provided a place of refuge.

            In that room, we prayed and recited one of the devotions from the Pearls of Promise devotional aloud.  We had read through the book hundreds of times during the editing process and we were becoming calloused to it; but the devotion came alive and we wept.  We knew the book was anointed.  We also received a difficult phone call while we were there as we found out a friend’s father had died. So in the peace of this home away from home, we prayed fervently for our friend.  We thought, “What if we had received this news while crammed in the car?”  Instead we prayed for our friend in a current-day upper room, a provision from God just like what Jesus and the disciples experienced during their journeys.

            On his missionary trips, the Apostle Paul also experienced hospitality everywhere he traveled and he reminded us in the Philippians 4:19: And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.  We experienced this. We were given the gift from Viva bookstore, my close friend, Deb, provided a comfortable place to stay and we made many new friends along the way like other bookstore managers, Jackie at Barnes and Noble and Jessica at my old church in San Antonio. When you are in the center of God’s will, Christ will provide for all your needs. Have you experienced that?

            At the end of the trip, we were humbled and in awe of the countless blessings we received.  Through his provision, we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt God was with us and we were on the right path.