Farmers Market and a little guy named Rudy

It was a sunny San Diego morning and I was so excited to go to the Farmers Market here near the house. It seems many locals try to go to a Farmers Market at some point during the week since there is one every day. They have samples at most booths and you can almost feel full by the time you leave!

Today as I was walking into the market I felt like all of my senses were wide open. Of course I smelled the tamales. I heard the guys strumming on their guitars and lots of the laughter from the kiddos running around. I saw the bright colors of the produce and watched as people walked up to the booths to buy their goods.

From just observing, it seems many locals (which i don't know if i am one yet since i have only been here 2 months) are heading straight to the vendors that they are used to buying from. Others, like me are meandering through and taste testing.

Today was different though for me.  I thought back over my own visits to the Farmers Markets over the recent weeks and I realized that sometimes I can go up to a table where someone has worked hard to plant, maintain, harvest, and deliver these delicious foods and I just look at the food and at the prices. I evaluate and make a judgment, compare what i have seen at other tables, taste and sometimes just walk away. WITHOUT even looking into the eyes of the person at the table.

My Aunt and Uncle that we live with though are so different. They look into the eyes of people at the booths. They find out their names. They ask about the foods and they say thank you.

Today, I was by myself at the market. (Lord, who would you have me to SEE? Who would you have me to listen to today? Will you use me to love someone).

Oh boy, all you need to do is whisper that prayer, look around and there will be people!

When i approached Rorey's stand she was on a phone call and seemed concerned. I waited at the table for the sample and she got off the phone quickly. I told her it would've been fine with me if she continued the call. SHe shared that she was grateful for my son.  Her son used to only call her once every 6 months with her begging and now he calls 6 times a day since he is in a crisis. She went on to share a while and i could tell she is really concerned for her son. As she was giving me samples of honey, i realized that honey was going everywhere. I said "wow, this is a sticky business". We got a laugh. She usually brings more paper towels today but today she forgot.  Some others walked up to sample the honey and I just moved to the side and then went to the next booth.   Later, I went to the bathrooms and got some paper towels and dropped them by. She was surprised. We chatted more and I told her that I would pray for her son and his situation. She shared his name and I told her that i would pray. Will you say a prayer for him now? (bringing a paper towel to this sweet lady opened up this door to listen. Lord, allow her to know your love for her and also for her son. Thank you for growing their relationship during this time.)

So after talking with Rorey, I continued on to buy other things like apples, eggs, and Kombucha. I LOVED that I could look the vendors each in the eye and say thank you for providing this food for us. (Lord, thank you for each person that plants our food, cares for it, harvests it and brings it to share. Bless them. Provide for them.)

So, I will finish this not so short post with 2 other people that i met today. They asked me to share their names with you and to ask you to pray for them. This is a father and son and both of their names are Rudy. Here is how this conversation went. I was walking past a booth and little Rudy said "do you want to buy bread?" . (oh my word, he is such a little cutie!) I told him i was allergic to bread and that i couldn't buy any. I went on to ask his name. He said i can't tell you. Then of course he went on to tell me. "My name is Rudy." I said "hello Rudy, my name is Heather".  As i continued on I heard him say "Heather, don't forget my name. My name is RUDY!". (This is what i do in my heart all the time. I want people to see me. Understand me. Hear me. Know my name and remember my story. At this moment, i am so thankful that God does not forget our name ever. He never forgets our story. He knows it so perfectly and is with us in our story). I call back, "Rudy, i will NOT forget your name".

I got all the way to my car and had to go back. I couldn't get this cute little face and his voice calling out "don't forget my name" out of my head. I went back and bought bread from his dads friend and also sweet potatoes from his dad.  After talking a bit with them and hearing more of their story, i was so thankful to buy from them and to support their family. They work SO hard to bring all this food to sell. Everyone there does. ( Since they wanted to have people pray for them and wanted me to share their names, i will post their picture here). Will you join me in praying for God to provide for their family?


I cannot wait to go back next week. There are people there who I know a bit better. There are names, faces, stories, heart aches and joys.

Honestly, God is opening my eyes to see people all around me. My close friends will say that this has always been the case but its different. Its deeper. I am about 3 chapters in to reading Bob GOff's book "Love Does". God is showing me more about loving through reading this book.

Who might God be wanting to love through you today? Who is someone on your weekly path or daily path that you may not have really seen in the past?  Y'all, it is a gift to live this life alongside of one another. Will you move slower with me today and ask God to help you see, listen and love those who cross your path?

Its a joy!

BUT, God's love says to my heart GO, SEE, LISTEN, LOVE.

The day started off with time with friends, a trip to the airport and a walk on the beach. The sun was shining after a 3-day rain storm. I thought "all is well." My body is achy battling this Lyme disease but my soul is well. I was happy as I walked along the beach with my Jer. I loved seeing all the seaweed that the storm had brought up and talking with the guy flying the quadcopter on the beach.

With being in a new city, we are always exploring new places. Every day there is a "new" something. We were looking for a yogurt place nearby and could not find it. BUT we found someone else.

So, in pulling in the parking garage I saw her from across the garage. We pulled by her and she had her head down and was moving so slowly. We drove past her and parked. I said to Jer "do you think she is ok?" He replied "I don't know."  We continued on to the store that was above the parking lot. The store was so well ordered and clean. Delicious fresh produce and smiling faces. I thought, everything is so beautiful here.   We walked outside still looking for the supposed yogurt place near by. I was still thinking about the lady we had seen.

When we couldn't find the yogurt place, we went back into the parking garage from the other side, which would've been closer to where she was earlier.  I didn't see her when we entered, and part of me was relieved. In being a nurse, I seem to always be in places where there is a medical crisis. On flights, near car accidents, finding someone passed out on the sidewalk in Philly, etc. I am serious, ask Jer, it happens all the time. Anyways,  what goes through my heart in those moments is that I don't have what it takes. I'm not equipped. If I do something, I might fail or mess things up. It's just better to not get involved. If I don't see it, I don't need to do anything and there is no risk. (Yep, I really think that sometimes. It's terrible, right?).

BUT, God's love says to my heart GO, SEE, LISTEN, LOVE. 

Anyways, we got near the car and I saw her sitting in front of our car on a railing. (Oh no, I have to go). I asked Jer if I should go and he said yes. He always encourages me with his yes's. When I approached her she could not even look at me. I asked if she was ok and she said "I will be fine. I am just weak." I asked if there was anything that I could do and at that point she got up and started walking. I told her that I was a nurse. She looked up towards the door of the store which was at the top of an escalator and her eyes dropped. I said "that is a long way to go when you don't feel well, huh?"

She looked at me and started up the escalator and I rode along with her. (Oh Lord, please don't let her pass out).  She shared with me some of her story. I won't go into many details but I will share that it was her first pregnancy and she was really sick. Her insurance hadn't kicked in yet and she could not hold any foods or fluids down. (Oh boy, here we go. It's medical. I knew it. Lord, help me. Please help me). As we entered the store, we talked about a few ideas for hydration during pregnancy. (So thankful for those days as a prenatal nurse).  She wouldn't let me get her anything to drink or one of those electric carts. Literally, she was barely moving. She said "I will be fine once I get a cart and can lean against it as I walk." She looked me straight in the eyes.  I saw her determination and tenacity. I also saw in her eyes utter fear. Her eyes were soft towards me and she thanked me and said she would be ok. I sensed I should go. (But Lord, I could do this for her.. or that for her. I haven't done enough. What if she passes out right here in the store. I need to fix it. I need to do more). As she reached for the cart I asked for her name and let her know that I was going to be praying for her. She was teary. So was I.

I went outside and Jer (my sweet man) was outside praying for me. Don't know what I would do without this man's prayers. He was smiling at me, waiting, ready to listen to me. I told him that there was one more thing I needed to do and that was to get her some coconut water. I went back in and bought the water, found her in the Gatorade isle close by with the security guard who seemed to be with her. I gave it to her and we chatted a little,  exchanged smiles and I left. 

As I walked out of the store, I wondered so much about her whole story. She looked so tired, so scared and at the same time so bold and confident. Stubborn just like me and not accepting help. I am sure she had so many other feelings. Relationships. Brokenness. Did she feel excited about this baby? What did the days ahead hold I wondered to myself as i walked away.

When I got back outside to Jer we walked to the car. I shared what happened and we just prayed. Prayed for her, this man, this baby. Her story, her fears, her hopes and dreams. We prayed that she would be able to hold down fluids and get hydrated.  We also thanked God for putting her in our path. 

So Kas (not her real name) was on my heart all afternoon. It changed the way I interacted with other people that I saw. What has happened in me? I told Jesus I didn't want to carry everyone I meet and all their "stuff."  I felt He said "you don't have to carry them, just bring them to me. I will carry them and all that they are carrying. And I will carry you Heather as you carry people's stories in your heart."

This has freed me to be fully present to the person that is in front of me. God is big enough, loving enough, huge enough, tender enough, kind enough, perfect enough to carry it all.  As i walked throughout the day, I felt a sense of being thankful for where I was in that moment. The people who we met were the only ones in our lives and path at that moment. Freeing right?

Speaking of God's kindness... right when we got home and my heart started to get a little prideful and think "maybe U am gifted at this listening thing"..y'all, I fell straight down on the driveway. There I sat, with my stuff that was in my hands scattered everywhere.. and I was reminded of my humanity, my brokenness, my frailty, my hurrying and unawareness. (Oh Lord, you are funny. OK, I remember again that this is about you and not about me. You have my attention. I want you Lord. Please use me.)  Sweet man came and helped me up. I have a hard time resting and stopping and slowing down.. and sometimes God has to help me with that. My body is ok. It just caused me to look up again. 

Will you join me in praying for Kas and this little one inside of her? Will you also join us by listening to those around you who may or may not have others that see them and listen to them?  

Please share with us those that you meet and how you are changed by meeting them.

Blessings,

Heather 

PS. The day after I met Kas, I was back in the area of that store again. I walked over there and guess who I saw... the guy who was with her the day before! (Oh no, am I supposed to talk with him). to make a long story short, I did talk with him. He was very glad that I approached him. He reported that Kas had felt SO much better after the coconut water AND that she had eaten for the first time in a long time. She was feeling better. We chatted for a while gave him my phone number to give her in case she needed anything before her insurance kicked in and we parted ways. (I don't normally give my phone number but I think that was the right thing to do in this case).  Stay tuned.