Reflections of Trinity, The Little Store That Could…

It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little divine intervention and that is what I would attribute to the moderate success we have experienced at Reflections of Trinity.

Reflections, as it is fondly known, is a small thrift store located in Powder Springs Georgia and is an outreach arm of Trinity Chapel Church of God, which is located about 7 minutes NW of the store on Macland Rd.

Reflections will celebrate its 5th birthday on September 27th of this year which is something to celebrate considering most small businesses fail within the first 5 years. It has been five years laden with stories about love, acceptance and forgiveness and how we have carried the foundational message of our church into the marketplace. With that in consideration, I have decided to write a blog about our experiences with the hope of inspiring other entrepreneurs to catch the vision of Marketplace Ministry, how they can use their talents and blessings to BE a blessing and pay it forward.

So what is Marketplace Ministry?

And how do you propose to do ministry in the marketplace? Great question!

As we all know, people begin businesses with the intent to make a profit which in turn raises the standard of living for the business owner and or share holders. Reflections was created as a non-profit with the intention of raising the quality of life for the collective community she serves which in essence is what a non-profit is all about. Ministry is therefore found in the daily efforts to raise the quality of life for those we serve. Now does that mean that we don’t make money? Au contraire. We have to make money to survive. Our landlords do not accept love as legal tender, nor does the phone company forgive unpaid bills so we have to cover our expenses. Additionally, the only way to grow and provide quality service is to have a fiscally sound foundation. Sometimes folks tend to forget that when dealing with a non profit organization. They expect everyone to work for free and they assume we have no overhead.

So where’s the “Day in the life of Reflections” story you ask? Well, I’ll begin by telling you about Charlie.

Charlie was a Powder Springs resident about 2.5 years ago that was an amputee, barely getting around in a dilapidated wheel chair. I first noticed Charlie as I drove to work one morning and I was particularly drawn to him for the odd way he maneuvered his wheelchair. Instead of using his hands to move his wheels, Charlie would literally pedal the pavement with his only foot and use that as his way of navigating the sidewalk and moving forward. It appeared to be a very exhausting mode of transportation, especially mid-day in July. I would generally say a quick prayer for him and continue on my way, caught up in the endless tasks before me not thinking much past the moment.

Several weeks later, our store was blessed with a state of the art electric wheelchair that was only used for a few weeks before the owner passed away. The family thought the donation would bring in significant revenue (which we needed desperately) since the re-sale value was approximately $5,600. At that time, it was the biggest ticket item we had ever offered and the thought of making that in 1 sale had us elated considering we didn’t even do that in week’s worth of business.

The automated wheelchair had not sat in the store two weeks when one evening, coming back to the store from a donation pick up, I happened to be at a stop light when who do I see pedaling in his wheelchair with one leg? You guessed it! Good old Charlie. As I watched him cross the street before me, I said the usual little prayer asking the Lord to bless him and make his life a little more comfortable. He looked uncared for, unhappy and dejected. Immediately, HE responded with ” you do it” knitting my brows I responded in thought – “Who me?” “Yes you, why do you think I provided the new wheelchair?”.

I would love to tell you that I felt emotions of overwhelming compassion but I did not. The first thing I did was question the financial stewardship issue, but thankfully, not for long. I knew what to do. My relationship with HIM has taught me that obedience is better than sacrifice and sometimes we don’t always understand the instruction nevertheless, he requires our obedience.

I pulled off to the side of the road, got out of the car and ran to catch up with Charlie who was unaware of his bewildered stalker ( smile) we then commenced to dialog for the next 45 minutes about his plight and what he had been praying for for a long time. I made no promises, as a matter of fact, I just listened. I got his address and phone number and returned to the store. We gathered as a group and planned the strategy.

A few days later, we invited Charlie to come into the store under the premise of giving him some needed clothing. Charlie was so excited at the prospect of a new wardrobe but could barely contain himself when we presented him with a brand new, state of the art, electric wheelchair fully charged and ready to rock and roll! No more foot pedaling. Yes he got clothing and shoes and a new more comfortable mode of transportation, but most of all, he got love, not just in words but in deed.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to remind us that love is a verb. Not an adjective or a noun, a verb. We have to be surrendered to the fact that when we yield our lives to God then we truly do not own anything, we are merely stewards of what he has given us and when he gives directive for its use then we have a responsibility to obey.

So what about the store? Well, I’m here to report we didn’t experience a miracle for good behavior, we did not see an immediate demonstration of reciprocity but we each went home that evening knowing that HE was proud but most importantly, knowing in our hearts that we could be trusted with the resources he gives us, especially when they are just on loan for someone else ( smile).

I challenge you today to demonstrate love rather than just speak it. Remember faith without works is dead… and yes, you can do it!

If you would like to read our weekly blogs about marketplace ministry and how our outreach touches the community, the nation and the world, why not click the subscribe button and leave us a comment. We would love to get to know you better.

God Bless.

The Reflections of Trinity Staff and Charlie.

A happy Charlie gets new wheels!